The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-02-24
THE DISASTROUS DEMOCRATIC
EXPERIMENT OF A NATIONAL
RETURNING BOARD.
ny EMERSON BENTLEY.

of Republicans and including only
one Democratic Senator, it has won
derfully failed xto.bring that measure
of consolation to the bulldozing party
that was hoped for. Just one expert
ment of the kind viii serve for all
time, and hereafter we may CONT
IDENTIFY expect no such rash expedlent
will be resorted to by that political
party. Well digested and mora dig
nified law will be provided to meet
future, close contests, and diversion
in the. shape.of impromptu tribunals
will be froWned down.
In examining the results of the first
experiment of Democracy with a re-
turning board of its own, we find the
following to be the most important
and striking:
|. That creature of disordered
political imagination, known as the
+" impartial mind" has no practical
existence under American institutions
as between the two great divisions,
or the progressive and conservative
parties relatively. named Republican
and Democratic. Let it be consigned
along with the intelligent juror
who in the day of newspapers, rail-
roads and telegraph, never heard or
formed an opinion in tirst-class muir
der case.
2. Every Republican voted for his
candidate. as did every Democrat.
The partisanship of the commission
can not be disguised, and is borne as
equally by both parties as circun-
stances would permit. There were just
eight Republicans to seven Democrats,
and that was the limit of the vote for
and against alb vital propositions. Ii
fate had ordered one more Democrat
upon the commission, there would IN
all probability have been deadlock
unless the seductive principles of a
lottery had prevailed over ordinary
, judicial agencies.
3. The contest is virtually decided
by one man. Two Republicans and
two Democrats voted for ii fifth
man to complete the quota OF Asso'
ciate Justices required. Joseph T
! Bradley, Republican, received the
unenviable distraction of being chosel
that fifth man. Mr.. Bradley thinks
Hayes is legally elected, and by hi
vote completed that gentleman's titl'
to the Presidency in the way Demo
cratic wisdom provided, but which
did not work quite equal to the grea
expectations of the projectors. Blu
more than one inventor has sadi.
witnessed the lack of an essential ele
ment in the achievement of success
and all such unfortunates have bee
piously commended to the Great Res
eryoir of Consolation for relief.
= 4. AS the knowledge of defeat creep
into the minds of the editors OF tn
Democratic cross roads weeklies,
!, fires them up, as it were, into etheres
!, heights and conceptions of constitr
- tional law; and the multitudinOu
! pen wielders are putting their vagu
notions and garrulous opinions again
the oath bound verdict of tue chose
legal expounders on the commission
q In this way it will come to pass thi
on popular opinion will form, impairir
N, the honor and dignity of decisions
+ f. the Supreme Court, and tainting the
it with bias in accord with such susp
he cions as defeated clients may choo
BY to publish. This verifes the predi
* ton of opponents of the tribunal.
80 S. Samuel j. Tilden is not near
I'D the White House than Vice Preside
Ferry would have placed him by a
. nouncing the vote February IA,
~ the presence of both Houses, aceor
III ing to the established custom of
II past century. A departure from
ST. tablished usage has brought with
&C. no compensatiOns either in modifi
,m degree of defeat or laurels due
skillful and statesmanlike leadersh
6. The attendant Investigations
nj which it was sought to influence t
commission, and which that DO
ar ruled out, elected no unfamiliar ia
a of any weight upon which to sw
III popular opinion against the justice
=. the verdict. Therefore, the clamor
I,s Democratic partisans that justice
bic defrauded of a victory, law tranpI
err under foot, and a usurper about to
49,, ,,o EoI Drocidont will nr0Un