The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-01-30
The Plan.

The Washington correspondents say that
the case on the Republican side will be pre-
sented by William M. Evarts, assisted by
Judge Stanley Mathews of Ohio. The names
of Sidney Bartlett and Judge Hoar have also
been strongly presented for the same service
Judge Shellabarger, formerly member of Con-
gress from Ohio, now practicing lawn Wash
ington, is also retained, indeps ndently of this
tribunal. On the Democratic side Judge Black
and ex-senator Carpenter of Wisconsin have
been retained, and they will have other
counsel. The case they are now making
up is said to be formidable in extent and in the
number of points to be determined, but the
strong points about which the fight will con-
sentrate are the validity of the Florida return,
the legality of the action of the Louisiana re-
turning board, and the admission of the third
Republican vote of Oregon. 1t is reported on
good authority that no objection will be made
to counting the vote of South Carolina for
Hayes. and that the only cases which will be
before the tribunal will bs Florida Louisiana
and Oregon.
Under the form prescribed by the Electoral
bill to take up the votes of States in alphabet
cal order, the returns from Florida will be the
seventh taken up. There is not likely to be any
question raised as to the votes of Alabama,
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Cpnnecti-
cut or Delaware and hence there will be an ear
ly submission of question to the
tribunal. The bill does not say exactly what
course shall be pursued pending the considera-
tion of a question. Some of the members say
that, pending the consideration of the Florida
81, atIr ,la1k
unopened by the tribunal. If this idea should
pre- vail, the count will be very tedious, and it
would be some days before the great States of
New York, Pennsylvania. Missouri, North
Carolina, etc, would be counted, as Louisiana,
as well as Florida, precedes them. On the
other hand, there are many members who hold
to the theory that by unanimous consent
the votes from the States to which there is no
objection could be counted, aud that the tribu-
nal would then take up and consider all the
the Florida case should be decided before the
other States are taken up, is that decision
there might greatly simplify matters For in
stance, if the tribunal should decide that Mr..
Tilden was entitled to the vote Of that State,
there could be no question against his election.
He has now 1874 undisputed votes, and the vote
of Florida would give him the clear majority of
the Electoral College, and in that case it would
not be worth while to dwell long over the
Louisiana and South Carolina cases. If the
vote shoald be decided for Hayes, the same
rule that would apply to Florida would apply
to the other disputed States, and in that event
also the question would be simplifed.
What the verdict will be is of course un-
known The doubt deepens as the trial draws
near; the wisest prophets, who look at both
sides, confess themselves baffled. On the
whole the Republicans are the more confident
Most of them believe their case is impregnable
ann they feel much safer in trusting it to
tribunal where political considerations viii! be
SubOrdinat0d to law and equity