Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-02-24
Mr.. FIELDS LAST RESORT.

the commission, and even now,
when there is no longer any hope,
does not entirely give up the case.
He intimated in the caucus of the
house yesterday afternoon that he
had prepared two bills, one provid'
ing for an election of President
and Vice President on the first
Tuesday in May; the other provid-
ing for quo warranto proceedings,
SO that the respective contestants
for President and Vice President
could go before the United States
Supreme Court and there present
their claims to the Office, The
first bill was doubtless prepared to
anticipate the contingency arising
in the event of the count not being
completed before the 9Th of March,
but as that will be accomplished
the other bill only can be available
1t is competent to institute such
proceedings as Mr.. Field cOntem-
plates, but it looks like prolonging
hope and excitement beyond the
limit of any possible good. Five
of the members Of the Supreme
Court would be incompetent to act,
having already voted upon Mr.. Til
denis case. The number of men,
bers remaining falls one short of a
quorum. But supposing a quorum
to be obtained, what right have We
to suppose that this Republican
tribunal would reverse the uniform
findings and decisions of the eight
Republican high joints on the COM
mission ? Tilden's chances before
that court would be about equal to
those of a fat lamb before a court
martial of hungry wolves. He
might as well try to go to heaven
bodily through the eye of a fine
cambria needle, as a backwoods
preacher once described the road,
as to get into the White House
through the Supreme Court. 1t
might be a political adyan-
tage for the future to compel
the remaining members of the
court to confess that they
are likewise partisans Of the deepest
dye, and willing tools Of the party
hat made and placed most Of them
where they are. In this view the
quo warranto proceedings might be
we'll enough, but not to excite a
hope of an honest decision. The
result is fixed; it is the climax of a
conspiracy entered into many
months ago. The Republicans, by
pretending to agree to an arbitra-
ment that looked fair on its face,
have succeeded in accomplishing by
peaceful means what they otherwise
intended to do by the presence and
use of the army. 1.-THE commission
had not been created they would
have inaugurated Hayes on the 9Th
of March at the point of the bay
onet, and the inaugural ceremonies
would have partaken largely of a
military pageant. The Democrats
would have looked on sullen, de-
spondent and hopeless. Asst is he
will be inaugurated in pursuance
of the results Of a plan to which
they agreed in an hour of critical
apprehension and peril to the coun
try. They were SO anxious to pre-.
serve the germ of constitutional
liberty as well as the form hal The
mere success of party became a sec
ondary consideration. They wer,
so conscious of correct intention.
hat they blindly accepted assur
ances Of good faith from the othe.
side and confidently expected t
find at least one honest man there
That they we're mistaken was
virtue rather than a blunder. Hon
est men, in a political sense, seen
to be as rare in the Republican
ranks as the righteous were il
Sedan. There would not be enough
found in high places to save tn,
country from another fire and brim
stone test. Mr.. Fields appeal t
the Supreme Court would be utterl,
futile and hopeless. Brute force i
in the.ascendancy.