The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-02-09
The Independent.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1877.
The Electoral Commission ut
Work.

complication, during the past week.
Charles O'Connor leads the Democrat
ic forces, and VIM. M. Evarts the lit
tie man with the powerful mind yields
the baton of intellectual combat as the
Republican leader. The Georgia Elec-
tors constitute the bone of present con-
tention. What the conclusion will be
no one can tell. The watchers on the
political battlements are jubilant ana
sad by turns. Betting on the final re-
suit has ceased altogether. The coun-
try seems to have submitted gracefully
to the compromise measure, and is now
calmly awaiting the result, as it shall
be announced by the statesmen into
whose hands the case is committed. AT
the rate the commission is doing their
work, they will scarcely reach con-
clusien ere the 4th, of March. The
time wherein to give the subject the
consideration its Importance demands,
is at best limited. If the mass of tes-
timony adduced by the several COM
mittees of investigation shall be con-
sidered and properly digested, we do
not see how it is possible to conclude
the work before inauguration day. But
Grant is the President, and will remain
so until his successor is duly installed
at the White House. The country has
prospered in his hands, and will be safe
few weeks or months longer under
his administration. The compromise
measure and the work of the commits
sion thus far, has been an efficacious
remedy for the unsettled condition Of
the general business of the country.
Confidence in the national credit is
strengthened, both at home and in for
eign countries, gold has declined and
currency has risen proportionately. In
the Portland market greenbacks are
quoted at par with silver coin, viz, "a
@95 cents, being the first time this
could be said for about sixteen years.
A few political partizans still persist
in calling the measure Republican
surrender, but this talk has about ceased
and already there is feeling even
among this class of politicians that the
situation may not be so bad after all.
Grant was too much of a statesman to
take upon himself the responsibility of
voting the measure, and those who OPP
posed it most bitterly had no feasible
plan to offer in its stead. The country
is to be congratulated upon the pros
pective happy issue out of the impend-
ing difficulties. Lovers of their coun-
try will rejoice that temperate speech,
forbearance and mutual concessions by
the leaders of opposing factions enables
an arbitration to be had where reason
and craftsmanship prevail over the bar
barous modes of settling such issues.
The successful conclusion of this con-
troversy will be one of the severest re-
Dukes monarchaical croakers and doubt
ers on the subject of free government
have ever received. These lessons
should awaken the people of this coun-
try to realization of the work before
them. They should not rest too easy with
their present security against domestic
turmoil, for there are many elements of
sedition and danger in our midst,
against which must be applied the
nnited moral force of the whole country.
The social condition of the black man,
and the worse social condition of a
large element of the white population
Of the commercial emporiums, which ell
euent, by the influx of foreigners. and
for other reasons seems to be constant
iy on the increase, are grave subjects
demanding the thoughtful consideration
of philanfhropists, scholars, d;vines and
the educated classes in general; who
mast come, as has theselectoral com