The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-02-20
ID. p. PUTS THE ADMINS CRATION
ON THE RAGGED EDGE.

dempnelo route.
ID. p. PUTS THE ADMINS CRATION
ON THE RAGGED EDGE.
As will be seen from our telegraphic
report the President and his Cabinet
were in hot water yesterday. The cause
of this trepidation and the locking to-
ge,her of ministerial heads over some
phantom danger which their guilty con-
sciences suggested, was an editorial in
the Capital-DoN PIATT's paper at
Washington. The following is the arti-
Gle which produced such sensation in
high quarters:
"The sickening apprehension felt BY
the people, to which we referred last
week, that the Supreme Court would be
found as rotten as the other powers OF
our unhappy government, has been
realized. The swift decay that in the
last ten years has made our self govern
ment q sham and b mockery, and in the
Executive and Legislative branches
shamed US before the world, has been
silently working its way through the
Judiciary until now, on its first trial, it
offends with its stencil the nostrils OF all
honest citizens"
"The appeal made to the Judges of
the Supreme Court from the people, sore-
ly distressed and perplexed, was to save
them from the wicked conspiracy of men
they had repudiated at the polls. They
saw their faithless agents for years rob-
blng the treasury OF their hard earned
taxes. They saw their highest officials
indicted for the meanest crimes. They
saw President. coarse, brutal and igno.
rant, and appointing sycophantic pimps
to the highest positions. They saw him
the associate of roughs and the commis.
siouer OF thieves. They saw carpet-bag-
gers, sustained by bsyonets, manipuls-
ting the polls, that ignorance and rascal
lty might tyrannize over the South.
Tney saw Rings organized III the lobby
to control their Congress. They saw
huge monopolles created by their govern
ment eating out their substance. They
SAW themselves reduced TO want, trace
psrslyzed, and labor without employ,
and they made desperate effort to right
their wrongs through the ballot.
with subsidized press against them.
with an army of hungry office holders
that-counting those of the General Gov
ernment with those Of the States-maae
horde of Tressury-eaters greater than
any standing army in Europe; with all
the accumulated capital in the hands Of
mon opolies arrsyed on the side of their
oppressors, they made one despairing g
effort, and came up from the polls with
a majority OF over half million in
their behalf. And of what svall2
Through a dishonest Returning Board,
made up of criminals who have escaped
conviction and punishment und the
protecting arm Of corrupt Govern
msnt, enough votes are thrown out to
render all their efforts vain, and saddle
upon them the old corruption and the
old horde for another term 81 years, per-
haps forever.
From this appeal, was taken to five
Justices of the Supreme. Court For
that, no more and no less, was the Com
mission created. 1t was believed that
by such process the question at issue, be.
ing a charge of conspiracy against cor
rup, men, could be lifted from the politi.
cal arena to a tribunal of high-toned,
impartial Judges, who would decide IN
accordance with law and justice. To the
smszement and disgust OF all thoughtful
minds these Justices, divided as the par
t,sans had on a political line; and three
indecent old men joined with the enc.
nies of the people in fixing corruption
upon us, and destroying all confidence
in the very foun dstion OF our political
structure-the ballot. They decide that
fraud does not vitiate, and beyond this
that they taye nothing to decide, and so
send the question to the people.
I'VE have not the patience to argue
what the people, in their broad common
sense, will not consider-the fne-spun
legal technicslities under which these
aged scoundrels seek TO hide their shame.
Their real brief is to be found in the
u.tersnce Of one of their Commission,
James A. Garfield, who said bosstingly,
You'll have to grin and bear 1t. We
hold the cards and intend TO play them"
Poor political gsmblerl The stakes for
which he plays are the rights OF 10000.
600 OF people, the peace and prosperity
of the only republic known TO humanity.
For all that treemen hold most
dear. these hands, stained with
plunder, gamble as the soldiers OF
Pilste severed in derision the
garment Of the Crucifed Christ. As we
said a week since: "This is no. law. it Is
revolution; and if the people tsmeiy sub
NIT, we may bid long farewell to Con-
s,i,utional Government. Fraud no lon
ger vitisies. A corrupt administration
has only BY its bayonets TO hold 8 State
usurpstiou long enough in power for 8
corrupt Returning Board to do It's vile
tssk and the work is done. If q man
thus returned 10 power can ride in safety
from the Executive Mansion to the Cap
itol 10 be insugursted, We are fitted Tor
/ the slavery that will follow the Insugu-
ration.
I'VE do not believe the people OF the
| United States are of this servile sort
We do not believe that they are prepared
without blow to part with their hard
earned, blood-stained possessions No,
tice 10 now served on the citizens ol
Louisiana and South Carolina that they
must care for themselves. How soor
lamp. posts will bear fruit is for them te
saw. TO the people of the North and Wes'
notice is given that al the toll TO whict
they are subjected that bond holders
and monopolists may fatten secure, ID re
paid by NO security for their rights, AND
that . shrink.ge Of values is now ],
order. Ifthere ID Law for fraud there il
reason for violence, and 70 that ve make
our last appeal"