The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-02-16
THE FEELING IN WASHINGTON.
WHAT THE BEST INFORMED CoRREspoSLESrs SAY
As TO rus PROBABLE FINAL RESULT.

WAsuISGroS, Thursday Night, February g.
The situation to night may be summed up as fol-
lows: There is very pcrccptibe increase Of
conhdenco among Republicans, which has been
strengthened to some extent by the ruling of
the Commission to-day. In fact, there are but
few members OF that party who do not express
their decided conviction that Hayes will be the
next President. 1t is to be noted Shovevcr, that
among tho exceptions are to be included some
of the most sagncious of the Republican leaders.
These latter, and Governor Morton is one of
them, say unhcsitatingly that they consider the
ruling OF the Commission as q great point gained
for the Republicans, but they do not yet look
upon the final result n certainty. Tue
of the Democrats, who of cou, arc rs unthink-
ing the mass of the Republicans, and equally
jump to party conclusions, are undoubtedly de-
sp, lent, though at the same time they have by
no means abandoned hope.
One very essential element which contributes
to the encouragement of the Democrats is the
fact that one OF the leading counsel ON their
side takes n gloomy view of their prospects /;
which view, however, was really entertained by
him prior to the ruling of the Commission. On
the other hand one of the ablest of the Demo
cratic members of the Commission expresses his
opinion that the Democratic case has n better
prospect than the Republican case The same
member says that he believes Justice Bradley will
try the case as n judge and net as n partisau.-
1t is significant that the entire foundation for
spn6aenSs s, s1s 1gs
partisan and not an impartial arbitcr of jus
tcc.
This much may be said rs between the two
cases. AS now known, there are not likely to
be less than n dozen cases of law and fact pre-
sented for the determination of the committee.
1T the Democrats sustain single point their case
Is won. Ii the Republicans do not maintain
themselves on every point their case is lost 1t
the Republican assumption is correct, that the
case is to be tried and decided on partisan con.
slderations alone, then, of course, there can be
no question that Hayes will come in. IT, as
the people believed, and which belief lay Mt the
bottom of the popular demand for the passage
OF the electoral bill. the title TO the Presidency
to be passed upon by the application of the prin.
ciples of law and justice, which arc understo ood
TO be the ma inspiring of judicial action then il
is in the last degree indelicatc and improper for
one party TO the contest to bc claiming a verdict
in advance.
1t is proper in this connection to suggest that
implicit reliance need not be placed in accounts
purportinS, and falsely purporting, to represent
accurately the expressions of members of the
Commission in secret session. Ii is graft fyinp
',-y ',S ''.- cvu.us3,,,,..., g.
the almost entire abstinence from speaking even
to their familiar friends of their confidential he-
hOerations, have shown that in this important
respect, at least they recognize the obligation of
their Judicial func;ons.-COr. Baitimore San.
Stronger Cases for the Democrats.
WASHINGTON, February S.-The weakness of
the Democratic claim as to Humphreys, the al
legged Ineligible Eec;or, was SO apparent that
1t Is wonder that the question ever raised.
Certainty the oiJecting to this vote must lia C
been made without due inquiry into the facts
The only purpose that can be imagined is that
1t was desired to get the tribunal committed to
the principle of inquiing into such cases in Or
der to make n sure thing Of it when Ievise and
brewster, in Louisiana, and Watts, in ORE gon
Il 20 N nd .1:
hold the Office of shipping commissioner when
the election took place. All Investigations, how
ever, serve to increase the strength of the Loui-
sana ineligbi!y cases. If Levise's vote is
counted it will be in defiance Of notorious facts
rendering him ineligible. Judge Trumbull and
Matt Carpenter are hard at work on the Louisi-
""" "'"''.'- frhAu lay rrent ress r"r ,hs
constitutionality of the returning board law
The claim which Carpenter says can be fully es-
tab!ished is that the returning board had no right
TO canvass the returns of Presidential election:
that the board was illegally constituted, and tnat
the canvass was in many respects conducted in
violation OF law Carpenter says Louisiana will
elect Tildcn beyond doubt.
WHY THE FLORIDA CASE WAS PRESENTED.
In conversation o-night one of the eminent
counsel Tor the Democratic patty said he and his
associates had hesitatcd about making the Doint
rs to the inelgibiity of Humphreys, because, on
the facts, it was much weaker than three or
four cases of the same kind, which are i'm reserve
but they made it in Difference to some leading
Democratic lawyers The counsel regard the
Oregon and Louisiana cases of ineligible electors
as impregnable, and believe the Commission is
now committed to the principle they will ad-
vance when these are considered They are not
ut all appre iesivc about the election Of Tilden
and they only fear for Hendricks as the most
they dread is failure to elect by the people be-
cause OF the throwing out of one or mere votes
by ineligible electors, in which event the House
of REPRESENTATIVES. will cl,,,so ho
Cor. Philadelphia Times. 49,.
Possibility Of a Change of the Democratic Tao
tics If Louisiana is Counted for Hayes.
WAsHINdroS, Friday Night, February 9-The
Democratic members of the Commission and
indeed all well informed Democrats consider
Tidens s cause very far from lost by the result of
the Florida contest The Louisiana case presents
several strong points not heretofore laid before
the commission. Matt Carpenter and Trumbull
are thoroughly prepared, and though the former
is expected to make the greatest argument of
the controversy, principal point of it will be
that under the statutes Of Louisiana creating the
returning board the power to canvass the votes
for Presidential Electors is not given them, and
1t should therefore nave been done by the Gov
ernor and other officers named rs can yasscrs un-
der n proper law.
The leading Democrats held conference to-
night to discuss the situation and arrange their
tactics for the future 1t is believed they have
changed their views. Perhaps they may con-
clude if Louisiana is given to Hayes by a party
vote in the Electoral Commission to object to the
vote of every State that comes up afterwards, so
e5 I Sf " fars
the 1t1 Of March, and thereby force cleo
ton i'll December The time is so limited this
is entirely practicable, rs the house must sepa-
rate and discuss for two hours every such case.
Under this state of things the president of the
Senate would hold over, and would be acting
president until his successor is elected on the 4h