Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-02-20
Democratic Senators on the Electoral
Commission.

During the debate 10 the United States Sen
a.c, yesterday, On the acceptance o.! the report
Of the Electoral Colnmisslou il tic Louisiana
case:
Mr.. Maxey, OF Texas, spoke of the Electoral
Commission being Invested with the same pow
cr as The two Houses of Congressio canvassipg
the electoral vote, and said it was entrusted
With the duty of deciding who we're the true
electors, but this duty had not been performed.
He argued that pitfal had been dug by the
republicans, into which the democrats had fall.
en-, apd that no President elected by such
| decisions OF the Commission in shutting out
evidence and pcrver,ing the law but said that
Inc democratic party would peacefully submit
TO the result
! Mr.. Herman trusted that the Senate would
not confirm tho decision Ct the commission. He
entered his solemn protest against it, and he
! did 80 from higher motive than Tor the sue
cess Of any man Or auy political party. lie did
not want it TO go to the world without protest
| that false and fabricated certificate was To be
couuLcd He vas deeply panied that such
principle should have been affirmed by vote
Of s to
Mr. Thurman contenI1d that tie Louisiana
Returning Board was unconstitutional and Was
utterly destructive Of a republican form OF gov
ernmcnt. Ii was pOwelless TO act uGdcr the
Law creating it, because it consisted oil only four
members, all d thr satnc political party, and
its acls were Gull and void because it did DOT
properly compile the returns. lie criticised the
Electoral Commission for refusing 10 take notice
OF the ineligibiIity Of certain OF the Hayes E!ec
tors.
Mr.. BayarI, of Delaware, said as member
OF the Electoral Commission he had given all
that he could give Of earnest study, patient la
Dor and devotion TO secure ! Just execution OF
the law under which he was appointed. Ills
labors aad his efforts had been crowned BY fail
urc. Deep was his SORROW and poignant was
his disappointment. He mourncd his failure
for his country's sake, for it seemed to him not
only did this decision Of the eight members Of
the Commission level in the dust all the essen.
tial safeguards thrown around the election OF 4
Ghel Magistrate, but it announced to the peO-
pie Of tho land that truth and justice, honesty
and morality we're no longer the central basis Of
their political power.
Mr. Wallace aid:-The Senator from Ohio
Mr.. ShcrmaD) says no lawyer asserted the
right 10 20 behind the rclurns. but That the re.
cold shows that he himself said that this bill
gave that right when he resisted its passage
and two OF the Commission, hlessrs. Morton
aud Garfield, in the debate opposed the BILL
because it gave that right. The rejection OF
, Tic proof Of fraud by tbs Commission admitted
its truth This is sound law, and the republ.
can party canuot DOW say the facts are not as
we state them. Gross and palpahle frauds gu
The people CT Louisiana, and through them on
the American people, have been given voice
and power to proclaim = lie, to nulllfy truth
and to reverse the will OF a majority Of that
| II = al hat tr of ho
Of Louisiana have appointed the Hayes EIec.
tors but this decision proclams it to be true; it
is true that they did appoint Tiden Electors,
but that truth is nuilifed aud crushed by this
r decision, and Tor the first time the will OF a ma
iorly OF the people is eXpuoged and reversed
by the vote of the Electoral Colleges. Mr.
Wallace attacked the Returning Board Of
Louisiana 10 the most severe terms, and de-.
, cIurcd that if they were to elect President
government of laws had been suppanted by
one Of force aud fraud. lie protested against
the decision as one based on forgery and false
p:etcncas. The people would not respect it,
but would and should agtate for its reversal.
The result before US is fifty reached. 1t is the
decree of party Wruug by party teaty from
judicial tribunal upon purely legal question.
, May We never look upon its like again.
Mr.. Stevenson, Of Kentucky, said the pro-
ceedings Of the American Senate day would
live as long as constitutional government lasted
Or the principles of liberty had voary. He
voted Tor the bill creating the Electoral Com
mission, and did so in the interest Of peace. 1t
had been said there was but one democrat who
voted against it, Thank God there was but
one, because the democratic party met this
matter upon the broad basis OF a fair investlga-
ton. When the bill was passed it vas expect
ed that there would be 4 free, full aud fair in
vcstigation, aud that Judgment would be rem
dered 10 accordance with the proofs. Mr.. Ste
vensou then referred to the condition Of Lou
isiana, and said this Returning Board had been
so successful in governing the State that they
might as We'll extend their operations and
govern the nation.
MIR. Withcrs, Of Virginia, denounced the
Judges OF the Supreme Court as being unable
to rise above the level Of pronounced p0lIti-
clans This decision that Congress could not
inquire into fraud in the Electoral vote of .
State was asserting doctrine Of State s0vcr
eighty never advocated by its widest adher
cnla. lie then alluded to the charges made by
the Senator from California lNlr. s5argcn0 and
from Ohio (Nll Shcrnan) that the democratic
party was responsible for all wrongs committed,
aud said three l1urlhs Of tho violence in The
South had been iustigatcd and brought about
~ ha republican party.