The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-05-10
Reopcning of the Presidential Dispute.

1t is now evident that determined effort
is to be made by the Democratic leaders to
reopen the electoral question. They are too
Intelligent to believe that Mr.. Tilden can be
seated in the White House, but they do hope
to make party capital out of the wrangle.
For the sake of gaining some party advan.
tage they are willing to plunge the country
Into an angry and dangerous discussion like
that which so nearly led to civil war two
years ago, to prolong the arrangement Of
business and still further retard the restora-
ton of that confidence in the stability Of the
established order of things which is neces-
sary to commercial and industrial prosperity.
They would lead this country in the path
Mexico has taken, and prepare the way for a
disregard Of accepted methods of arbitration
in disputed elections, and an acceptance of
the Mexican plan of government by pronun-
ciamento.
In refusing to abide by the decision of the
tribunal they themselves constituted, in
whose honesty they professed to feel the
greatest confidence, and whose conclusions
they pledged themselves in advance to accept,
the Democrats show themselves guilty of bad
faith scarcely before equalled in their bad
history, and of unpatriotic and mischievous
conduct which forcibly recalls their attitude
toward the national authority during the
war OF the rebellion. They submitted their
case to tribunal of their own creation
with the expressed understanding that the
decision should be final. They said they
did this for the furtherance of peace and the
speedy settlement of vexatious dispute, the
continuance of which endangered the pub
lie tranquility. Now they coolly turn about,
demand rehearing, and propose to reopen
the dangerous controversy which they pro-
fessed to be anxious, fifteen months ago, to
fully and finally set at rest. By their bad
faith and turbulent conduct they show them
selves pestilent agitators and disturbers of
the public peace, seeking in the interests OF
party to endanger the national tranquility
and unsettle a decision which the country
generally and gladly accepted.
Here for example is the argus, journal
which declared in the winter of 1877 that
"the action Of the commission must be
final" and affirmed that "the issue is sub
mitted to a tribunal as wise, independent and
as just as it is possible to agree upon," clam
oring for the reopening of the controversy,
swallowing its own words and declining to
admit that "the action of the commission
is ''final," or that it was "as wise, independ-
ent and just as it is possible to agree upon"
In that winter the argus said eve may con-
fidently rest assured, we think, that the
business men Of the whole country will en-
dorse the proposed method of settlement and
will demand its enactment by Congress. /"
1t and journals of its class will find that the
business men and all we'll disposed citizens
are quite as anxious that the settlement fol
which the argus was pleading shall be OBJ
served as they were it should be agreed upon,
and they will visit with strong and swift in
dignation the men who propose to overthrow
that settlement and subject the country again
to the peril which it so narrowly escaped.