South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1877-04-06

ticc OF u change in their form OF cove ru.
inenf. which Involved loss ofright. and
couii snch proposed usurpation be cain.
iy discussed and cooIly dispose OF. con.
stitut'onai guarantees would he perma.
ncnt guards against wrong doing. hot.
unfortunately for humanity. The essence
of crime is to he found in it's secrecy.
and tho sufferers generally awaken to
their loss when too late TO apply rem.
cdy. Indeed if the asgressions of the
wicked were rs open a. the work OF the
bonest-if men forged. plundere.i and
murdered in broad day. upon the high
roads and in the streets-an organized
police called constitutional government,
would be Of little use.
Again. were private citizens all men
OF brain AMI culture, SO that aggressions
could Inc recognized, and SO resisted. we
would have little to fear i'm free govern.
ment. But wrongs build OH ignorance
and go hand in hand with greed-tlat
mean, selfish half brother OF crime. begot
by honest intern on the body Of SIM
And so without their knowledge a swift
decay works nnseen ut the foundations
CT constitutional government, and the
very ground beneath the peoples feet
is mined & burrowed and honey combed
until 1t gives way IN one common ruin.
It's popular superstition that be.
cause political rights are won through
violence they cannot be lost through
fraud. The fact is that it is through
soft, delicate. quiet, unseen treacherv
and theft that these rights. so near and
dear IN ne ro H.;,
rance work together. AMI in n majority
Of instances the loss of liberty is accom-
plished through the consent OF the
sufferers.
We have had striking illustration
of these truisms within the last week.
When the conspiracy was developed
that looked to retention in power OF
the corrupt official repudiated at the
polls, tribunal was agreed upon that
! promised TO lit the question above par.
t'san influences and settle it in accor.
dance with law and fact. To this end
five justices were called from the Su.
preme tourt and placed at the head OF
the commission, carrying with them to
that high position the faith Of the PEG.
pie that they were judges and not vul
gar politicians, and that their findings
would be SO high. pure and able hat no
man could question them.
10 the amazement Of perpleycd
people three of these justices proved
themselves not only politicians, but
politicians of the meanesc sort. For
the first time attention was called to
their past, and when they sought to
hide their shame under their legal tech.
nicalities f,rnishoh them Ivy learned al
vocates hired for the business. the PEG.
pie were alarmed To find that two OF
their judges had been taken from the
lobby and forced upon the bench to
pack that court in a grave question,
affecting alike the Constitution and the
business interests OF the country, while
the third had risen to his eminence on
medicated steam, and commanded in
the medical world about the same
respect he could claim as jurist
And this high tribunal decided that
frand did not vitate that it could not
go back OF false returns to get at the
vote, that was tie legaliZed will of the
people.
In Z word, il decided that il had moth.
ing TO decide, end as this left the case
precisely where the tribunal founI it,
was. in fact, in the nature of u non suit
it remained with tEc House TO resume
the discussion at the point where it was
interrupted by the appeal TO this cor.
rupt tribunal. That this was in truth
the situation was proven by the uneasi
ness of the conspirators. If the House
accepted the decision OF non.suit. as
the House in reason was bound to do.
they were no nearer their foul SUCCESS
.han when they began.
This was not only the common sense
view Of the situation, but the frs hon
est impulse. Any other course was
simply TO abandon the right. abandon
the cause ofthe people, to make default,
ana IN the most cowardly manner per-
NIT the conspirators TO work out their
foul design. The tribunal had not de-
cided that Hays and Wheeler we're en-
titled 10 the vote Of Florida and Lou
isiana, but that it had no authority TO
90 back OF the fraudulent returns. But
Congress had such right, and, rs we rs.
sert, the first honest impulse and cor.
rect conclusion were TO accept the de.
cision 0s dismissal Of the case, leay.
ing IL where the tribunal found it, a
matter for Congress to determine.
We all know that this was not done.
While n few struggled in behalf of an
outraged people for hearing, the great
mass, under a cry Of law and order.
gave way, and with their consent the
Pious fraud was counted in.
Now what would have been the feeling
Of tho people If at that critical moment
one or the leaders on the Democratic
side had risen in his place and said
"Nr. Speaker: ] admit. what the world
knows thst Nr. Til5en was duly elected Presi-
dent Of The United States. know. sir, that it
IS our sworn duty, under the Constitution, to
see that will Of the people respected and enfor.
ced. But, SIR. Speaker, have in my possession
written contract dolly signed, sealed and wit
messed by TIE accredited agents Of the dereate
candidate, 10 the eject that If we will consent
"a bia inouguretion "a prs,ident--ls not h,ir,