Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-04-11
SHALL FRAUD SUCCEED.
LO u / S A n A.
FRAUD HAS W0Nl THE PEOPLE
MUST AGlTATeI
SPEECH OF
HON. WiLLI..M A. WALLACE,
OF PENNSYLVANIA,
IN THE SENATE OF TUE UNITED STATES,

houses, February 2Oh.
Senator Wallace. offer the objec-
tion which | send to the desk, signed
by Senators and Representatives.
The Presiding Officer. The objcc.
tion will be read by tho Secretary OF
the Senate.
The Secretary OF the Senate read as
follows;
Theundersigned, Senators and mem.
bers Of the House OF Representatives,
object to the decision Of the Electoral
Commission as to the electoral voter
Of the State of Louisiana, because
First, tho said decision was made in
violation Of the law under which said
Commission acts, in this, that by said
act the said Commission is required TO
decide whether any and what votes
from such State are the votes provided
tor by the Constitution of the United
States, and how many and what per-
SONS were duly appointed electors in
said State yet said Commission re,
fused to examine and ascertain who
were duly appointed electors in and
by the State OF Louisiana, and what
votes from such State are within the
provisions of the United States.
Second. Because the act creating
said Commission was passed TO the
end that the Commission would hear
and examine evidence and honestly dc
eide which electors in any disputed
State were fairly and legally chosen !
whereas the said Commission refused
TO hear and consider evidence offered
TO show that the electors whose votes
the said Commission has decided shall
be counted were not duly chosen, but
falsely anc iraudulently acted as such
electors, as well as the evidence offered
to show that the pretended certificates
of election of said electors were pro
duced by corruption and were wholly
untrue
Third. Because the said decision is IN
disregard Of truth, justice and law,
and establishes the denioralizing and
ominous doctrine that fraud, forgery
bribery and perjury can lawfully b,
used as a means TO make President
Of the United States against the well
known or easily ascertained will Of the
people and of tho State.
john W. JOHNSON,
WIN. A. WALLACE, JAS. Ii. HOPKINS
]. Il. BAILEY, A. r. BOONE,
GEo. r. DENNIS, CHAs. b. ROBERTS
FRANCIS HERMAN, THos. S. AsnEE,
JAMES X. KELLY, IL. ID. MoSLY,
|
ELI SALISBURY, HESTER CLYMER.
Senator's. Representatives
Mr.. Wallace. Mr.. President, th,
Senator from Ohio, (Mr Sherman,
states that no Senator or lawyer u
this floor, when the bill was about bc
ing passed, said that there WAS an,
right to go behind tho returns.
Mr.. Sherman. II my irieud will al
low me, said that two months ago
before the question arose.
Mr.. Wallace. refer to the Record
| quote the Senator from Ohio hum
self on the 25th OF January, us :,
what was hls opinion OF what this bill
meant. He said
"One objection TO this bill was lba
the powers conferred ON this Commis
sion were unlimited, aud that the Com
mission was left to judge Of theirpow
ers they were lett TO decide how ia
they should back OF returns and wha
faith they would give TO executiv,
certificates. The law did not seek I,
define or limit as was usually done il
ordinary acts of legislation. / object
cd to the bill on that account"
The Senator from Indiana, (Mr
Morton,) one of tho Judges, on th'
same night said;
al took tho ground from first to las
that Congress had no right to go be
hind the decision of the Returnin,
Board in Louisiana that when the,
found that certain members of th
Legislature had been elected, although
they might have found that fact upol
insufficient testimony or upon no testi
mony at all, still it was an act OF tb
Board appointed by the laws oil tn
State for that purpose, and we had n,
right TO 20 behind it. That was m,
position then, as IL is my position now
| believe it is vital point in the con
stitutional doctrine of our country
and believe that this very bill that
am opposing in vain tonight will vic
late, and | believe 1t is intended to VIC
late that doctrine
The Senator again said;
"What maintain is that this Com
mission cannot carry out this part u
the bill without going behind tho re
turns from State, and that is wha
uur Democratic friends understand b.
It,"
And another of the judges, Mr.. Gar
field, in the House OF Representative,
when the bill was on its passage, said
at grasps oil the power, aud hold
States and electors as toys In its handt
II assumes the right Of Congress I,
30 down into the colleges and ipquir
INTO the acts and iacts connected will
their work. Il assumes the right q
IConuppso IN <~<x Jo~u ,sso al. ca 49,.