The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1877-02-23
PRESIDENTIAL YAl;Ai;lES.

We have mind to say something
about the counting of votes for Presi-
dent, but, really, what it ought to be- or
what good it can possibly do, is At very
grave conundrun. There are ieafhes'
men and editors enough who are fret
ting the air and the type with sage
opinions, without our adding one sy'-
liable to the current flow of wisdom in
exhaustible. And yet, the violence OF
the current seems to be reslstiess. anu,
perforce, we are carried into the deep
waters where the village butcher ana
the city pedestrian find themselves al
home. We must swim, or sink. 1t il"
simply because Il heavy invoice OF wis
dom would sink with US, that we re-
luctantly consent to swim.
In our interviews with friends ol, thu
sidewalk, thinking men OF the 'learne'i
professions, and the gentleman just
from New Orleans, Il vast store OF bar.
facts have been gathered. We har,
also consulted the special telegraphi.
correspondents Of the Times, Picayune,
and Democrat, of New Orleans, VIII"
are daily closeted with the President,
and it must follow, as the night the day,
that we are chock-fuli of Presidential
secrets.
The great trouble with the Democrats
in their struggle to elect Mr.. Iilden
we will con.lescend to say, seems to IL
TO be that there was Il stupid omission
~, Ihl.
word was omitted in the very able plat
form adopted ut st. Louis-nOt though.
OF by Mr.. Marble, the author Of that ill.,
strument, nor by Gov. Dorsheiiher, TIM
eloquent and abIe-abodied friend ="
hard money. Whether Mr.. Tiiden W:t-
alive to the Importance OF this on'
word then, we are not in;Ormcd, bni
we risk nothing in saying he is now.
But for the novelty and originality o.
the idea, wc should forbear, at this sol
emn moment, to suggest that the con-
junction, IT, was never entered as d
factor in the Presidential calculation;
and all the trouble now results from
this oversight. Mr.. Tiidcn certainly
ought to have been President, ana
would be President after the 18th prox-
imo, If -. That covers the case
All the well-inforne,! politicians W.
have consulted arc in happy accord i'll
this view of the question. Exactly
what words would be used to fill The
blank, is matter of small practical
value, since the result is the same, what
ever the hypothesis may be, and, be
sides, accuracy in speculutions about ali
election cannot be expected amy NOR.
than whether the coming hcir should
be named Sammy or Moiiie.
Another original idea occurs to It's, iii
view of the probable success of Mr.. Til
denis opponent. The electoral votes d;
Florida and Louisiana have been count
ed for Hayes. What was done iii
Florida to carry the election by either
party, is not, in our Judgment, matter
of precision but in Louisiana 1i!urE
received Il large majority of votes. ln-
Inundated, bull-dozcd,' or what not,
the Democrats carried Louisiana. with
the army, navy aud custom-housc OPP
posed to them. IL turns Out, nO"SNci,
that Hayes, upon fair count made by
Wells and Anderson, was Louisiana's
choice. What Louisiana may say, i
our original idea-.Xo7o Miej! Gov.
Hayes rides to the Capitol to be inau-
gurated rs President, maybe, with such
cry in his rear from nearly three hum
bred thousand voters more than II ma
jority Of tho popular vote.
And here the grave side Of our ques-
ton comes up. We had hoped that
the House of Representatives., Demo-
cratic by large majority, would resist
by all legitimate means the installation
of a President through! the agency OF
open frauds. The House was not
bound by the Electoral bill to beco:n.
a party to frauds nor did it surrender
its power to control the selection of II
President. That body of representa-
tive men was the last hope and MAIN
stay Of tho Democracy and of constitu-
tional government. These representa-
tiYeS hive met their OOpor,rnitv and