The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-03-13

huGuOTlLy. his pTOpOSltlOu UuSnoo W Aso
furthest limit the doctrine Of states rights.
The theory of the most advanced advo-
Gates of that school was only that the states
were sovereign as to reserved DoWersloVer
them which were delegated. 1t was con-
coded that the constitution was supreme.
The power to choose electors would not
have existed, except tor the constitution.
II was, therefore, delegated power. The
legislature of a state chooses electors by
virtue of the constitutional provision. 1t is a
duty to be performed by the state while in
the union. 1t cannot perform it before ad-
mission, nor after the union Is disputed.
Can it be possible that there is no power
in the union to determine how duty has
been performed, and whether 10 compli-
ance with constitutional provisions? To
assert this doctrine is to declare absolute
the independence Uf the states, to deny
the supremacy of the constitution, and to
leave the United States powerless against
fraud or violence of states. which may force
a president upon the people,
The power to review the action of the
electoral college seems necessarily to be
derived from the nature of confederated
government. If one party to contract
possesses a power as to its subject matter
superior to the power delegated by agree
ment. the compact inevitably fails, for it
is impossible for confederacy to exist
unless the jurisdiction of its individual
members as to powers committed to con-
federation is subordinated to the larger ju-
risdiction of the latter. If. for example,
as In this case, one state can receive its
functions as to electing president in vio-
lation of the constitution without any power
IN the union to reverse its action, then a
constitution was unnecessary for the dele
cation of powers, and the nation may be
governed in violation Of the very instru-
ment which created it. But whatever is
the power of congress as to authority over
the vote of electors, it is rtain that it is
not bound to treat as valid a fraudulent
certificate 1t matters not how absolute
the sovereignty under which fraud is per
petrated, it cannot receive protection nor
be granted recognition. If there be a
tribunal to which the certificates are
submitted it is bound to treat them as
worthless. The certificates were charged
20 be fraudulent The commission, if ii
couLted them, gave them validity. Ii
failed in its duty to hear facts to prevent
the success of the fraud, even though the
certificates came from a sovereignty hun.
dred fold greater than in Louisiana or Flor
ida. By these methods, under the forms
prescribed by law constituting the electoral
commission Rutherford B. Hayes has been
declared elected president of the United
States. His title rests upon the disfran
chisement of lawful voters and the false
certificates of returning officers acting cor
ruptly and the decision of a commission
which has refused to hear evidence of al
legged fraud.
For the first time are the American peo
pie confronted with the fact of a presi
dent sfraudulently elected. His inaugu.
ration will be peaceful and in that hour
the most Infamous conspiracy of all his
| tory will receive its crown. In the eXcit.
ing days just past the forbearance of the
peonle has maintained peace Let it not,
however, from this, be understood that
| the fraud to be consummated March 4
will be silently acquiesced in by the coun,
| try Let no hour pass in which the unsur.
patton is forgotten. Let agitation be IN
ceasing, that at every opportunity the PEG,
pie may express theis adherence of the
outrage. Let a want Of confidence bt
voted at every election in Mr.. Hayes and
his administration. Both must be controlled
by coDspirators who have elected the one
and will organize the other, and whatever
of good may come from either will always
be darkened by the stain upon their title
Let the Democratic party at once organize
for new contests, to secure overwhelming
victories that conspirators may never
again attempt the experiment which nov
humihates the republic and has installed
in its highest office a unsurper.
| lSigned FRANK Ii. HURD, Ohio.
| RANDALL l.. GIBSON, La.
JOSIAH G ABBOTT, Mass
OTTo Z. SINGLETON Miss.
VIM T. LYNDE, Wisconsin