The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-21

IL
the judgments In quo tOdTTd1lto rendered In
various states and enter into an IN
quiry as to the, regularity and con
ings. There must be authority somewhere ana
at some time to decide who were appointed
electors and the only safe or sound or consti-
tutionai Iule that could be found was that
adopted by the commission, to-wit: Inc ue-
cision made by the proper state authority
and the law for electing president and vice
president of the United States was final ana
power of congress was to count not TO re-elect
a duly certified vote OF the states.
MR.. TUCKER AGAINST THE DECISION.
Mr.. Tucker followed on the opposite side
He said the members of the commission mad
taken an oath to render Judgment according
TO the constitution and law. The COMMISSION
had declined to pass on the question OF the
validity of the vote of an incompetent tlector.
Did the commissioners mean to decidet that he
ineIigibility of an elector was to have no effect
on the validity of his vote? III the
state appointed an ineligible elector, was he,
notwithstanding, to be declared by the COM
mission and by the two houses TO be compe-
tent elector ar. his vote TO be validf II so,
state was valid and the constitution qitod hoe
was void: In regard to the main
permitted to speak for state In
the matter of the presidential election was the
voice of a canvasslng board and of an xecu-
tive, and that the voice of the judiciary and
legis alive must be huShed into silence. He
contended that all organism of state must
The debate was continued by Messrs Banks
and Frye in favor of the report OF the COM
mission, and by Messrs. Shrinan and Hurd in
oppositi
WHERE THE FAULT LIES.
Mr.. Carl have no hesitancy in saying that
my convictions are, that under the palpable
| facts behind the governors certificate the vote
! OF Florida should ave been returned for Til
| den and Hendricks; but, sir, Mt the same time
| | h'ld that the democratic majority OF this
house has no moral right TO conn
plain that this commission has rem
dered partisan decision in reporting
the four electoral votes of Florida for Hayes
| anu Wheeler. While / assert that this decls-
ion is contrary TO the facts and contrary to the
| United states, vet as boldly assert that the
| wrong h chargeable 10 the causes farther back
| than the commission. The wrong rests up
| on the shoulders of those who establish this
| partisan tribunal. When the democratic
i majority of this house adopted this law with
| a full knowledge that the majority of the COM
/ publican instincts, controlled by republican
| interests, warped by republican biases and
moved by republican motives. they deliber-
| ately abandoned every claim which the
I democratic masses asserted to the control
| of our national affairs. The commissioners
have done no more nor less than what could
| them. You erected the political tribunal, in
| vested Ii with political attributes and gave
1
| they have settled from a political standpoint;
| being republicans, they believed that the
republican candidate for the preSl-
| making their d. claration, they have be- n true
| and faithful TO their political sentiments, edu-
| cation and association. No legal wrong can
4 attach to them for this. But when you as
| democrats deliberately put such power over
| such questions in the hands OF a tribunal so
constructed, you committed a bold aud daring
wrong to your pretended political convlc-
lions, and assuredly to your political as,
| soeiites, whose political sentiments and
| rights you betrayed and abandoned To your
| political adversarie>. l arise To remind the
| democratic majority that 10 common decency
| your votes on this niea -ure have estopped
/ you from indulging In even one word of criti-
| cism against the decision of that tribunal.
sirs Il Is your own ofspr1i az, you brought Y
you alone are resi- Onsible for the result. IL Is
| no excuse for you to assert that you
| did not anticipate such result, that you
| expected higher and better thinss from your
| founding. You had no more right to expect
| a tribunal so constituted to produce different
| result han to expect a thornbuSh to bring
nth figs. Nor viii so weak an apology save
| you from the just condemnation which your
betrayed and outraged constituency will for
| ever heap upon your treacherous heads.
Laughter and applause No, sir;
the wrong is great and burning
| outrage lies at your hands and your hands
alone. Nor viii the democratic people be
slow in pertaining the true source OF their
discontinue and defeat II may subserve
| shield yourselves under the cover of hollow
denunciations of your tribunal, as the cry OF
| "Stop thief for n moment may delude the
| lace shall have vented their unmerited
anger upon this tribunal for a brief hour, and
will seek the true object of Its Just indignation,
and the blame will at last be where 1t properly
| belongs. The few only who had the moral
courage to stand here upon this floor, and
amid the derisiOn and c0ntumely of the demo-
| cratic majority dared to warn you of the inev-
liable result of that days work have the moral
| right to complain of the end of this day 8
labor; but. sirs, while they have deep r, grets
| az TO the action of the commission they have
| deep and bitter denunciations and condemna-
tion to heap upon the heads of those who,
claiming to be the leaders OF the great demo
cratic party In this trying hour OF its
| incompetent FROM ignorance and un-
| worthy for base reasons. Renewed laughter
and applause on the republican sideI Here,
| whole country, | absolve that commission
from all charges, save II may be that OF an
power danounce the majority of this b ssss
| as being responsible for the wrong and recre-
ant, ignorantly or corruptly recreant, to the
| confidence which has been imposed in them
| and faithless to the trusts confided in them.
| lApplause.l
Mr.. Walker, of Virginia, said he was one of
| bill In good faith, and he would say to the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. CARR that II
Gratis who voted with him against that meas
ure 70 read the majority OF the house out OF
the democratic party.
|
as IL has been made is entitled to no respect.
| IL Is as unfounded in morals as IL is unsound
in law, and injurious and pernicious in its
consequences. The spectacle of the sue
cessfui villainy is corrupting In pro-
/ portion TO the extent Of the theater
/ on which IL is enacted and to the d. lie which
/ IL wins. The presidency of the United States
has never yet been won by fraud. II IL Is won
now the example will be more injurious TO our
| good name and more corrupt to our good peo-
| pie than all the populations, robberies and
| frauds of ali our history
The debate closed at / is, and the house pro-
| ceeded 10 vote, and Mr.. Hales amendment
was rejected. 81 TO 1877, and Mr.. Fields resolu-
1t was then ordered that the clerk inform
the senate Of the action of the house. aud also
that the house is now ready to meet the sem
ate in the hall OF the house. -
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