Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-01-12
a cloud gathering over Hayes.

~ CIOm0 VNeG
1t is impossible to ignore the fact
that = formidable movement is on
foot to impeach Mr.. Hayes's title
to the Presidency. Such q move
meat starts out with the great
moral strength involved in the fact
that Mr.. Tlldsn was undoubtedly
elected President by decisive ma
jority of both the electoral and pop
ular votes. The act creating the
Presiden initial Commission expressly
reserved the right Of either of the
candidates, II they felt aggrisved, to
test the question in the courts,
which, by implication, involves
the right to test it in any quarter
whore a remedy might be effsc-
tual.
This movement, which undoubt-
edly exists, derives its significance
from the fact that 1t proceeds from
leading mon in both political par
ties. Hon. Montgomery Blair,
now . Democrat, but at one time
Mr.. Lincoln's Postma ster. General,
moves . resolution In the Mary
land Senate requesting the Sena-
tors and Representatives from that
State in the National Congress to
initiate an inquiry into Mr.. Hayes's
title at the same time that Hon.
VIM. E. Chandler, who supervised
the electoral fraud In Florida for the
Republicans, issues an address to
the Republicans of New Hamp-
shire asser ting that Mr.. Hayes's
title is worse than Packard's and
that he, through his particular
friends, descended 10 conspiracy to
attain the hitherto unstained Of
fice. Senator Conkling is said to be
favorable to an inquiry such as
that contemplated by Montgomery
Blair and Chandler. From a con-
versation which took place be.
tween Senator Thurman, of Ohio,
Democrat, and Senator Howe,
of Wisconsin, Republican, shortly
after the eight to seven count,
it would seem that other
distinguished Republican Senators
are convinced that a serious mis-
take was made when Hayes was
counted In As President. "Well,"
said Thurman to Howe, You've
stolen the Presidency" 81 wish
to God" returned Howe, "that
you had it back"
We may be asked if we believe
that the effort to GUST Hayes and
put in his place the man who was
elected by the people will be sue
cessful. We answer that we don't
know. 1t has great deal of prob
ability in the fact that it ought to
be successful. The fact that he is
in the possession of stolen goods
must weigh upon Hayes like a
nightmare. The last House of
Representatives-and that body Is
the direct representative of the
majesty OF the sovereign people
placed a solemn resolution upon its
Journal declaring that Hayes was
not, and that Mr.. Tilden was,
elected President. The fact that
Hayes ought to be taken by the
nape of the neck and landed out
side Of the White House, is strong
presumption that, some day or
other, he may be. We are rather
inclined to think, ourselves, that
the magnanimous Democracy W ill
contemptuously allow him to re-
main in peace, but when his own
pArtizans-the men who gave hi N
. minority of the electoral and
popular vote of the United States,
begin to hint that he ought to be
out of the White House, the thing
begins to take shape ominous
for Hayes. A redress OF the great
infamy of 1877, in advance Of the
next Presidential election, would
be the finest vindication of Repub-
lican institutions conceivable. The
fact that this vindication may not
como to pass does not lessen the
other fact that it is devoutiy to be
wished that the American Repub
lie may get rid of the stain of q
usurper in the Presidential chair at
the earliest possible day.