Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-03-17

on to the end of time. 1t is not with
out beginning Of days, for there was a
time when it had no existence, but it
may be without end of years, for when
once set in motion it is ended with the
power Of self-propulslOn, ad iafnitun1.
BY its own inherent force, without the
application of any outside agency
whatever, it can run for a thousand
years, and at the end Of that period
have no less days to continue
its Spontaneous revolutions than when
it first began. When the world
is trembling in the throes of dissolu-
tion the legitimate successor of } e.
Madison Wells can stand out on the
last crumbling fragment of time, and
clasping the returning board to his
his heart, like CampbeIl's last man
The darkening universe defy
To quench its immortality
Or shake-itS power to count.
Some men have spent their lives and
fortunes, and lost their minds in fruit
less efforts to invent perpetual motion;
but the scientific world now beholds
the dreams Of centuries realized In the
magnificent achievment which launch
ed the returning board upon the sea Of
politics and set it afloat on the tide of
human affairs.
Mr.. Speaker, in matters of property
and estates our law abhors a perpetui-
ty, and pronounces absolutely null and
void all testaments and conveyances
that seek to create one. But here
is political perpetuity that holds
the dearest rights of freemen in
endless bondage, and laughs 10 scora
that clause in the Federal Constitu-
ton which provides that:
The United States guarantee to every
State in this Union Republican form of
government.
He would be bold man, indeed,
who would risk his reputation by as
serting that any State had a Republi-
can form of government within whose
limits such a returning board was per-
mitted to exercise its irresponsible and
omniponent functions. There is not
an element of popular liberty that does
not rise to rebuke the foul intrusion,
and not man upon the American con-
tinent who values the principles Of
civil liberty whose arm Is not lifted
instinctively to strike it to the earth
1t is libel upon our people, a
disgrace to the spirit Of our COnstitu-
ton, an insult to the memory of our
fathers, to intimate that such mons
frosty has anything in common with
the genius Of our institutions or the
traditions of our history. 1t is the
abomination of desolation standing in
the holy places of the land
The law which sought to iaeorpor-
ate this ally of despotism and instru-
ment Of tyrants in our system of pop
ular government, provides expressly
that the board shall be composed of
five members, to be selected from all
politicalsparties. Usurpation is among
the first fruits of irresponsible power.
Hence, we find this board placed above
and beyond the reach of the people,
accountable to no earthly power, en-
dowed with the attribute Of perpetual
succession, quite early in its career de-
flying the law which created it and
from which it derives all its authority.
The only compensation which the peo-
pie can have for the extraordinary
powers conferred upon it is to be found
in that feature of the law which i'm
peTatively requires that the members
composing it shall not all be of the
same political party. The object OF
the law in this provision was 20 Insure,
as far as possible, fairness in the ac-
ton of the board, and i'm partiality and
justice in its decision. To suffer this
provision TO be disregarded by the
board at its option, as If it were merely
directory, would be to nullify the only
check on corruption, the only safeguard
against INSCRIPTIONS partisan bias, to
be found in the entire law. It would
be to arm one political party with su-
preme and unlimited power over all
others, and enable it to perpetuate its
ascendancy. A man who would hold
this requirement of the Louisiana
statute to be merely directory is pre-
pared to hold the word not as direc-
tory in the commandment which says
Thou shat not steal. The sacrament
tai or mandatory character of this
provision is so evident and obvious
that no argument or illustration can
add to the clearness or conclusiveness
of the proposition. The shameless
disregard of this ali-important and i'm
perative madate of thelaw, by the pres
eut members of the returning board,
and their persistent refusal to fill the
vacancy by the appointment of a Dem
ocrat, stamp their acts in the recent
pretended canvass of the vote OF
Louisiana as null and void. With a
Democratic representative upon the
board to watch the proceedings, nc
/ fraud could have been committed that
would not have been exposed. Com
mon decency, common honesty, the
1 plainest dictates of honor, of justice
and of law, all demanded that the Dem.
/ ocratic party should have at least one
representative to participate in can.
vass which was to determine the title
of Hayes or Tilden to the Presidency
With the entire machinery in the
/ hands of four partisans of one of the
candidates for the Presidency, the ia
eility to commit fraud was wholly un
impeded.
Has Governor Hayes an homes
friend in the United States who will
claim that the Democratic party were
treated fairly in this matter? Has b.
a decent friend in all the land, who
connecting the action of the returning
board at that time with what has sine
transpired, will not admit that the can
vass of the vote of Louisiana is taintei
nth n susnicion of fraud that heclOud