The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-03-22
ENGLISH OPINION.
Leading Journals on the Partizanship
of the Electoral Commission.

The English papers just on hand see
nothing but irregularity in the finding Of
the Electoral Tribunal. Even the Lon
don Retos, which has been for many years
the most consistent friend OF the Repub-
lican party on the other side of the water,
says of the Louisiana decision
"Itis ih every way to be regretted. To
say the least, there is an appearance of
sharp practice about it which prudent
members of the Republican party might
have been supposed anxious above all
things to avoid. The Electoral Tribunal
was generally thought to have been ap,
pointed to decide the very question which
1t has now refused to entertain.
The acceptance of Mr.. Hayes by the
Democrats will at the same time be forced
and sullen. That an election infinitely
more decisive and important than any
election in England should be suspected
of having been decided in favor of the
existing administration by fraudulent
counting of the votes in the first instance
and next by refusal on the part of the
Republican members of the tribunal
specially created to determine the point
to 60 into the evidence for or against the
alleged fraudulent counting, is enough to
cast doubt upon Mr.. .Hayes's position all
the time that he remains in Office. In
the absence Of any parallel case it is
hard to say positively how this flaw in
the Presidents title will work. But in so
far as it weakensand disCredits his posit
ion in the country, it must weaken and
discredit his own action and that of the
government. To be President of only
half the nation is very much worse Even
the real interests ofthe Republican party
has been sacrificed by their representatives.
on the Electoral Tribunal. \ AS
it is, the Republicans will have to bear
for the next four years, the odium of
having cooked the election returns in
order to defeat the popular vote. 1t will
show very great change in the temper
of the American people if this does not
do more than anything else could do to
insure decisive Democratic victory in
$780,"
The London Telegraph, the most extern
sively circulated daily paper inGreat Brit
ain, leading the Times by many thou.
sands, is equally pointed in its condem-
nation of the Commission. 1t says of its
decision refusing to receive evidence of
fraud in Louisiana
Confirms the worst that has been said
by the Democratic party with regard to
local frauds. Possessing. as the Commits
aionaru do tho YNOuaro &c hath bn,,uae &c
Congress and of the Supreme Court, it
was clearly competent for them to investi-
gate the circumstances under which the
certificates presented to them were OBJ.
tanned. But the eight Republican men,
bers Of the tribunal steadily voted down
all inquiry "going behind" the certif-
Gates, and have with equal resolution and
unanimity decided the Hayes electors
were alone entitled to vote, holding, as
they did, the certificates of the Return
ing Board. Thus they plainly establish
the party advantages of that system of
Federal interference which was carried
out in the South by Gen. Grant. Had
not South Carolina, Florida and Louis
lana been occupied by troops from Wash.
ington, all the State and local autholities
would have been long since Democratic,
and there would not have been even a
formal ground for claiming the State vote
for Mr.. Hayes. This decision is not 80
unfortunate in itself as in the means by
which it has been accomplished. Mr..
Hayes is very respectable man remark
ably free from the taints attached to
nearly all other party leaders, and he
might make, if fairly chosen, an excel
lent President. Nevertheless, it is now
evident that he will owe his occupancy
of the highest position in the United
States to the concealment of fraud and
the strong partizanship of the majority
of the Electoral Tribunal, That party
feeling should be shown by members of
the Senate or Representatives was to be
expected. They live in heated atmos-
phere. But it certainly was anticipated
that the five Judges of the Supreme
Court appointed to supplement the five
from each section of Congress at any
rate would, accustomed to calm, judi
cial air, rise above the predjudices, of
temporary politics. 1t has not been 30
for the voting on all the disputed issues
has been divided by strict party line.
The eight Republicans of the Commits
sion voted as one man against the seven
Democrats, and the elaborate arguments
of the learned counsel might have been
spared. During the civil war it was
hotly disputed whether loyalty we're due
to the Union or to the State but a third
claimant appears to have secured the
wavering allegiance; fidelity to party
seems the highest exercise Of the Ameri
can heart.