The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-08-31

not the final authority in declaring the
election ot Governor. From lie decision
In regard to Electors there was no appeal,
but from It's decision In regard TO Gov
ernor there was an appeal 10 the LegiSla-
ture Of the State. When the President was
inaugurated he found two Legislatures,
each claiming to be the lawful authority OF
the State, but neither having 4 quorum
in both branches. One body claimed that
Nichols was elected, the other that
Packard was elected. The President
could act only In pursuance 81 the Con.
stitution; and ID his view Of constitution.
al duty be had no authority to decide
contested election for Governor. In any
State, The Legislature Of Louisiana al
last decided the case; and whether that
decision was just or unjust 1t had the
force Of law. When in 1868 the Return.
Ing Officers OF New York declared Hora.
Ito Seymour elected, he took his seat and
was obeyed and respected as Governor,
though 1t was Internationally true that
he was not fairly and justly elected. The
day for the recognition Of Packard by the
Federal Government had passed before
President Hayes was inaugurated. II II
could have been done at all II was while
there was Legislature that had quo.
rum. 1t Is we'll known that early in
January President Hayes declared 10 his
opinion that the Packard Government
could not stand, and that public senti.
ment would no longer sustain the Presi.
dent in aiding, by the military power, 10
inaugurate and maintain Government
which had no power to maintain itSelf.
Z THE LABOR QUESTION.
General Garfield touched upon this
question at some length. He said that
in his judgment the country had never
confronted problems so serious and sit.
uation SO dangerous as those which
threatened US in the late labor strike.
These dangers must be confronted, not by
the passion Of self.seeking partlsanship,
but by the intelligence and justice Of our
whole people, And, first Of all, the su.
premacy OF the law must be maintained.
In any country where law cannot be en-.
forced, the people are compelled 10
choose between anarchy and despotism.
Lord Macaulay long ago predicted that in
u struggle between capital and labor our
Government would ultimately be over
thrown. In his letter Of May 20, 1857, to
Hon. II. s. Randall, OF New York, he
said: "The time will come when New
England will be as thickly peopled as old
England. Wages will be as low and iluc.
tuate as much with you as with us. You
will have your Manchester and Birming.
ham. Hundreds and thousands Of arti-
sans will assuredly be sometimes out Of
work. Then your institutions will be
fairly brought TO the test. Distress every
where makes the laborer mutinous and
discontinued, and inclineS him to listen
with eagerness TO agitators, who tell him
that It is a monstrous iniquity that one
man should have million while another
can not get full meal. Ihaye
seen England three or four times pass
through such critical seasons as have
described. Through such seasons the
United States will have to pass in the
course Of the next century, il not OF this.
How will you pass through them2 |
heartily wish you good deliYerance.
But my reason and my wishes are at war,
and | can not help Ioreboding the worst.
. 0 and | seriously apprehend that
you will in some such season of ADVERSE
~ as l have described do things which
will prevent prosperity from returning;
thatyou will act like people in a year Of
scarcity-devour all the seed corn, and
thus make the next year year not of
scarcity, but of absolute famine. There
will be, 1 fear, spOliatiou. The spolia-
ton will increase distress. The distress
will produce fresh spoliation. There is
nothing to stay you. Your Constitution
is all sail and no anchor. When society
has entered on this downward progress,
either civilization or liberty must perish"
Commenting upon these words of Ma
caulay's, Gen. Garfield said that they were
ominous words-and many thoughtful
Americans had remembered them during
the last six weeks. 1t rests with our
people to determine whether the prohh.
ccy shall prove true. II the great mass
of our people we're allowed to grow upin
ignorance, it would be difficult, perhaps
impossible, to escape the logic Of Macau.
lays letter. Our faith in the Democratic
principle rests in the belief that intelli.
gent men will see that their highest polit.
ical good is in liberty regulated by Just
and equal laws. We confront the dan.
gers OF universal suffrage by the blessings
OF universal education. We believe that
the strength Of the State is the aggregate
strength OF Its individual citizens, and
that suffrage is the link which binds into
a bond OF mutual interest and RESPONSE
bility the fortunes Of the citizen and the
fortunes Of the nation. We believe that
as popular suffrage is the broadest basis,
it also, when coupled with intelligence
and virtue, becomes the strongest and
most enduring basis Of free government.
Two rights are essential to liberty and
prosperity, and must be maintained at all
hazards: The right to acquire property,
and the right to keep it after 1t has been
acquired. There ought to be no conflict
between capital and labor in this coun.
try. Their interestss are really one; for
capital Is only accumulated labor. Every
intelligentand enterprising laborer hopes
to obtain competence by saving The
fruits Of his labor; that Is, by becoming
a capitalist; and he is as deeply interest.
ed in the protection Of what he earns as
In his right to acquire. To maintain this
right, all the moral and physical power Of
the States and Of the nation should, If
necessary, be brought to bear.
That lnsidious Foe 10 Health,