The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-01-04
sTAUNTON, VIRGINIA.
The Political Situation.

Tie Democratic Congressional Committee
appointed to investigate tie election OF South
Carolina, haze ascertained, and will report,
that the State has voted for Hayes for Prcsi-
dent, and Hampton for Governor. This
leaves no possible contention about the Pres
dental question. Although the Democrats
claimed tho State for Tilden, without knowing
Afacts, just rs they did in Louisiana with
weighing the facts. the evidence was so
convsncing that Hayes had carried it, that
the committee have been compelled to admit
it.
In Florida, recount of the vote by the
Returning Board, under the order of
the court, directing certain counties to
be counted Which had been thrown ont,
resulted ir finding a majority OF 20G for the
Hayes elcctor and l95 for Drew, Demccat-
c candidate for Governor. To arrive at this
conclusion. one county was thrown out,
where the fraud was so palpable that it was
impossible to count it. under the law, and
in Justice. The Democratic member of the
Returning Board, protested against this
But the majority overruled The protest, and
tile vote was certified 70 and recorded. The
court has declined to further interfere with
the electoral vote.
I'm Louisiana the evidence adduced before
the committee OF the House of Representa-
ives ard the Senate Committee, is such as
TO more than sustain the Returning Board
in their action giving the State to Hayes. 1t
is expected,that the reports of the Commit
tees will not change the present status of the
vote of that State, and that all three of the
disputed States will be conceded to the Re-
publican electors before the time appointed
for the counting of the clectora: votes CT all
the States.
There is prospect of continued conten-
ton and strife in Louisiana over the Gov
sion 81 the State House, have organized the
Legislature with quorum, and have inau-
gurated.Gen. Packard, Governor. The Dem
ocrats assembled in another building, and by
allowing members Of the Legislature reject
ell by the Returning Board, 10 take their
seats, claim quorum also. They have in
augurated Mr.. Nichols, their candidate for
Governor Although great excitement and
bitter feeling prevail, it is believed no hostile
} collision between the two parties will oc-
eur.
The Governorship Of South Carolina is still
ton claim to be elected. What will eventu.
ally come Of it, time alone can develop.
Coming to their Senses.
The Washington correspondent of the Bal.
tmore Sun, a very partizan writer and ex.
tremc, generally, in his suggestions and crit.
icisms, has this to say:
An impression seems to be gaining ground
here in Washington that ultimately the
question of the Presidency may hinge upon
the disputed vote of louisiana alone. 1t has
all along been the opinion of many democrats
that their strongest point was holding on to
Louisiana. and not to make much of q con-
test over the electoral vote of either Florida
or South Carolina. In both South Carolina
and Florida it was an undoubted fact that
the democratic State ticket received consid-
eraby more votes than the democratic ma
tonal ticket 1t is and has always been the
opinion of fair-minded men that in both OF
those States the democratic State ticket was
elected, although it is acknowledged that the
majorities were comparatively small. This
being the case, the question has been wheth-
er the scratching of tie national ticket was
not sufficient to defeat it and elect the Hayes
electors? 1iIe question has not yet been sat
isfactOrly settled. but so far as South Caro-
lima is concerned it will probably be III a
few days. When the present complications
4 in Florida will be satisfactorily ended cam
I not now be said.
It's very natural that such an impression
should gain ground, when the Democrats
themselves know that the States of South
Carolina and Florida have cast their votes for
the Republican candidates. The admission
that it ''has been all along the opinion of
democrats that their strongest point was in
holding on to Louisiana is, however, very
significant. The game of buster and threat
has been as eXtravagant about the other two
States as about Louisiana. The claim has
been the same as to all three of the States,
and this correspondent is the first to ac-
knowledge that it was the game of brag they
were playing. Tllele is no more Justice in
their pretended claim to Louisiana than there
was 10 South Carolina and Florida. The
outrages in Louisiana, committed in the in
terest OF Tildcn and Reform, were greater
in proportion to population than in the 9TH
er States, although they were sickening and
brutal enough in them. Hayes is as clearly
entitled to the vote of Louisiana as he is to
the vote of Vermont, and there is nothing in
the power of Tilden and his co-conspirators to
deprive him of it. The three States about
which SO much disturbance has been made,
B and cI1at, it1ca anil l,1a re nj
tered, are as clearly Republican as any other
States IN the Union, and they will be SO
counted. Before the day set for the opening
Of the electoral returns, we expect this to be
conceded, just as the concession is made that
South Carolina and Florida have so voted.
1t does not require any great amount of
honest sense to understand the Tilden game.
They hoped, by buying the courts of South
Carolina and Florida, to gain possibly vote
there, just like they hoped to gain vote in
Oregon by the most bare-faced robbery that
every startled the American people. they
have beat the bush all around, in the
desperate efforts to scare up the one ne
cessary vote from some place or other. "'hey
have been baff1cd in every instance. Upon
the same applicai ion of law that they claim
the Oregon vote, they lose four others. Fail
ing in al this, they threaten revolution.
They will be met here. too. The constituted
authorities of the country have not been in
different spectators OF the reckless and dcs-
perate purposes of these modern reformers.
Their game is perfectly understood, and am
PIE provision will be made to conform with
lawful authority at every step. Hayes has
been elected, and will be lnaugurated, and
that will be the end OF it.
We direct attention to the communication
signed Barbarian in to-day's VIRGINIAN.
The writer is a gentleman of culture; bust
ness experience and extensive acquaintance
with the sentiment and feeling of the Nor
them States. He, however, is no politician,
40 office holder, or office seeker,-a quiet cit
izen, filling the soil, paying his taxes, and