The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-03-14
Raise a tempest,
To wait feather. or to drown q fly.

To watt a feather, or to drown fly.
What the people had the right to de
mand, what this Congress contemplated
when it passed this bill, and what is
provided by the law itself, is that this
commission should reach the bottom
facts, solemnly, conscientiously, and even
prayerfuIly attained. But they have
signally failed to meet the expectation of
the country. The people asked for bread
and they gave them a stone. When they
asked for full evidence in the case of u
contested State they gave them this:
Ordered That no evidence shall be receiv-
ed,
Can gentlemen reasonably object that
disappointment and denunciation should
meet them at every turn? | say the spirit
in which the astounding decisions of the
commission have been received in every
portion Of the country bears pregnant
and most forceful significance. Is there
man in this House, Republican or
Democrat, who doubts that if this COM
mission, in obedience to the law which
organized it, had proceeded really to the
examination of the merits of the case
and had endeavoEed to reach the es-
sence of this contest, and then, in pursu-
ance of their plain duty under the law,
declared Tllden or Hayes elected-can
any man doubt when the news was re-
ceived that every city, village, town,
and hamlet throughout the country would
have blazed into a simultaneous illumi-
nation, and that from every quarter of
| the Union grand chorus of exultation
would have been raised? But how was
it received? When the news of its first
decisions was flashed throughout the
country, did it meet a responsive thrill
| in the popular heart? Did it excite any
enthusiasm? Did it call forth any man
! ifestations of rejoicings? No, sir; the
country received it everywhere as the
news of disaster. 1t was az though a
great calamity rested all over our land :;
as though the nation had lost a battle.
/ Sir, the false judgments have no power
to stir that love, truth, and justice in
the human heart which are the parents
of enthusiasm.
In the construction of any law, the
best authority, next to the text itself, is
the intention of the legislature which
formed the law. We alt know that it
| was the unanimous opinion of this
House, on both sides, that it was the
duty of this commission, for which the
law itself provided, that this commission
should take all the evidence in this case
every man who supported it supported it
on that ground, and every one who OBJ
jected to it objected to it for the same
reason.
Now, will anlmadvert upon the
speech which the gentleman from Ohio
MIR. Lawrence made yesterday. That
gentleman yesterday denied this COM
mission could have gone into the evil
dence. Here is what he said when the
electoral bill was being contested UPON
this floor. He objected. He says:
l object then to the bill to regulate the
counting of the electoral vote because
1. In requiring evidence to be considered
in the count which goes back oil the returns
required by the Constitution, and which
N ~ cOntrovert the authority of electors
who have the constitutional evidence of a
right to act as such, it is unconstItgtiunal
and void.
That was then his opinion. Further
on
Mr.. LAWRENCE. Further on you will
see that | do not believe we have any
such power.
Mr.. MONEY. Do not take up my ten
minutes. Further on the gentleman
speaks with spirit of prophecy which
almost amounts to inspiration. He
says
1t is impossible that the commission pro-
vided by this bill can reach result which
will command the confidence OF the people
For once in his life my friend from
Ohio was right, and fully concur with
him, and go further, that neither do the
decisions of the tribunal command nor
has their course invited the confidence of
the people.
The gentleman took occasion yester-
day in his speech in answer to my colIea-
que from Mississippi Mr.. Hooker1 to
refer to the condition of things precedent
to and during the election in Mississippi,
and asked how would we like the bull
dozer districts of Mississippi should
be investigated Is not the gentle
man, in his character of Representa-
tive upon this floor, compelled to take
cognizance of the fact that they have
been investigated; that the committee of
the Senate have explored every ramifca-
ton of this business; that they summon
ed before them men of different vocations
and from every quarter of Mississippi,
who have been for months dancing atten-