Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-01-10

nation and defeat an honest and legal
election of Chief Magistrate. Should
President Grant attempt such usurpa'
ton in the State of Pennsylvania, his
agents, civil or military, whether wear
ing the Judicial robes or commanding
in the name of the sword, would be
driven from the temples of justice
and from the Jurisdiction OF the Com.
monwealth. Should the Supreme
Court of this State decree q recount
OF the alleged false return for the pur-
pose of ascertaining just result, and
subordinate judges, who are our return
boards, refuse to comply, fine and i'm.
prisonment would be the swift and re.
lentless judgment of the court and il
the President should order Judge Nc.
Kennan to debauch the ermine by ju.
dicial usurpation, whether in the in
terest of fraud or not, he would be
hooted from his own court by the un.
broken acclaim Of four millions OF
people. Of course, Judge McKennan
would be incapable of such an effort,
no matter what authority should de.
mand il of him, for he is an honest
and upright judge but were he to do
just what we have suggested, We would
have an exact illustration OF the carpet.
bag rebellion inspired by the admins.
tration in Florida on Wednesday last.
"Of all this bald trickory and awk-
ward floundering in the miry brambles
of fraud displayed by the administra-
tion in the manipulation of the returns
of the disputed States, the backing and
filling and double.shufiling in Florida
on Wednesday last, were the most
disgraceful. There, as in South Caro-.
lima, Republican Supreme Court was
called uponlto review the action of Re.
publican returning board, that had mutt
lated hereturns sent from an unbroken
line of Republican precinct election
boards, certified by Republican county
ofiicers. 1t was tho highest judicial
tribunal Of the State deciding the
powers Of the State officers under q
State law, and never before in the his.
tory of the government, before the
advent Of Grant, has any one dreamed
of the right of the national authority
to question such decisions. But Pres
ident Grant puts himself higher than
the law Of Florida and higher than
the constitution and the uniform de-
cisions Of the Supreme Court Of the
United States, which declare that
the Interpretation OF State law relat.
ing the internal affairs OF State by
the highest State court, is the law tba;
binds all parties in or out Of
such Commonwealth aud he orders a
United States judge, as he would order
a subaltern in the army, to hasten to
Florida TO initiate the besotted Durell
and shame the State, party, nation
and administration by record that all
must disavow in the near hereafter.
And this revolutionary policy was
adopted and enforced after the carpet
bag actors in Florida had all decided
that their own laws, as made by
themselves and interpreted by their
own courts, must be obeyed. Stearns,
the carpet-bag pretender to the Gubcr.
material chair, at once bowed to the
decree of the court, and declared his
purpose to halt in his promising effort
to defy the will of the people, and
Secretary McLin and ControllerCowgil
agreed to meet Attorney General
Cooke to discharge their duties as the
court directed. But submission to
honesty and law was offensive to Grant
and his associates, and the fleeing car.
pet-bag plundcrers were tclcgraphed
from Washington that United States
Judge was on the way under orders
to relieve them that an ex-Attorney
General was Fastening thithcr to give
dignity and character to their petty
rebellion, and that the army was at
the command of Stearns for their de-
fense, If they would nullify their own
laws and brave the judgments of their
own courts. Gladly did Stearns grasp
at the straw that promised him anoth.
or Gubernatorial term in defiance ofthc
people, the law and the courts and
his creatures, tho Secretary Of State
and Controller rushed with him to
take shelter under the protecting wing
of a second Durell judge and the bay.
onets Of tho government. But there
has been the utter absence Of method
in their revolutionary work. Sys-
tematically as were the plans OF the
administration, perfected the Florida
advcnturers, who have TO be the visi.
BILE actors in the fraud, exposed the
deformitics Of their wrongs at every
step they advanced. First, Secretary
McLin, president Of the return board,
formally notified his associates TO meet
on Wednesday to obey the order of
the court. Next, cx.Attorney General
Williams drops down upon them and
tells them what to do and how to do
it, Mr., McLin formally revokcs the
notice reconvening the board, but At.
torncy General Cooke decides to meet
himself, and does 80, and counts and
ccrtifes the vote as the returns declare
it. Finally, NcLin and Cowgil become
alarmed and conclude to pretend to
obey the court, but to falsify the rc.
turns again. They therefore meet
under decree Of the court requiring
them to take the legal returns, count
them according to tho simple rules of|
arithmetic, and Sc certify them. and
Immediately proceeded 10 exercise tho |
most arbitrary Judicial powers again J