The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-16

by the house, declaring, that the action of
the returning board had resulted in award
ind seats to persons In the house of repre-
sentatives to which they were not entitled,
and in excluding members legally elected,
therefore; "Resolced, That It is recon-
i" mended to the house of representatives
" to a k Immediate steps to remedy such
" injustice and place all persons rightfully
" entitled to them in their seats" But still
the Kellogg government was recognized"
until the famous Wheeler compromise was
patched up, when the duly elected leglsla-
ture was placed in power, but only upon
the condition that it would recognize Kel.
logg as de Jacto governor Of Louisiana, and
agree not to impeach him for his past mis-
deeds. In other words, Louisiana could
uot have her legally elected legislature,
unless it would agree to recognize an
" usurper," a, Matt II. Carpenter, one of
tho most radical of radical republicans
calls him, Tor governor, and would agree
to part with q portion of its constitutional
functions.
Perhaps, under the circumstances, this
compromises was the best thing that could
be done, 80 long as there was not honesty
or craftsmanship enough in the country to
settle the matter according to strict right,
tor it gave Louisiana a sort of a troubled
peace for a few months. But it has al
ready commenced to bear its natural fruits.
Two years more rolled around, and again
in 1864 general election was held in
Louisiana. The face of the returns showed
one thing. The returns as doctored by the
returning board showed an entirely different
thing, although Mr.. Grape, one OF Massa-
chusetts' radical republicans and a member
OF the Louisiana investigating committee,
says that, ''taking the testimony produced
before the house committee as a basis of
" judgment, no honest returning board
could have secured a majority in that
way. This sounds very much like the Ian
guagc of Mr.. Phelps and Foster when, in
1875, they characterized the acts of the
same returning board as "arhitrary, un.
"just and illegal" and that of Mr.. Wheel
er, Hoar and Frye when they say that it
"misconceived and exceeded it's legal au-
"thority." But the good people of Louis
lana, republicans and democrats alike, de-
spairing of justice, are patching up another
compromise.
To bring around this compromise, the
cohesive power of public plumber is relied
upon. 1t is proposed that Nichols shall
be recognized as governor, and that the
democrats shall have sufficient plumbers of
the members of both branches of the legis-
lature 10 give them complete control of
state affairs and, in return for this, they
are said to be willing to concede almost
everything, even to the making of BROTHER
in-law Casey United States senator. Even
PInchback is to be provided for by making
him collector of the port of New Orleans.
This, to be sure, requires the cooperation
OF the president, but it is expected that the
sop thrown him in the way of brother-in-
law Casey will conciliate him and gain his
countenance to the scheme. Enough of
Inc uIsaIected in both parties are to be
bought off with petty Offices, and Kellogg
and Packard are to be left TO paddle their
own canoes. Such a compromise needs no
comment. Perhaps, as in the other case,
1t Is the best thing %attainable, as it will do
away with the necessity OF being honest
on this Louisiana question. 1t, too, will
make future compromises easier, and, per-
maps, will necessitate an amendment to the
Constitution declaring that the right to hold
Office shall be determined by compromise,
and a new declaration of independence to
the effect that governments derive their
just powers, not from the consent of tho
oy all means, do away with the farce of
elections and rely entirely upon the efficacy
of compromises.