The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-06-17
The Presidential Title.

The passage of the resolution reported
to the House of Representatives by its Ju-
dicary Committee TO the effect that there
is no power in any Congress subsequent to
the Forty-fouth which declared Hayes
elected to reverse that declaration, and
that no such power can be exercised by
the courts of the United States or any
other tribunal that congress can create
under the constitution. settles the question
of Hayes title to the presidency and ends
the republican charges of revolution, mex
icanizatiop, and anarchy. The report of
the Committee was made in reference to
the Kimmell bill which was based npon
the celebrated resolutions of the legislature
of Maryland 10 regard to the Presidency,
aud which the House had referred to its
Judiciary Commute The vote upon the
adoption OF the report and resolution stood
234 yeas to IA nays. Among the nays was
Congressman Springer Of this State whose
explanation of bis vote is timely and well
put, and commends itself to the intelli
gence ald good sense of all classes of pee.
pie who are not the blind adherents of
party. Dlr. Springer said: II am opposed
ITO ali proceedings in reference to inva,i-
dating the Presidents title, which are
illegal, unconstitutional, or revolutionary.
If the title of the present incumbent is
valid and unassailable it needs no action
"of Congress to quiet 1t, bat if. on the con-
"trary, it is fraudulent, and the investiga-
ting Committee of this House should so
find and report, it would be dishonorabe
ION our part to attempt to make it good
'or to declare by bill or resolution that it
lis sacred. If the title is good, it needs no
defense, If bad, | can never vote to make
ut better. For this reason | vote No"
The country can survive maladministra-
ton, can recover from executive ineficien
cy. can emerge from adversely and univer
sal distress to prosperity and honor in
spite OF the evils of a weak executive and
the bluuders of il-timed or ill-advised
legislation, but when corruption and fraud
can overcome the will of the majority and
can circumvent the operation of law, the
danger becomes alarmingly great.
The question Of to>day is not so much
who is president as it is whether the 10
cumbents title to the presidency is lawful,
just, and untainted. If great frauds can
be committed with impunity, and through
the preparation Of these frauds the cleo
ton can be determined and controlled
against the popular wish and the popular
majority, and there is no way in which the
fraud can be made right,then popular GOV
eminent is a humbug. The election
becomes simply test of superior skill in
successful fraud, There is
where the real revolution and anarchy ex-
ist, and not in investigating the means by
which fraud thwarted the will Of the PEG
pie. Fraud taints and corrupts everything
with it. And if it be once un-
derstood and acknowledged that fraud can
control the election of a president, and
that through mere technical formalities
the fraud is protected and cannot be in
luired into and set aside, then constitutional
liberty is thing of the past and consti- |
tutions and laws are living lie and a |
league with hell.