The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-28
RETURNING ROARD mAYEs.


The radical journals complain that the
democracy does not accept the award Of the
joint commission in counting in Hayes with
out protest They assert that the democracy
is bound in honor, to abide the result as de-
termined by the commission, because it is
largely responsible for its creation. There
would be force in this position If the CON-
mission had done what it was ordered to do.
The act authorizing its formation provided
that it should examine and determine who
had been appointed electors in the disputed
states But il did no such thing. II de-
clined to hear any evidence, or enter into
any examination, as TO who had been APP
pointed electors in Florida and Louisiana,
but awarded the votes of these states to
Hayes because the men who were dc
faoto their governors certified that the
Hayes electors were chosen. The
commission did not examine and
see who had been duly elected,
as it was required to do by the law which
gave it life, but accepted the certificates of
Stearns and kellogg as final and conclusive
in the premises 1t merely counted the
votes as certified 10 by Stearns and Kellogg,
and did not inquire whether these scoun-
dreIs had certified to a lie or the truth.
The democracy, therefore is no more bound
to accept the award of the commission than
il would b9 had ii opposed its formation.
1t Ill becomes party which has violated
It's faith with the people. time and time
again. 10 complain OF the democracy because
il will not receive, without question, the
decision of the joint commission. When
the commission was raised many democrats
believed that the republican justices of the
supreme court who formed q part of 1t,
would rise above party and decide the ques-
tions submitted to them according to the
Law and the testimony. These credulous
democrats had forgotten that two of these
justices-Bradley and Strong-owe their
seats upon the supreme bench to the fact
that it was the interest of railroad corpora
tons that the supreme court should be so
packed that a decision adverse to their inter
ests should be reversed and annulled- These
men were selected to do the work, and they
did it a decision of the supreme court
which required that all obligations made
prior 10 the passage Of the legal tender law
should be discharged according to the law in
force when they were made, was opened up
and the Judgment of former court set aside
Such an unusual thing could only be done
by the employment of unusual means, and
therefore Bradley and Strong we're selected
TO do it. BY this act these men
gave promise of the glory which now
environs them. But il is hardly reasonable
70 suppose that those who critised them for
going upon the supreme bench 10 make a
decision which was TO benefit railroad corpo-
rations, ever dreamt of the infamy which
was to be their lot To render judgment
which permitted rich corporations to pay
their debts in a currency inferior TO that IN
which they promised to pay is a small mat
ter in comparison with defrauding the peo-
pie 0f the country out Of the president they
nad elected. This Bradley and Strong and
their republican associates on the joint
commission have done, and for it their
names will 20 down TO future generations as
men who. for party purposes, overturned
representative government in America by
deciding that corrupt returning boards
could make president in opposition to the
votes of the people. 1t may be that the de-
cision of such men will invest Mr.. Hayes
with the title of president, bus II can not
invest him with the respect and confidence
of the people. Should he go into office on
such title, he will have the same right to
bear it that the receiver of a stolen coat has
to wear the garment This the people know,
and this Mr.. Hayes well knows; and if he
consents to accept the Office on such title,
he should ever be called and known as Re-
turning Board Hayes.