The daily gazette., 1877-02-17
SECOND EDITION
THIRD EDITION s
The Electoral Commits
t.. sion.

Ii. rf sion.
END OF THE LOUISIANA CAsE-ANorH-
Err PARTISAN DECIsIoN-TMAL WITH
OUT 1EsTIMoNY-THE VOTES COUNTED
FOR HAYEs-THE OREGON CASE NO
WHERE. f- 4H...I.
WASHINGTON, February 1G.-The co..
ridor leading from the rotunda to tie
Senate chamber were completely blocked
up this afternoon with an eager, excited
mass Of people, who for two hours stood
impatiently awaiting the decision of tie
ope man who held the presidency in his
gift. All the doubt which was entertain
ed by any one was as TO the action ofJus.
tice Bradley. No doubt was felt at all as
to the action of the other republican mem
bers of the commission. Among some OF
the rumors which floated around were
that both Messrs. Edmunds and Hoar had
voted to admit testimony. which, howey-
er, did not fioud ready believers. The Or
der of the commission was that the vote
should be taken at O'clock, but in COLI
sequence of the mum Der of propositions
offered by different members of the COM
mission final vote was not reached I'LL
til 5 o'clock. Both the democratic and
lCpuUiIdh COuL1Cl udu DcCu Ill
in the office of the clerk of the Supreme
Court, and they were summoned to the
council chamber, entering by the private
entrance of the justices Of the Supreme
Court. The public doors were thrown
open after the counsel were seated, anc
the chamber filled up in an incredibly
short time. When the confusion had
subsided the secretary of the commission,
by direction of the presiding justice, read
the decision which had been arrived at.
Then, to the delight of the radical
partisans and the dismay and regret
of all right thinking men, 1t was seen
that the men who had been looked to
to rise superior to partisan considera-
tions. had given themselves over to
the basest partisan motives. Justice
Bradley had planted himself by the
side-o Morton and Garfield. In the
Florida case Justice Bradley voted to
inquire into the eligibility of electors.
To-day he refused to do this, though
on different grounds, and voted
against the proposition of Senator
Bayard, which, In the very language
of the constitution, set forth that "n0
lperson holding an Office of trust or
profit under the United States shall be
appointed an elector.'' The decision
of the committee on this point of
course completely disposcs of the Ore
gop case. - ..-
The democratic counsel did q very
proper thing in declining to make any
Ilurther arguemeut before the COM
mission, as 1t is now apparent that ar
gument is thrown away before such
tribunal. AS at present advised it is
the determination to contest the Ore
Igon case before The commission, al
tn ough it is perfectly well settled that
tits useless 10 do so.
Although passive &C quiescence
may be given to the rule of Prresl-
dent counted in as Hayes is to be, it
will not alter the deep-seated convic-
tion in the public mind that he is
holding place to which another is
lrightfully entitled. Though conscious
of the outrage which has been perpe-
trated, and feeling keenly the manner
in which they have been deceived,
there is not so much excitement among
the democratic members as might been
expected. There Is an undoubted dis
position among some of them to re-
pay their political opponents in the
to them.
That faith has been broken with the
democrats is not denied. They were
promised that there should be an impair
| tial judicial arbitration of the points at
dispute. Instead. everything has been
considered and acted upon with O sole
: view to its effect upon party prospects
Therefore should the democrats exercise
the power which they possess to defeat
the treachery by which Hayes only can
J attain to the presidency they would be
doing not so much as following the ex-
ample which has been set them. But
stated with confidence that no such JUS
, tice will be resorted to. Bitter as the
pill, the democrats will stand by the re-
suits, and leave il to the people hereafter
. TO put their verdict upon what is done.
1t is now proper to state that Mr.. Ed
munds is the starter who led his asso-
! ciates of the committee which framed
the bill to believethat he regarded the bill
as permitting the admission Of evidence
Mr.. Edmunds without question laughs
in his sleeve at the manner which he
gulled the democrats, and imagines that
he has done himself q great credit. 1t
was his cunning hand that drew the bill
and read now, in the light of events, it's
hidden meaning is clearly apparent.
1t was stated tonight at conference
of leading democrats that the secret his
tory of the bill will almost probably be
disclosed before the electoral count is
over, and the people will then have the
opportunity to see how under the guise
OF fairness and justice foundat ion has
been putunder the gigantic pile of fraud
on which Hayes has to mount to the
White House. It is thought very prob
able that the House will after the meet
ing of the joint convention tomorrow
takes a recess to Monday ithout voting
on the decision of the commission.