The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-05-09
FLORIDA BEFORE THE COMMITS
SION. 49,.

r.aa SION a1elftafass
The case of Florida was the first heard
before the Electoral Commission. and
some Of the facts connected with itmay
be recalled instructively now, when the
truth has been dragged to light The
counsel Representing the Tilden electors
offered to prove, by the most incontestaN
BILE evidence, the frauds that are confess
ed by McLin, Dennis, and others, who
manipulated or conhived at them. They
had been proved before the courts in Flo~
rida, and Mr., Field proposed to prove
them again:
"These are all facts, which we offer to
make good by evidence as the Commis-
sion may prescribe, by cloud Of wit
nesses and by host of documents.
Mr.. Kasson, who had served ON the
Republican committee that visited Flori>
da,was chosen to answer this plain offer
before the Commission, and he spoke
thus:
I'VE say everything in denial Of the
fraud Of the State officers. n \ Fraud
cannot be presumed against the parties
who acted in conformity with law and in
discharge of duty at the time required by
law and in the mode required by law,
4 \ But my honorable friend from Vir-
ginia, in his argument, not only spoke
Of the fact, which was unsupported by
any evidence, but which he said he could
support by some evidence, that there was
bad motive and fraudulent conduct on
the part of the canvassing board, of
which have seen no evidence whatev-
er."
The offer to prove the frauds, the judg-
ments of the Supreme and Circuit Courts
ousting Stearns and seating Drew and
declaring the Tilden electors legally cho-
sen, and the report of the Congressional
Committe, produced no impression on
the Electoral Commission, which had
been created and organized to Consum-
mate the iniquity under the forms Of law.
Mr.. Edmunds, who acted as the mouthN
piece of the eight, declared their purpose
as follows:
at is not competent under the ConstiN
tuition and the law, as it existed at the
date of the passage of said act to go into
evidence aiiHaae on the papers opened
by the President ofthe Senate in presence
Of the two Houses, to prove that other
persons than those regularly certified to
by the Governor Of the State of Florida
had been appointed electors; and all pro-
ceedings ofthe courts or acts of the Leg
islature or of the Executive of Florida,
subsequent to the casting of the votes of
the electors on the prescribed day are
inadmissible for any such purpose
In other words, it was held that to steal
the vote of "a State, it was only necessary
to organize a conspiracy between the
officials who make the certificate and the
returning officers lin this case made more
fragrant, as Stearns was candidate for
re election); and no matter how daring
or transparent the rascality, there was
no remedy. By the same process of
reasoning, they might send up a certi6-
cate without any votes having been cast.
Thus, for the first time, it was broadly
maintained, with the connivance of three
Judges of the Supreme Court against all
the accepted authority in law and NOR
ais, that fraud does not taint what touch
es, and if in regular form, cannot be sue
cessfully assailed.
The opinion which Justice Bradley
read to the Commission on this case was
in direct conflict with his vote, which is
said to have been affected by outside
pressure at the last moment, and after
the opinion had been prepared in anoths
er state of mind. No investigation will
be complete which fails to bring out the
sinister influences that are alleged to
have operated on members of the Com
All the counsel who appeared to sus-
tain the Florida fraud have been reward,
ed with the highest honors. Mr.. Evarts
has the Department of State, Mr.. McS
Crary has the Department of War, Mr.
Kasson is Minister to Austria, Mr.. Maths
ews is Senator from Ohio, and Mr. Shell
labarger is standing counsel for the des
partments. They received no actual fees
from their employers, but were subse-
quently paid by these Offices.
Nothing short of a complete investiga>
lion of this business and all its surround
ings, will now satisfy the country or do
Justice to the four and a quarter millions
Of voters from whom the Presidency was
stolen. Politicians in their little schem~
ing and narrow outlook, who have hith>
erto stood in the way ndopposed inqui>
ty now see their mistake, since they find
heir constituents demanding the fullest
exposure Of the Fraud and the just pun.
shment of its authors and benefciaries.