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

make record Of a fraudulent, return from Baker
county-a purpose foiled by prompt exposure
and afterward confessed by the Boards unanim-
ity in dsCarding the detected fabrication; at It's
last session he disclosed his accomplished viii
lainy by rejecting from four county returns 500
voters fairly cast for the Hayes electors bat thrice
500 votes fairly cast for the Tilden electors thus
reversing the choice of Florida. This man, when
earlier called upon, and respectfully informed In
behalf OF the Democrats In Tallahassee that they
themselves had sent for and collected all the
way from Pensacola through the Everglades and
down to Key West and were then possessed of,
certified copies Of all the official county RETURNS
these on their face proving incOntestably the
election Of the Tilden electOrs-dd not scruple II
MS own mendaeity be trusted, 'gl to put q pecu.
mary value upon his official duty to certify that
| fact. But he found no purchaser
], MADISON WELLS OF LOUISIANA.
One Maddox went from New Orleans to Wash.
ington with written authority from ]. Madison
| Wells, Chairman Of the Louisiana Returning
Board in letter TO himself and a letter 10 West,
| U. s. Senator of Louisiana. He visited President
Grant and Secretary Cameron. He stated his
price In money and threatened TO sell to the other
side He sent his agent Pickett to New York to
make offer at reduced price to the Chairman of
the Democratic National Committee, who, scout.
ing It, said that 1t was the third such offer to him
of the certificates Of the Louisiana Returning
| Board. NJ So he, too, found no Democratic pur
| chaser. But Madison Wells, unlike McLin, has
not been bilked of payment by his Republican
| purchasers.
JUST ONE QUITE ENOUGH.
It is certain that such offers to Democrats were
not mere snares The intimacies and confden
ces of these corrupt men for an easy sale were ALL
of course among their fellow partisans on the Re-
publican side, But while they could enhance
their own value by the threat as we'll as by the
reality Of offering their wares to the Democratic
side, yet Offices were then but promises only
Cash down was their bird in hand worth any two
in the bush. Moreover were they to give their
certificates as right and fact and law required, to
the Democratic electors, the complex tissue of
fraud they were weaving could all be abandoned
in moment and no harm done. They would
| then no longer be dependent upon the secrecy of
accomplices and the honor among thieves. They
would cease to be haunted by fear Of exile or the
| jail. Besides for controlling reason sale Of the
certificate to Democrats was preferable If posi-
| BILE Hayes had only 1865 votes The Returning
Board of Louisiana had to give (7)seven; the Flor
ida Board had 10 give four az the South Carolina
Board had to give eight (8 also the one dlsquali.
fed vote Of Oregon, and every other of several
| disqualified votes had all to be ensured TO Hayes
to give him bare majority Of one ~. But Mr.
| Tilden all eady had 184 undisputed votes One nj
more made majority Of all $685. No wonder
competition seemed lively among the sellers. 1t
| was real. ANY one OF the venal crew acting sep
arately could himself alone deliver what he
deemed conclusive title to the Presidency
But 1t was not there and thus that Mr.. Tilden
| sought TO compass the defeat of the Republican
| conspiracy. Whatever the wish, or the less abso
lutte integrity, or the more customary morals, of
any devoted adherent, no such transaction would
| he consent to, nor connive at, nor permit.
| A few thousand dollars--a market for the
wares of just one Madison Wells Just one McLn
only one--patd for doing the bounten duty and
mere justice he had sworn to do, and the whole
| atrocious conspiracy would have been bursted
| like a puff ball and blown away in dust
But apologize for the suggestion
First apologize to Governor Tilden for con-
| fronting his character with the morally imposs
| Bile.
Next apologize to all his Republican calumn-
iators for confronting their characters with the
| morally incredible.
But 1t was necessary to mention just where
Mr., Tilden did not attack the Republican con.
spiracy.
| WHERE AND HOW TILDEN AssAlLED CONSPIRACY.
