Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-02-24

The strOngert case for the Demo
Gratis was that Of Louisiana. 1t ha'
gone against them, SO far as thu
Commission Ia concerned. Most o
them will feel that u triumph Il
which they were fairly entitled hat
been taken from them, and th0s'
who are extreme In their party feel
ing will den0uuce the majority o
the Commission rs swayed by con
siderations Of partisan advantage
aud not guided by the PRINCIPLES 81
lher of law or right. They will flint
il very hard 10 admit that the Re
publican Commissioners believe Il
TO be their honest duty to vote ant
act as they did, and that their con
illusions were reached by rigid judi
cial reasoning. There il really NJ
good ground for accusing any ont
of the able and uplig ht men on tht
Commission of violating his cOnvic
tons or disregarding what he hon
estly believed to he sound cOnstitu
tional doctrine. The views OF these
men on the questions presented t.
them may have been affected un
consciously by their party faith. II
is evident that they were from the
fact that the division was u strictly
party one on every important ques
lion. But that presumption does
not furnish ground for charging that
the views were not honestly held
and the conclusions conscientiOusly
reached.
There is danger that the disap
pointment of the Democrats viii
show itself in an effort to stave oil
conclusion of the count and lie
feat the purpose OF the Commission
altogether. 1t is two weeks and
more to the 4th of March, and that
is Il long time to waste in tilibuster'
ing. 1t cannot be done without a
deliberate purpose, adopted and per
sued with no attempt at conceal
ment. 1t cannot be done without a
violation of good faith and of a sol
emn agreement entered into with
every sanction by when a pOlitica
party can be bound. BY that agree.
ment both parties are bound to abide
10y each and every decision OF the
Commission and to accept the final
result. The Democrats have been
IoudeSt in their professions OF will
ingness to do so. They were main
" instrumental in securing the pas.
sage of the law and the establish
ment # the Tribunal. They made
strong appeals to patriotism for the
support of this method of decidin9
a vexed controversy. They cannot
in decency 60 back of their protes-
Sions and promises, and it is certain
hat they would not profit by so do
ing. The party that should prove
false to the solemn compact for set.
Ting the Presidential difficulty and
should precipitate upon the country
the distractions of another cam,
paign by sheer wiIfulness, could
count upon defeat in a new election.
The people demanded the Com.
mission, and they will now demand
that its action be sustained. 1t
must lie remembered that the Fri
hunal was called for, not because it
was expected to decide in favor OF
Tildcn, not because it was expected
to decide in favor Of Hayes, but be-
canse the country wanted a peace
tul decision one way or the other,
and it was impossible 10 reach it
through two bodies of equal juris
diction directly antagonistic to each
other. The two houses could not
agree Oh the questions to be settled ;
they could only agree to leave them
to some third body, which being
composed of an equal number could
reach a decision. To that they did
agree. The Tribunal was as fairly
made up as it could possibly be, and
it's decision must be final or we shall
he in worse case than before. We
ito not believe that any large mum
Der of Democrats in the House of
Representatives will venture upon
the tactics of delay and embarrass
ment with view to preventing the
completion of the count and the
declaration of the result. That pol
icy would be suicidal. Conserva.
tive and moderate men, who care
more for country than for party.
will gather comfort from this terri
ole struggle for ascendancy between
the rival political organizations.
They can feel that the extreme OF
the parties on both sides have snf.
Irred defeat, and that the new AID.
will be forced to bring
to its support the strongest and
of our public men. III
no other way can it command con,
fidence and hope for favor. Both
parties will be put on their best he
lavior, and especially will the Adj.
find itself in position
where it cannot afford to take any
wrong course wi|fully or knowingly,
" allow errors or mistakes to hap
zen too otten.-G Globe.
Mr.. TALMAGE in recent lecture
IN journalism thus puts it:
"Tlere are no harder worked men
n the world than the newspaper
men of this country. Their greatest
rial is a diseased appetite in the
natter of what they will spread be.
fore the world. But do you sup
,ose, that you would have these
hings if people didn't want them ?
# there were no runaways, match.
IS or murders, or bigamies, every
Body would cry out that the papers
we're dull and insipid. People want