The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-13
PUBLIC OPINION.
what the Press says About the Florida
Decision.
Montgomery Advertiser. I

The decision practically amounts to
this, that fraud. barefaced and unblush-
ing, cannot be defeated by any resort to
legal tribunals. nor by any investiga-
tion OF any kind whatever. Four votes
now counted for Mr.. Hayes were boldly
stolen from Mr.. Tilden, and the theft Is
upheld and indorsed by the Radical
commissioners.
raleigh News.
Thus, the Commission refuse to go
behind the certificate Of a Governor to
discover Radical fraud of the most
glaring nature-frauds that rob whole
people OF their rights, but they will 60
behind Governors certificate in order
to consider the eligibility of Demo-
cratic elector. In short, 1t lays the lines
OF the Investigation so as.to lead up in
evitably to the election OF Hayes.
t5t. Louis Republican,
Those who measure this decision by
Its Immediate effect upon the fortunes
Of the two great parties lose sight alto
gether of its chief feature. It has no.
thing to do with Republicanism or De-
mocracy; 1t reaches far above and be-
yond all party considerations it Is the
recognition and establishment of q
principle which, IL Permitted to stand,
will eventually sweep parties and peo-
pie into common and irretrievable ruin.
When fraud has been hedged round, as
1t were, with Il ring Of divine fire, free
dom has nos far TO go to find her grave.
Mobile Cycla.l
The principal argument by the Re-
publican counsel before the Grand Com
mission, in the Florida case, was that
Congress had no power to go behind
tho returns and correct fraud or mis-
take--thus Indirectly admitting that
fraud was committed. What amount OF
respect the people Of this Republic will
entertain for it's chief magistrate,
should Mr.. Hayes be counted in, can be
easily imagined. A presidential candi-
date basing his claim on the inabilityo Of
the law to reach a detected fraud is
spectacle for American people to con-
sider
[Chcago Times.
The Times has characterized the erec-
ton of this hermaphrodite commission
as a cowardly attempt Of the two houses
Of Congress to abdicate their constitu-
tional functions. From that opinion it
has not yet seen any reason to recede.
It waa not only cowardiy, but idiotic.
The case was just this A political body
holding the constitutional power to de-
termine this purely political question,
being composed in the majority OF the
political supporters Of the lawfully
selected candidate, deliberately abdi-
Gates its power In favor OF the political
supporters of the defeated candidate.
Surely political ''damphoolism" never
in this world more perfectly exempli-
fed the nature Of human folly. II the
upshot shall be the setting up Of an
elective monarch upon political fraud
and rottenness, the verdict Of the
world will be, "Served the idiots
right"
tCincunnt Enquirer.l
It is not the ripe fruit, but it is the
flower. It is fitting that it comes bloom
ing from Florida. the land Of flowers.
The Electoral Com mission, by vote of
eight to seven, decided last evening that
the four electoral votes Of Florida
err, and the Commission will SO report to
the Joint convention Of the two houses
to- day. The evidence admitted in the
case Of Florida is stronger than that
which will probably be admitted from
any other State whose votes will go be-
fore the Commission. The hope left for
the right and the Democracy is in the
cases of ineligibility in Louisiana and
Oregon. As eight members of the cleo
toral Commission have already exposed
themselves as deliberate partners in
frauds that have been proved there is
little hope left.
[Courier-Journal
II every member is to cast his vote on
every question according to his politics.
we do not see the use in going through
the form ality Of investigation and argu-
ment The opinion Of the tribunal has
not been given to the public, SO the
effect of this decision on other questions
l. hA ,taf sr,ith
degree Of certainty. It appears, how
ever, that the decision is ia substance
that there is not enough to invalidate
the vote Of the Hayes electors. 1t is
possible that when the Louisiana case
goes to the Commission enough may be
found to invaldate that vote, and on
that chance the hopes of the Democ-
racy seem just now to hang, unless the
Oregon vote stands or the ineligibility
Of some Of the Hayes electors Is estab
lished. As the Commission refused to
hear evidence outside the submitted
record in the Florida case; it Is to be
presumed that it will not hear evidence
in the Louisiana case. In thab event
the inquiry will be confined mainly to
questions Of law arising out OF the Lou
isiana proceedings.
Mobile Reg gsterl
While the popular verdict Tor Mr.
Tilden is not yet defeated by these
technical pleas, 1t must be admitted
that the Commission, by strict party
vote, has thrown itself against the
spirit of The compromise entered into
by the Democratic members OF the two
houses and the minority of the Repub-
liean memb bers who voted with them to
refer all the questions at issue to II high
court Of chancery. We cay that Mr..
Tilden's election Is not yet defeated.
It hangs trembling on the uncertain
ties surrounding the question OF ineli-
gibility of few electors. A colnmis-
sion which could evade the frauds per-
petrated in Florida and exposed, de-
nounced and annulled by the highest
court OF that State will be able to find
means to evade the ineligibility OF
| electors.