The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-09-27

tatives from the Southern States, who said
| they had had civil war enough. we should
| to-day, iastead Of being engaged in the
peaceful discussion of the present issues,
| have been engaged in fighting out the ques'
| ton whether Sam Tilden should usurp the
Presidential power of this country or not.
[Applause.l
You will remember, fellow-citizens, that
the proposition to refer the matters growing
| out OF the Presidential election last fall, was
Democratic proposition. 1t was voted for
in the Senate of the United States by every
Democratic Senator but one. 1t was passed
by the House of Representatives by una
nimity almost as great, and it was urged
| and defended as a measure of peace, OF re-
Cancellation, of harmony and honorable ad-
justmenr, with the express and solemn
pledge given by almost every Democratic
speaker in either House, that whichever way
the decision would be, all parties, all sides,
would acquiesce in it as an honorable and
legal instrument; and as such it was ac-
cepted and voted for by many Republicans,
and acquiesced in by the people of the Re-
publican party, as well as of the Democratic
party. 1t was organized upon the idea that
the matters were political, and that the
party adhesions Of the members of the Tri-
bunal would be likely to- influence and bias
their opinions, so in order chat neither party
should have any advantage on that score, an
equal number was taken from each side,
aud in order that some decision should be
reached it was decided to have a fifteenth
man on the Commission, and that man was
to be Judge of the Supreme Court, selected
by the other four Judges Of that Court al
ready designated, on the Tribunal. If that
fifteenth man had been Democrat, he
would have voted just as the other Demo-
Gratis voted, and then all the Democrats
would have said "Amen.'' [Laughter.] But
providence interposed, and put Judge Da-
Wis In the Senate, and put Judge Bradley on
the Electoral Commission. Now because he
decides these questions in accordance with
his own views, and upon his own judgment,
instead of deciding them as the Democrats
wanted him to do, they make this great out
cry OF fraud and corruption. Fellow-citi-
zens, this is neither the time nor the place to
enter into the details of the discussion of the
principles which were settled by that Tribu-
nal, but they are principles just as sound
and just as solidlY founded in the doctrines
OF the Constitution of the Nation and in the
Constitutions Of the States as it is possible
to imagine, and | venture the prediction
That III less than four years there will not be
respectable lawyer in the country who vii
dispute their correctness. They talk Of frau
dulent Returning Boards yes, that is where
they wanted to stop, but when they said
they were going into the question of fraud
dulent Returning Boards. we insisted on 60
ing to the bottom, and claimed the right to
prove, as the fact was, that in, for instance,
the State of Louisiana, in five Republican |
parishes the Republican vote was prevented |
from being polied by an organized and
armed body of men traversing the State
from spring until fall-the White Leaguers.
You needn't shake your head, my friend Ito
person in the audiencel, it's true, aud I
venture to say there can scarcely be found |
i'll Louisiana a respectable Democrat but |
would admit it, as many of them have done. |
[Applause.l They justify it on the plea of |
necessity, and say it was the only way in
which they could establish white supremacy.
No, fellow citizens, Governor Hayes was
not only legally elected, but he was fairly |
elected and honestly elected the President |
OF the United States, according to the law |
and according to tile vote. 1t is shame
now to undertake to decry and SANDER his |
title. Oh but these gentlemen are so in |
love with the indestructible right of the peo-
pie at the polls to manifest their will accord |
ing to the majority They are so shocked |
at the idea of any fraud upon the ballot-box
And yet what does my friend say about the
Registry Law in Ohio? He wants it re-
pealed. Why? Because such law will |
detect Eph. Holland before he votes, instead
of compelling us to send him to the Penten-
tiarY. lApplauSe.l