The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-03-08
"A LAST BLAST.
Judge Blacks Closing Talk TO the
Electoral Commission.
ELOQUENCE, SARCASM, RIDICULB
AND CONTEMPT.
AMAN TALKING TO THE FORE
SWORN JUDGES WHO
KNOWS THEM.
Judge u.s., Black before the Commission on the

Mr.. Black. am, l suppose,
the very last man in this whole nation
who should be called upon to speak here
and now Everybody has suffered more
or less by events and proceedings of the
recent past, some by wear and tear Of
conscience, and some by a deep sense of
oppression and wrong. But perhaps l,
more than most others, have felt the
consciousness that have lost the dignity
fan American citizen. l, in common
with the rest, am degraded and huniliat-
ed. This nation has got her great big foot
in trap. 1t is vain to struggle for her
extrication. LQ L/It ri
l am so fallen from the proud estate Of
a free citizen, you have so AFFECTED me
that am fit for nothing on earth but to
represent the poor, defrauded, broken
hearted Democracy. And because I suf-
fer more, they think me more good for
nothing than the rest, and conclude to
send me out on this forlorn hope, judg-
ing, no doubt truly, that it matters moth
ing what becomes of me. ought to go
gladly if anything which I can do or say
might have the effect of mitigating the
horrible calamity with which the ecountry
is threatened: President deriving his
title from shameless swindle, not mere
ly of fraud, but fraud detected and ex-
posed. know not how l would feel if
called upon to suffer death for my coun-
try. am not the stuff that martyrs are
made of, but if my life could redeem this
nation from the infamy with which she is
clothed 1 ought to go to the grave as free
ly as I ever went to my bed. Isee, how
ever, no practical good that I can do, and
it is mere weakness to complain.
Wehave certain objections to the count
ing ofthe Hayes vote from South Carolina
which look to me insuperable, but can
not hope that they will wear that ap-
pearance in other mems eyes. Perhaps
the feeling which l, in common with
millions of others entertain on this sub
iect, prevents us from seeing this thing
in its true light. But you are wise you
are calm. You can look all through this
awful business with learned spirit no
passionate hatred of this great fraud can
cloud your mental vision or shake the
even balance of your judgment. You do
not think it any wrong that nation
should be cheated by false election re-
turns. On the contrary, it is rather o
blessing which heaven has sent us in this
strange disguise. When the omnipotent
lie shall be throned and sceptered aud
crowned you think we ought, all of US to
fall down and worship it as the hope of
our political salvation. You will teach
us and perhaps we will learn (perhaps
not) that under such rule we are better
off than iftruth had prevailed and justice
been triumphant.
Give then your cool consideration to
these objections, and try them by the
standard of the law. / mean the law as
it was before the organization of this
Commission. admit that since then
great revolution has taken place in the
law. 1t is not now what it used to be.
All our notions of public right and public
wrong have suffered complete bouleuerSe-
ment. ...
4 Do you not see the hideous
depth of national degradation into which
YOU will plunge us if you sanctify this
mode of making President? Brush up
your historical memory and think OF it
fora moment. The man whom you elect
in this way is as purely the creature of
the military power as Caligula or Domi-
tian, for whom the pretorian guards
controlled the hustings and counted the
votes.
But then we cannot get behind them.
No We may struggle for mercy; we may
cry for mercy; we may go down on our
knees. and beg and WOO for some little
RECOGNITION of our rights as American
citizens; hut we might as we'll put up our
PRAYERS to Jupiter, or Mars, as bring suit
in the court where Rhadamanthus pre-
sides. There is not a god on Olympus
that would not listen to us with more
favor than we shall be heard here the
speaker with uplifted finger, hesitated,
turned slowly around, and directing his
gaze away from the Commission to the
Republican counsel by our adversaries
IGreat laughter, instantly checked by the
presiding Judge We are at their mercy
Undressing the court again it is only to
them that we can appeal, because you
gentlemen unfortunately cannot help US.
You are bound by the new law which
YOU have made. You are, of course, ad.
dicted, like other people, to the vice OF
consistency [laughterl, and what is done
once must be done over again.
In the Louisiana case the people ap.
pointed electors in favor Of Tilden, re-
corded their act, finished it, and left their
work in such state that nobody could
misunderstood it. But other persons,
who had no power to appoint, falsifed
the record Of the actual appointment,
partly by plain forgery and partly by
fraud which was as corrupt in morals and
asryoid in law as any forgery could be.
You thoughtit right and legal and just
to say that you would not look at the
record which the people had made; the
forgery, the fraud, and the corruption
were too sacred to be interfered with; the
truth must not be allowed to come in
contact with the imposture, lest the con-
Cussion might be damaging.
This precedent must be followed. tits
new law to be sure, but we must give it
due welcome, and the new lords that it
brings into power must be regardeda as our
every noble and approved good masters"
Having decided that electors we're duly
appointed in Louisiana who were
known not to be appointed, we can
not expect you to take notice of any
fact similar or kindred toit in South Car
olina.
Then, again, the question of "duly ap-
pointed" was decided in the case of Lew
isee, an elector who was an officer of the
United States Government at the time he
was appointed and continued to be AFTER
ward. The Federal Constitution says
that no man shall be appointed who is in
AI,nt rnlnIinr 10 the Eaderal GnYnrnmant