The daily gazette., 1877-01-25
Why the Compromise
Was Prepared

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.-In order to ar
preciate properly the plan proposed for
settling the Presidential complication, it
is well to bear in mind a few salem
facts touching the general situation. The
Senate assumed by its own power to
abolish the twenty-seeondj joint rule, (which
originated in that body in 1865, and
under which three successive elections for
President had been counted and declared
1t was maintained by Speaker Randall,
and others one that side of the House
that the rule still exists and could not be
| revoked without the concurrence of that
body.
No new form of proceeding could be
| adopted without the cooperation of the
Senate, where the majority was held
tightly in hand by a few leaders. Mr..
Morton refused to press his bill of last
year, and every possible obstacle was OPP
posed to an agreement for fair and pea
ceable count. Meantime, the conspiracy
which was organized Immediately after
Hayes defeat, had gained headway and
assumed large proportions. 1t was backed
by the whole power of the Administration
and troops were gathered in Washington
to support fraud by force. ..
1t was openly announced that if the
two Houses failed to agree upon a plan
for counting the vote, the President pro
tempore of the Senate would assume that
function, and, upon the papers presented
declare Hayes President on the 18th of
February. In the face of that usurpation
the House would retire, hold there was
no election, and proceeded to elect Til
den. Grant was prepared in this contin-
gency, and perhaps before it was reached
to bring in the troops to uphold Ferry's
decision, and to arrest members of the
House who would refuse submission to
that outrage.
As result of these extreme and ire
concilable, schemes, there was the prob
ability OF two persons claiming to be
President on the 9Th of March, when each
would be sworn in, and of a revolution
such as is now progressing in Mexico, to
be precipated by bloodshed at the capital.
1t may be said that the extremists would
pause when the pinch came, and refuse to
take the final leap. The answer is that
their preparations were made in detail,
and still exist. Beyond few memorials
meetings, and speechs, no organized OPP
position confronted this conspiracy, and
Congress was rapidly drifting to the day
for counting the votes, without the least
agreement, or even plan for settling the
difficulties.
Under these circumstances the COM
mittees came together, and finally adopt
ed the compromise, which has been for
some days before the country. To those
who fully believe that Tilden was fairly
elected on the 7th of November, and
that a combination was then formed to
defraud the people OF the fruits OF their
victory, any concession seems hard and
unjust. There are many Republicans,
not connected with the conspiracy at
Washington, who othinkHayeswas chosen,
because they have been deluded into the
belief that the Tilden majorities in sew
eral States were obtained by 'intimida-
ton and violence"
The extreme men of both sides, at the
first blush, opposed the commission, and
il is known that neither MIR. Tilden nor
Mr.. Hayes favored it. Indeed, that
knowledge was one of the obstacles to be
overcome. The fact, that Mr.. Hewitt
was member of the committee has no
significance in this regard. He acted for
himself, and not in any representative
| capacity. Mr.. Morton's refusal to sign
| the report is strong Recommendation in
| its favor.
1
| to various objections, but taken as a
whole, it is perhaps the best that could
be obtained. and has the great merit OF
| insuring peace. Two chief grounds of
| exception hsve been taken in Congress
against the bill. First, that it is uncon-
stitutional, by delegating power confer
red alone on Congress; and secondly, be-
| cause the clause relating to testimony is
not as clear and broad as it might be.
| rrl,a h;1i ,,asaruas to EnnprpSS
the power which is claimed, through the
Judgment of the commission is of course
morally binding, and will hardly be dis
puted. A commission on the silver queS-
ton, composed in part of experts, has
been sitting for months, upon the au-
thority of Congress. Two Senators
from Colorado occupy seats, without OBJ
LECTION, merely by the proclamation OF
| the President, and without the approval
of the State Constitution by Congress
which alone has power to admit new
States. Other instances might be cited,
| through these exceptions would not
| Justify an infringement of the Constitu-
ton now. But they shut the mouths of
some of the present oblectors.
| While there is positive feeling in the
public mind against mixing the Supreme
Court in politics, there are questions in
yolved in this controversy which may be
| vital to the decision, and which are no
more political than the decisions upon
the Reconstruction acts IN 1875. In fact,
| the votes of Louisiana and Florida may
be said to turn upon the legality of the
existence in one case, and their acts in
both, of the Returning Boards. 1t is
contended that no law exists in Louisi-
ana by which the Returning Board has
the right to canvass the election of cleo
| tors, and that if there is, it has beenf a.
| grantly violated by disregarding the
| plainest provisions, in order to make
| fraud easy and successful.
Thepalitical classification of the Judges
desi gnated on the commission is hardly
fair. With single exception, the whole
present Court was appointed as Repub-
| ficnn Some of them were originally