West Feliciana sentinel. (St. Francisville, La.) 1876-1877, 1877-02-03
THE ELECTORAL BILL.
Washington Capital.1

An eminent English statesman
once said, 'There are three ways Of
getting out ola difficulty one way
is to fight oat, another is to back
out j.; while the third is to stand
where you are and let the difficulty
make off with ITSELF We should
say that the joint committee on the
electoral count had adopted the
latter method, and that the attitude
of Congress is now stationary, 10
anxious waiting for the diflinlty to
disappear. We cannot deny that
the joint committee has arrived at
a very successful standstill but
whether the difficulty will be con-
siderate enough to perform its part
OF the programme and make off
with itself remains to be seen.-
That result depends upon variety
of contingencies, chief among which
is the question whether expediency.
born of Illicit Intercourse between
timidity and se'fishness, or princi-
pie, which is the legitimate Off
spring of courage and patriotism,
shall rule in our national councils.
The bill reported from the joint
committee presents two aspects
From the standpoint Of principle it
appears as a measure the adoption
OF which by the Democratic party
would have the effect Of committing
that party to the admission that it
has all along been an open ques~
zion whether Mr.. T'iIden was le-
gally elected by the people ; that
those Democrats who have de-
nounced the attempt to count Hayes
in, as wicked conspiracy to outs
rage law and subvert the Constitu-
ton, have been u:tering a charge
wholly Or in part base!ess that,
after all, returning boards are wise
and pious institutions, designed to
impose salutary restraint upon the
sinful propensitics of the voting
masses and not, as Democrats have
been wont to declare, Ruisances
and denominations upon the face of
the earth ; and finally, the adop~
ton Of this measure will establish
it as a matter of law and prece-
dent that in an attempt to steal a
thing vests in the attempting thief
a lien upon the coveted property
which can be vacated only by the
decision Of a tribunal of adjudica-
tion.
We are not ready to make any
Of these admissions and particu~
larly loath are we to admit the le-
gality Or equity of the last rropo-
sition. The fact that the attempt
to count Hayes ir was originally
the result of inetriated second
thought on the part of a few con-
spirators, and that the inebriation
which led to this second thought
was produced by beverages imbibed
in the nature of consolation for
confessed defeat, is not altered by
this bill. The moral effect of the
bill will be to give to a brazen
conspiracy tho implied sanction of
all respectable men who vote for
it, and nothing more ; to lofty all
political buccaneers and partisan
pirates that they may sail under
the black flag with impunity, and
be sure of treatment as honorable
enemies if they happen to be cap,
tured.
SUPPOSE says "a venerable phi
lanthrophist in our midst, Il am
walking on the avenue and ruffian
seizcs my hat. I lay him PROSTATE
with a blow from my staff, wrest
my hat from him and proceed
about my business. That is the
method Of procedure which would
naturally suggest itself to gentle
man. But suppose. upon the seiz'
nro Of NV hat sau to this rulfian