Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-01-10
BLAIR AGAINST HAYES.
ArraiGnMcmt OF the President In IN,
Shape OF y Memorial 10 Congress.

BLAIR AGAINST HAYES.
Arrangement OF the President In h
shape OF a Memorial to Congress.
Annapolis, Md, Jan. S.-Montgomery /
Blair, in the house of delegates, to-day in !
troduced resolutions memorializinR con. /
gress, which set fol th-
That the late electoral bill provided that
no decision of the presidential election
under that act should preclude judicial de-
cision of the question.
That the act contemplated decision of the
case submitted to the electoral commission
BY q judicial tribunal, provided the COM
mission held itself incompetent to decide.
That the commission did hold itself in
competent to inquire whether some state
returns were true or false, and that the pres
ident il seated in virtue of VIGOROUSLY
fraudulent returns, which Justice Strong,
whose vote seated him, has admitted, and
as the president himself has admitted by !
disregarding the returns in the matter Of
state officers whose titles we're identical
with his. fl.@..t
That whilst reputation Of these returns
by the Incumbent for all purposes, save his
| own election. is an admission it was fraud
to use them for that purpose,
the motives which induced this partial re-
pudiation greatly aggravates his otfense.
That by a published statement of John
Young Brown, which has remained uncon-
tradicted since April, 1877 it appears this
reputation vas a condition imposed by
Brown and his associates. then holding the
balance of poweriin the house of represen-
~tatives. upon which alone the incumbent
would be allowed to be counted into office
upon these false returns.
| Thof <hio condition was orcopfoi for the
incumbent BY Stanley Matthew and Charles
Foster. then and since his closest friends and
authoritative representatives.
That said Brown and his associates had
| been elected as adversaries of the incum.
bent, but separated from the great body of
their political associates in the house of rep
\ resentatiyes to carry into effect said arrange
| ment.
That at the time of entering into it, they
were leading advocates of the bill then
pending in said house, to grant a large sub
| sidy to the Texas Pacific railroad, to which
the president-elect was known to be opposed,
and it is a just inference from all these cir
cumstances that, whilst they were willing to
defeat his inauguration for this reason. they
could not venture to act with their political
opponents for that object, if such co-opera-
ton involved also the surrender of the local
governments Of the states in question, as
we'll as of their electoral votes, to their po.
litical opponents.
That to remove this obstlcle it was stipu.
lated in effect that the incumbent should
treat the returns as fraudulent, so far as
they effected the loca' governments of said
states, by Withdrawing United States troops.
the presence of which alone it was known
gave them any force.
That it thus appears that the constitutional
question so gravely and deliberately debated
in congress before The electoral commission,
and the public as a question on which the
presidential contest hinged, and with which
the public mind was so long exercised. has
no part whatever in determining the con-
test, but that it was IN fact determined by a
body of men elected by one party, but open
ly acting with its opponents in the interest
of certain railroad corporations at the de-
cisive moment.
That every interest of the country is
greatly prejudiced and its most vital inter-
ests put in jeopardy by suffering the people
to be superseded as a political power, and
substituting for them such moneved organ
izations as will pay for %defrauding them.
That in the opinion of your memorialits,
the continued prostration of the business
interest of the country is largely due to the
fact that the confidence of the people in the
conduct Of public officers is shaken.
That an irresponsible executive admins.
tration has been installed which has not the
support of the country or either Of its grea
political parties.
That this conflicts with the whole theory
of our institutions and Of those of the mother
country whence they were derived.
That to carry on, as to get possession of
the government, the incumbent must
seek support from those elected as his OPP
ponents.
THAT this relation is in itself c%orrupting,
is shown by reason as we'll as all experience.
That no useful public service can be rem
dered by an administration whose title to
power rests on fraudulent election returns
manufactured by its own partizans, and
made %effectual by agreement with the
subsidy and jobbing men Of an opposing
party..s
That the indispensable first step to any re-
form of the public service is to restore the
government to the people.
That it is only by men who have been
elected by the people, and who are free from
all entangling alliances with jobbing inter-
ests from which all great abuses have
sprung, that any reform can be effected.
Your memorialists therefore pray that
needful legislation may be adopted to ascer-
tain iudicially who was elected president at
the recent election and to give effect to
the will Of the people; and they will ever
pray, etc.
Mr.. Blair advocated his memorial, urg-
ing its adoption and reviewing generally
President Hayes title to the office.
Mr.. Lieb, republican, moved to lay on
the table and called for the ayes and nays,
which resulted, ayes IL, nay 81.
federal relations.