The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-08-08

with the exception OF u low loau0lo WhN
were in the conspiracy, expected II TO
make a thorough investigation OF the
facts. and TO ascertain who in reality was
chosen President. It's refusal to perform
this plain duty was q surprise and a dis
appointment to every honest man OF ev-
ery party. The Electoral Commission
decided the great question of the popular
will in the choice of Chief Magistrate,
upon meager, barren techuicallty'
When IL decided not to go behind the
returns, it gave legal title to Mr.. Hayes,
binding in law, but entitled to no more
respect than the liberty which an offend
er in court obtains by relying on haW
in his indictment rather than on a trial
of the merits of his case, In view OF
this state of facts, could the House OF
Representatives do less than order an In
vee,igation? But further; The Electoral
Commission had not only failed to do its
duty in this regard, but in a brief space
of time, the instruments which had been
used in the great conspiracy TO defeat the
popular will began to reveal the whole
blot. This was to be expected. Sher.
man, Matthews, 'Stoughton, Noyes, and
Others who visited Louisiana and Florida,
are now undergoing the same fate which
has ALWAYS attended those who do unlaw-
full things by the hands of others. His
tory is simply repeating itself on TINS
point. The tool of the conspiracy ID al
ways swollen with a sense OF his own
importance by reason OF the guilty &c..
cret which he shares with men of position
and character. Sooner or later he seeks
to make this secret source of profit to
| himself, nor will he ever be satisfied.
| The result is inevitable. He first threat
ems, and those who are in his power find
themselves unable to appease his con-
stant and insadate demands; he reveals
everything, as if thereby he atoned for
the original crime. Such is the philoso-
ply of the course pursued by McLinn
and Dennis in Florida, and by Anderson
and others in Louisiana. Nor is there
any thing new In the manner in which
high officials at the time bear themselves
toward those who are giving testimony
against them. John Sherman and his
associates are not the first who have
drawn themselves up in well affected dis.
dain, and disolaimed all knowledge OF
the tools they once used and cast aside.
| Others before them have exclaimed to
| their former confederates, who returned
to plague them: "Avaunt, l know you
not" But when was the world-the
great thinking, intelligent warld-ever
| imposed on by such conduct? Who is
McLinn, of Florida? Soon after the in
auguration of Mr.. Hayes he was ap'
pointed Chief Justice of the great Terri.
tory of New Mexico. There are many
future States in that Territory as large as
Indiana. The influence of the admins.
tration of her laws reaches far into the
| future, and becomes a matter of the
highest importance. This solemn duty
was intrusted to Mr.. MCLinn. Who will
say that the President made so import.
ant an appointment in Ignorance Of the
character of the man he appointed? The
Senate, however, being properly advised,
rejected denomination. McLinn waited
for something else, but waited in vain.
Doubtless it was thought the debt due
him was paid. At any rate, whether
| from motives of revenge, or moved per-
haps by quiCkened conscience, he has
told the story how, by his own instru-
mentality, and that of others, clear and
distinct majority for Tilden and Hem
bricks in Florida was by perjury and for.
gerry wiped out, and the electoral vote of
that State given to Hayes and Wheeler,
He cited the records at various precincts
in Corroboration of his statement. Then
came man by the name Of Dennis 1t
appears that he has been an object of the
tenderest care and solicitation on the
part of the government. He held Office
and drew hir salary without disCharging
single duty for many months. Mr.,
Hayes himself personally recommended
him to the Secretary of the Treasury as
a frst.class person for position in the
revenue department. He, too, however,
guided by that law, vague and underlined
though it may be, which sooner or later
reveals wrong doing added his testimony
to that of MCLinn. Anderson, in whose
behalf Senators, Secretaries, Collectors
of Customs and the President himself
were sorely anxious for more than year,
laid open the conspiracy by which
Democratic majority of between five and
ten thousand majority in Louisiana was
obliterated, and majority of between
three and four thousand placed to the
credit of Hayes and Wheeler. This
state of affairs in Louisiana was made
known, aud an investigation ordered by
the House of Representatives. Is there
man in Indiana who says the House
could have done less2 1t is asserted
that this investigation may result in dis
turbing the title of the present occupant
of the White House. My answer is plain
and simple; By the forms of law he was
inaugurated. He has legal right with
out the equitable right He will remain
where he is to the end of the Constitu-
tional term, unless he should be removed
by virtue of that PROVISION of the con.
stitution which has applied to every
President from the foundation of the
government. He is liable to impeaCh-
ment, and to no other process, for re-
moval. If am reminded that the Pres.
ident can only be impeaChed for acts
while in office, my answer is that that is
true with this qualification: If it should
by proved by this investigation, or any
OblbIg III lGlOlCuIC w u1ls AAdJ Cd VI any
future Bresident, that he was an accom-.
plice in the commission Of unlawful acts
by which he procured his place, he would
undoubtedly be liable to impeachment
for such acts. Iu the present instance,
do not apprehend such result, whatever
the real facts may be. The great wrong
will be redressed by the ballot-box. The
investigation will emphasize the crime
which has been committed against the
American people. twill go into history
as a warning to future times, and the fate
of those who committed it will make it
less likely to ever occur again.
There are some circumstances, it is
true, that make it appear probable that
Mr.. Hayes shared with John Sherman
and others a knowledge of the kind of
services that were rendered him in Lou
isiana and Florida. 1t is difficult to &C.
count for his strange distribution of pat
ronage on any other hypothesis. Of
,,bO oro irorIioota1 hu tho YDpOof