The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-12-07
COMMENTS ON THE MESSAGE.
CHITICISMS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
OF FREFERENCES TO TIE SOUTH,

What Mr.. Stephens Has to Say--Com-
ments OF Other Leading Democrats
--"Wrangling in the House.
Correspondence Of the Ne,o Yorlc Heyuld.]
WASHINGTON, December 2.-The
message is received with general but
mild approval. Some people COM
plain that it is very unexciting
document, but the general opinion
is that this is one of it's merits.
The soft money men are, of course,
irritated at the passages relating to
the currency. The Southern men.
almost without exception, ore satis-
fed with the Presidents reference
to the South and are disposed at
the time to grant the money asked
for to defray the expenses of trials
for violation Of the election laws.
1t is probable, however, that there
will be lively discussion on this
matter whenever 1T conos up. Mr..
Stephens, Of Georgia, this evening
expressed to a Herald correspon-
dent what seems to be the gener il
Southern opinion of the message.
He said -
Upon the whole I think very we'll
OF the message. Of course. I differ
with the President upon his finan-
cial policy. The message upon the
subject of Southern outrages was
not different from what I expected.
L think, however, very eXlggel nted
accounts have reached the Presio
dent as to South Carolina and
Louisiana, and when the facts come
to be inquired into it will be found
that a great deal Of the newspaper
statements are totally witho 1T
foundation. How it really is I do
not know. One thing, however, I
would say IF there have been any
outrages or violations of law they
ought to be redressed. I am O. law
and order abiding man. The main
tenance of the majesty of the law is
the only hope of the preservation of
the rights Of free people. Govern
ments. in the last resort, may be
put into two classes-the govern
ment of laws and the government of
arms-and oil free people ought to
see that the laws are executed and
enforced. otherwise they mnst in
the end have q government Of arms.
But l think in the South generally
the elections were as free from lille
gal interference us in any part of the
United States. In Geors ia T never
knew or heard of more quiet elec-
tion. If in any Of the recent elec-
tions to Congress State laws have
been violated, North or South, the
proper remedy ought to be enforced
through the State Judiciary. IT. any
federal law has been thus violated.
the wrong should be righte:l
through the federal judiciary, and as
it is the duty of the governors re-
spectively to see that the State laws
as expoundea by the State courts,
are enforced, SO it is the duty of
the President to SEQ that the federal
laws, as expounded by the federal
courts, are enforced. But most of
those questions, it seems to me,
properly belong to the House of
Representatives, which is the sole
judge of the election and qualifica.
tion of it's members.
Mr.. Wilson, Of West Virginia.
said he WAS life long Democrat
but doubted the propriety of criti-
cising the message for tho sugges.
tions about the elections in South
Carolina and Louisiana. AS long
as the act of Congress is on the
statutes, he said it was the duty of
tho President to sec that the law
was executed. The fact that Mr..
Hayes called attention. to election
frauds in South Carolina and Louis-
lana and not to frauds in New York,
spoken of by Mr. Wood to day, can
not be considered nm effort on Mr..
Hayes part to suppress any infor-
nation as to New York elections, as
his attention was not called to
them. Mr.. Wood himself said
there had been no publicity given
to them.
Mr.. Williams, Of Michigan, Demo,
crat, thought that too much space
was devoted to intimidation in the
South. He thought the President
should have referred to intimidation
ut the North. In his district there