The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-01-05
The Political Situation.

JUSTICE MUST BE D0NE--ln the presence
of the criminal charges and the confessions
of William K. Chandler, it ought to be as
sumed that members Of the Cabinet, Senators
and Representatives who are directly incul-
pated by them viii promptly demand an In
vestigation on the assembling Of Congress
If they should fail to perform this obvious
duty, then it viii remain for others, who are
not personally involved in these grave accu-
sations, to move an inquiry which shall not
only 90 TO the root Of this whole matter, but
lay the foundation for a reopening and an
honest Judgment of the Presidential question.
indeed, one inquiry cannot be made with
ont necessarily bringing in the other. There
are two distinct and serious charges, each
of which affects the right of Mr.. Hayes to the
Office of President: First, that he was cor
ruptly counted in" by bargain sanctioned
by him, with the Louisiana Returning Board;
and secondly, that the electoral count was
completed by n second bargain, by which the
conditions Of the FIRST were 10 be renowned
and broken. If these allegations are true,
there was double fraud; the proof Of which
would be sufficient to unseat Hayes and affirm
the election really made by the American
people in November, 1876.
For more than year the people have pa
tiently borne the greatest wrong ever perpe-
trated in our political history, and which in
any other country would have been followed
by bloodshed and revolution. They have
looked forward to time when passions might
be cooled and opinion be calm, to right this
monstrous injustice by expunging from the
record fraudulent partisan judgment, and
entering the true verdict Of four and quarter
millions of freemen in its stead.
The eight-by-seven Commission, profess
edly constituted to try the merits of this con-
troversy, shut the doors abruptly in the face
of any inquiry at all, knowing If they we're
once opened the frauds would be exposed in
all their naked deformity, and the conspiracy
to falsify the election must fail disgracefully.
Hence all offers of proof to establish the ini-
guilty were declared dliURde, and the fraudu-
lent returns were accepted as genuine. As
the merits were nos investigated, they could
not have been decided. A pretended and no.
toriously fabricated prtnsa .fdcie case was all
the partisan Commission attempted to decide,
leaving the main question open, by the terms
of the Electoral Commission act, for future
review by any competent tribunal.
Every recognized principle of equity and
justice demands fair, open, and complete
investigation. We dare not affirm before the
world that fraud purihes and perfects what it
touches, instead Of polluting and destroying
all that its faint can reach. Aside from this
moral view, all the courts of the civilized
world hold that fraud vitiates every instru-
ment, contract, deed, legacy, or paper of
value. And in the case Of elections the law
| is undisputed that there is always a remedy
for fraud. Mr.. McCrary, now beneficiary
of fraud himself, as de .factO Secretary of War,
is an accepted authority on this subject. Here
is what he says in the American Law of
Elections" page 277:
sThe fact that person has received the certificate
charge Of the duties thereof does mot out The proper
jurisdiction 70 TN the tile to he Office The certificate
Issues upon the prad Jacie case as shown by the
turns, but The court may 90 behind he retns and UPON
ne merits find different result"
Again, in = note to page 252, he says:
"Au adequate remedy will always be found at law
OF IN equity for frauds perperated against the purity
Of elections ia result has been secured by fraud and
te aate has pT0rided mode Of redress 6y no aeails
Jciioles Tat no redress can b had"
These principles apply precisely to the case
under consideration. Mr.. Hayes was seated
upon so-called prima .facie case, without
any trial of the merits, and, as Judge Strong
has substantially averred, with knowledge
Of fraud, the evidence of which he Judge
Strong) voted to reject when protfered openly
| and upon specific charges. If an example is
to be set for the punishment Of fraud, or for
| the enforcement of disabilities caused by
fraud, where should it begin but in the very
highest places? Conspicuous criminals should
| be the first to suffer, in order TO make the
crime odious and dangerous.
On the Sd of March last, when the memo
rable Forty fourth Congress was about to
close its career, the House Of Representatives
put on record solemn Enthusiastically
protest against the outrage which had been
previously committed-in the following
words
Resolved By tie House Of Representatives o. the Uni
ted States q Aslac1 That 1t is the duty Of the House
to declare and this House does hereby solemnly de-
clare. that Samuel J. Tden Of the Sfaie OF New York
received 196 electoral votes for of President
Of the United States all Of which were cast and
lists thereof signed certified and transmitted TO the
seat Of Government directed TO the President of the
Senate, in conformity with the Constitution and laws
Of the United States by electors legally eligible and
qualified such an elector each of whom had been
duly appointed and elected. in the manner directed
by the Legislature of the State in and for which he
his vote aforesaid and that the said Samuel
j. Tilden having thus received the votes of major
lily Of the electors appointed as aforesaid, he was
thereby duly elected President of the United States
Of America for the term Of four years commencing
on the 5sh day OF March, A D.. lsT7."
/ The Republicans voted solid against this
declaration of the result of the Presidential
election. Not q few of them regret their
votes on that occasion, as well as the pro-
ceedings by which Mr.. Hayes was fraudu-
lently counted in to the Presidency. There
is now an opportunity to retrace their steps,
and by an honest and thorough investigation
| to undo, in part at least, the great wrong they
inflicted on the country and on free govern
ment. We shall soon see il they are willing
to improve this OPPORTUNITY. Y. Sun.
CONDITION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARrY.-
What Republican and Independent Journals
Say.-The Philadelphia Enquirer, Repub-
lican journal, says the party to which it be-
longs is in the last stages of dissolution, and
sends up the following wall:
What if the draGght is bitter? The new
leaders brewed it. So let them drink it like
men. The grand edi6ce is tumbling all about
their ears Well, they pulled down its props
and stays. The mistake they made was to
suppose they could blind and fool the people,
make them think that expsdiency was states
manship, that demagogueism was patriotism,
that sham man was q real one, or a false
measure true one. They trampled the Con-
stitution under foot and used the bayonet to
control ballots in order to command the vote
of . section; they disgraced the great leader,
Sumner, because he was honest and refused
to be bribed; they honored the gifttaker and
welcomed ''the gift bearing Creeks" they
plunged their arms, shoulder deep, in Credit
Mobilier corruption, and they offered pre-
MUM for malfeasanee by condoning it; thew
made pledges to the people to Reform.the
Civil Service, and they broke their pledges,
they became hungry horde of place hunters;
and made war upon the President, who soaght
to purify and elevate the service. All this
and more, of the same sort and to the same
effect, they did, and, Of course, they destroy
ed the country's confidence in the party.
Year after year the country has been voting
against, and now the result of the policy of
the leaders is so plainly written by the way
that he who runs may read.
The DEMOCRATS TO SUPPORT THE PREsI-
DEST.-A Washington Special to the PhiIa-
delphia Erening Telegraph says Since the
adjournment of Congress number of the
Democratic leaders who have remained here
have been in consultation as to their policy
towards the administration in the inevitable
prosecution of the warfare of the Republicans
in the Senate upon the President They have
assured the President that he will have their
support in body, and with the vote of Mat.
thews and several other Republicans, will put
q quietus upon any further defeat of admins
tration measures. This will aggravate the
contest and will doubtless result in an effort
on the part of the radical wing of the party to
drive the President to the nltimatum of sar-
render or the withdrawal of the support OF the
party by which he was elected.
The New York Herald judgment is that
eff the Republican party attempts to hold
another national convention. that convention