The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-12
The Cost of the Great Fraud.

No general restoration Of prosperity can
DO expected until the Fraudulent Admins
tration is elected from office. When the con-
hdcnce Of the people is withdrawn from tho
Government for the time being, the public
interests necessarily suffer from that cause.
Every act done by HAYES. SHERMAN. and
The rest Of them invites suspicion as to its
motive, for tho reason that a sentiment Of
histrust is almost universal, even among
the faction that professedly supports them.
Aside from the injury inflicted on free in
bututions by the success Of this monstrous
Fraud, which the enemies Of our country
will condemn as exhibiting criminal indifler-
ence or apathy on the part Of the
people, or the absence Of any sufIi-
rient remedy Tor the evil, the loss to our
material interests can hardly be measured
In dollars and cents. Superadded to the
crushing load Of debt, taxation, and bank
ruptcy imposed upon the country by cor
rupt and prodigal officials, we must bear
The burden OF Fraud, at time, Of all
others, when relief is most needed by the
people. But for this additional weight, there
would have been far better feeling In all the
rircles Of business, and an effort to throw of
the depression which has clogged the
Energies Of the whole community. Conf
donce may DO said to have disappeared in
AL governmental transactions, and they, OF
sourse, react on the operations OF trade.
So far from putting at rest the contro-
versy over HAYEs's usurpation tho HART
RIDGE resolution only inflated its lungs with
new life, and gave fresh intensity to the
hostile movement. Criticism, instead Of
being confined to the beneliciaries Of the
Ereat Fraud, has now been partially
diverted to the men who sought to sane
lily it by their votes, after having orig
hally denounced the Returning Boards and
the visiting statesmen, and the majority
Of the Electoral Commission, as Offend
FRS for whom no punishment under our laws
was adequate. So far from stopping the dis
cussion, these men have given it vigor and
Involved themselves as moral accOmplces
nfter the fact, by an attempt to fasten a lie
ns well as q fraud, on the records OF Con-
gress.
II the dispute was ever closed In any way,
1t was reopened by the action Of the House
Of Representatives., on the 18th of June last,
by the passage of the HARTRIpdE resolu-
ton, which virtually assumed TO destroy
thc VI bIlc lAiGu'1t powers VI lIut potN, tx
pressly conferred by the Constitution TO be
exercised in certain contingency. 1t is
among the healthy signs OF the times that
the Democrats and the Republicans, includ-
ing both HARTRIDGE and BURcHARD, who
were most conspicuous in this business
have been rejected by their constituents and
exiled to chew the bitter cud Of disappointed
ambition. without the least sympathy for
their fall and punishment.
After the exposures made before the PoT-
TER Committee, as to the part played by
JOHN SHERMAN and his coniederates In
stealing the votes Of Louisiana and Florida,
who is willing to trust him or them In the
conduct Of public affairs, or the manage
ment OF the great transactions OF the Treasu-
ry? They We're found not only conspiring
with common thieves, knaves, perjurers, ad-
venturers, ballot-box suffers, and assas-
sins, but Offering them brides to betray
their trusts and to falsify returns with fab
ricated protests. When men like Mr.. EyARTs
come forward to defend the Fraud, knowing
that in tho case Of Louisiana, at least, the
names Of several electors were forged, and
the date Of the so-called certificate was
uttered is II any wonder that confidence
should be lost, and that business should
continue TO suffer from stagnation
So long as the Fraud is tolerated and per-
mitted to exercise tho functions Of q law
fully constituted government there can be
no well-founded hope for substantial pros
perity. The presence Of HAYES In the White
House and Of JOHN SHERMAN in the Treas
ury checks all inclination to enterprise,
md discourages the best disposition 10
seek Improvement That dead weight
must be removed before the prospect can
brighten.