Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1877-01-27
a POLITICAL BLuNDER--A PoLir.
ICAL CRIME.

Tie electoral "eomprsniss'' bill
pssssd' the House yesterday altar TIVE
days Of exciting debate. which brought
forth the bsst ~oratorieal efforts Of the
Leaders Of both parties. BY vote Of lsi
10 90. Its fate nov rests with frssi-
dsnt Grant. Whistler he viii sign Il or
not. ~ shall know In . very abort time.
The indications ere that he will. Grant
LIS nan 81 very positive convictions.
and one Of Exceeding ebstinscy Of dis
pesihon. vhsn his mind 10 one made
up. He has announced. somewhat pre-
nat.rsly. y W think. that hs heartily
sndonss the bill. and this being the
case We - no reason 10 hslisvs that he
will allow his Cabinet. every member Of
which szospt Secretary Fsh 10 opposed
70 the "eomproaise." to influence his
Judgment on the question in the least
degree. In ell probability the bill will
b presented 70 him to-day. and before
nszi Monday win b TO all infants and
purpsss The Law Of the land. until some
.sxies,cy arises 10 bring the whole mat
Ter before the Supreme Court. whom We
have no doubt that every proceeding
had under Il will b declared uncOn-
ntitutional and therefore void.
Il ID on this ground that the NEws has
consistently opposed the psssass Of the
bill frsm the outset. II viii stand on
record In the history Of this nation a.
the NEST stupid political blundsr ever
made BY . party which held supreme
control In the land. The measure never
could have passed the Senate but
through the aid Of Republican votes.
We had everything in our own hands;
our candidate was honestly elected. and
would have BEEN % declared. But We
have allowed ourselves to bs intimidatsd
aud bulidossd by Democratic threats Of
civil war. precisely a. the negroes OF the
South were kept from the polls BY the
threats Of rifle clubs and White Lsagusrs.
Actuated by this eevardly instinct. We
have surrendered our rights before Q gun
has been tired; we have done moro than
that-we have betrayed and insultsd the
American people BY takin: from them
that dearest Of all rights, the right to
say who shsll be THAR President. and
placing II in the hands Of . Supreme
Court Justice. This IL . political eri"s.
for which the vsak-knssd Republicans
Who psrpstrated Il will bs held to .
strict accountability by their party in the
future.
Since the Senate saw a. TO stu'tify
itself 90 far - to pass this "compro-
misc" however. We are glad that the
House did not kill Il. aud We sincerely
hope that the President will sign II.
The plan proposed IL far better than the
theory that the Houssof Representatives
can threw out the vote OF any State
which u chooses. = theory. the sound
ness OF which Republican Senators who
favored the bill admitted In their
speeches. Judge Davis, too. upon
whose selection for the nth Justice the
Democrats relied. Is rendered practically
ineligible by his election TO the United
states Senate; no that the nth Judge
Who will control the Commissien. will.
in any event Be q Republican. and OF
course he will see 10 10 that Governor
Hayes 10 not swindled out OF the votes
which belong TO him. This being th.
case, the rs.ult will BE- the sains a.
though the votes we're counted In the
regular and constitutional way. BY the
President Of the Senate. Gov. Hayes.
IL elected. a. We believe he 10. will Be
reelected BY the Commission and take
his ssat on the 9Th Of March. Rspubli-
cana with the Commission, ~ 10 will
nov probably b constituted. need have
NO fear Of their rights bsissinfnnssd on.
But there IL fear for the future. This
"coapromiss" 10 the hist step in . rev
olution which will convert this country
into . larger edition Of Mexico. unless
the danger 10 mel al the outset and
looked boldly iu tho face. IL Is = prece-
dent which will Be used four years from
nov BY the party then defeated. unless
ID 10 declared Unconstitutional before
that time. and which will continue TO b~
used until an outraged people. deprived
Of their right to elect . P~reeidsnt. do
what outraged people generally do In
such . case. rise in rebellion and plunge
the naiio. oncs again into all the hor.
rou Of civil war. The notion that .
..comprouise" Of this kind will prevent
trouble. 10 absurd. II may PosiPons.
but ID will never avert = There Is
but one safeguard for this or any other
Republic on the face Of the earth. and
that 10 an ardent vsneration for and .
thorough obedience 10 the Constitution
Of the land. The moment we step be-
yond its provisions. that moment We in
viss revelation. The first step leads to
the second. the second to the third. un-
Ill finally the organic Law Of the nation
4, Of NO binding force whatever. and
then eomes-Msxican anarchy.
The action Of this bill will probably
b. 10 declare Governor Hayes elected.
Samuel J. Tildsn will probably then aP-
peal to the Supreme Court. and base
his claims on the ground that the meas
urs Ia unconstitutional. Il will b a.
declared. and either q new count or
new election ordered. And so this Pres
idsntial nuddls will continue for hsw
long no man can say. The uncertainty
will have q prostraiing eject on buainess