The plan which he had matured and was now
preparing for its defeat was quite different. 1t
was neither ransom of the Presidency nor a
Dutch auction for 1t. 1t did not even put up
prices to the final purchasers by competition. 1t
did not involve the debauchment of fellow cit
izen, But 1t was a mortal stroke aimed at anoth
er yet vital part. 1t was check mate in one
move.
So soon as the venal infamy OF each Returning
Board at the three garrisoned capitals had com.
blned to make his action necessary, Mr.. Tilden
took immediate pains to advise his friends fore
most In the House of Representatives that the
final success of the complot was impossible If that
House would stand firmly and immovably on the
unbroken series Of precedeng formed by the
twenty-five Presidential counts, from 1898 to
1872; or, as one distinguished Western member of
1t has said:
"What Mr. Tilden's plan was repeatedly from
"the day that Congress reassembled, has been set
"fOrth and pressed upon his friends In the lead
"ership of the House, by advice, that they should
"expose and combat in full debate the threaten
led unwarrantable usurpation by the President
"of the Senate Of the right to count the votes and
ITO select the votes to be counted and that they
Should take not one other or further step till in
both Houses the great but pacific constitutional
battle had been fought and won upon that
Issue"
AMMUNITION PROVIDED.
After thus advising that all be staked upon the
law Of the land, the practice of the two Houses
and faith of the people, Mr. Tilden left nothing
undone to give that policy fair auspices. Itis no
secret that by his suggestion, lifelong friend
the Hon. John Bigeow, prepared and the Apple
pletons published January O. 1870, a volume
comprising the official history of every Presiden
tial count, and every debate in Congress on
counting Of the electoral votes. To this he pre-.
fixed concise summary of the facts and analysis
of the law, both alike demonstrating, as to House
and Senate, the co equality Of their separate pow
ers In the count and as to the House, upon fail
ure of election by the colleges its exclusive and
final power to choose the President ThenCeforth
guerilla warfare on the side of the conspiracy,
fba Gan fv Nntu "a tto,,f
nastlcs in letters 10 the Times from behind Fer
rys bluff, ceased to be prudent MIR. BgeloWs ex.
haustive and mastery tract was widely circulated
by the Democratic National Committee and the
same compendium of debates reprinted by order
of Congress itself, so that, besides plan of cam
paign, here we're "arsenals Of ammunition" pro-
| Vided, and lethal weapons fashioned to the hand
Of every hater Of fraud.
MY FIRST ENGAGEMENT,
The ground was we'll chosen for the first en-.
gagement. Mr.. Tilden, in December, had prepar.
ed two resolutions making the sagacious and far.
reaching issue upon which he choee to rely,
which were sent to the House Committee on the
Privileges Powers and Duties Of the House of
Representatives in counting the Electoral votes
| ~. The modified resolutions finally adopted and
repOr:ed by that Committee TO the House for its
passage, had in advance been submitted to and
approved by him. They are subjoined. (O.
NO CONCESSIONS FORCE DEBATE COMPEL VOTE.
1t is no secret now that upon this issue Mr. TIL.
den counselled many Of his friends In the leader.
ship Of the House, who visited him al New York,
during the christmas holidays, not only to stand,
but to force the debate, first in the House. then in
the Senate He accepted all responsibility for the
outcome. He assured them that were their tenn
per stiff and resolute, the conspiracy would break
down In process Of execution; that in any event
1t was for the interest Of popular elective govern
menT not to yield to the mere menace of usurpa-
tion all that actual usurpauon could take for it.
self II completely successful. He foreWarned
them that the conspiracy must therefore never be
allowed to gain anything by the least concession
or under any deceptive guise but should be
fought at the threshold and fought inch by inch
ana thus forced 10 make exhibition before ali
mems eyes, of the real character of the Tevolu.
tonary violence in aid of the revolutionary usur.
patton by which alone it could advance q single
step towards success.
sAGACITY OF TILDENs PLAN