The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-02-15
Bulldozing the Counting Tribunal.

10 show the spirit which governed the
Democratic party in asking for the creation
Of the Tribunal to count the electoral vote,
we give the following extract from the spc
cial Washington correspondent OF the Rich
mond Wig, who is Mr.. l.. @. Washington,
high democratic authority. and as well ac-
quainteG with the inside working OF the de-
mocratc machinery as any man in Washing
ton. The special telegram frog which the
extract is taken referred to the decision Of
the Tribunal on the preliminary question
affecting the vote Of Florida. and. regarding
it as favorable to the claims OF the Republi-
can Presidential candidate, lie says:
Some prominent men urge that the House
of Representatives should forthwith pass a
resolution to request their members to leave
the Commission II this were donc. it is
pretty certain that Justices Clifford and
Field would at once quit the Commission.
1t is barely possible that an aroused public
sentiment will induce one Or two OF tile Re-
publcans on the Commission 10 do Justice il.
the case OF Louisiana. L. @. W..
Here is All intiuiation that q suggestion
has been made and entertained to break up
the Court by 4 revolutionary proceeding,
and that the determination not to do so will
rest upon the contingency OF intimidating
several Republican members OF the Court to
falsify their oaths of office in obedience to
the demand OF "an aroused public sentl-
mcnt,r or, in other words. buster and threats
from democratic rcvoutionists. ~
1t should be remembered that tie Count
ing Tribunal was almost unanimously sup
ported by the Democratic members Of both
Houses Of Congressional it was Il plan Of
their own, and that after the President had
signed the bill creating the Tribunal, the
democratic press generally claimed that it
would elect Tilden certainly, and probably
Tilden and Hendricks. The Richmond Dis
patch claitncd that it would make Tilden
President and Wheeler Vice President. The
Whig claimed that both Tilden and Hen
bricks would be declared elected. Through
out the country the democratic iubation
was universal.
The Republicans generally accepted it as
measure OF paciiication, confident that an
impartial Tribunal would reach just con-
cusion, and declared their purpose to abide
by it, whatever the result. They could not tell
what method Of procedure it might adopt to
reach a conclusion. Ii 1t were to confiae
itself to the law and the facts as they existed
on the It'll day of November, as the bill pro-
vides specifically it should, or If it concluded
to go behind the returns, they were perfectly
willing to rest their case with the Tribunal.
Indeed, the only opposition to the latter pro
cedure were the legal and constitutional inhi-
billions. The Republicans have never doubted
that with a full ard exhaustive investigation
OF the facts Of the election, and the applica-
ton of the local laws Of the States to them,
the majority for their electors in the disputed
States would be decisive and conclusive,
The Electoral bill was party device Of
the democrats, II any Importance is to be at
Tackled to the views expressed in the extract
above quoted. If it failed in the declaration
of Mr.. 1ilden's election, it was to be repu-
dated. II it succeeded in that result, 1t was
to be sustained. Il
II political infamy could reach Il lower
depth than is indicated in the proposition to
either break up the Tribunal by the with
drawai OF the democratic members, or the
intimidation of 'sseveral OF the Republic
cans We cannot imagine it. A backer
treason Or a more despicable political crime
was never suggested. 1t astonishes into
silence the honest sentiment OF the nation,
which will await with serene resolve any
tuo InoCiur to tho ipti,p rnd
The traitor who would raise his voice in Con-
gress to offer a resolution demanding that
the democratic members OF the Tribunal
shall Withdraw, bad better tie milestone
about his neck and leap into The Potomac.
A living, sneering, Kissing infamy would
stare him III the face through life, and sit
like sn avenging devil upon his tomb.