The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-28
HAYES TITLE.
WHAT THE NORTHERN PRESS THINK
OF THE MOVEMENT TO INvEs-
TIGATE HAYES TITLE.
Washington Post.l

washington fOStI
There Is a great deal of talk about Demo-
Gratis who are ready to defend Hayes title,
who will oppose any movement 30 secure
judicial investigation of the same, and all
that sort of thing but we venture to say that
when the thing is once set 10 going IN proper
shape and by methods that meet the public
sense of what is required to vndicate the
outraged sanetity of the ballot-box, the Dem
ocrats who sustain Hayes will be scarce and
hard to find. The country is too sick OF the
spectacle of brace, OF felons demanding the
c0llectorship of an important port as re-
ward for their crimes to admit OF any reac-
ton in the way of sympathy for Hayes
tChicago Times.l
The confession Just made by members of
the Florida Returning Board will excite no
surprise, because the fact that the State was
returned for Hayes by the most vilainous
as it is now. The fact was SO notorious that
10 Bradley's commission refused to consider
the evidence or enter into the question at all,
setting I'D the form of the return as an insu-
been the ghost OF chance to prove the legal
ity of the returns, the commission would have
been ready enough to hear the evidence. 1t
is understood in Washington that the publ
cation OF the confession has been timed to af
feet the decision of Congress upon Blair's
resolutions and the bill authorizing the SUI
preme Court to entertain an application for a
quo ,rorranto. There is no probability that
Che effect will be what Blair and the implaca-
bes expect, though Conkling and some other
sore-head Republicans may be inclined to
worry Hayes by agitating the subject.
IN. Y World
Our esteemed contemporary of the Snn we
are happy to say, commends as simple, SEN
sble and to the point our method OF testing
the quantity and quality of the knowledge in
the possession of Senator Conkling respect
ing the doings of the members of the Louisi-
ana Returning Board who counted the TiIden
electors out and counted the Hayes electors
in. Our esteemed contemporary, therefore,
will doubtless be glad to know that we have
in mind another way of reaching the same
result which is even simpler and more SEN
sible. and which it seems to us our esteemed
contemporary can greatly promote. 1t is this.
| Let Mr.. Conkling rise in his place in the
Senate and frankly tell the Senate and the
! the origin of the administration, and on just
what facts it rests. Then let him move the
Senate to instruct the Commute on the Jul
dietary, of which Senator Edmunds is the
chairman and of which he is q member to
summon the members of the Returning
Boards of Louisiana and Florida before the
committee It cannot be possible that Sena-
tor Conkling, any more than our esteemed
contemporary has been bitter and con
temptuous towards President Hayes simply
because of his policy since the fourth Of
March. 1871 Senator Conklng. like the Sun
must be assumed to condemn and spit upon,
not the policy but the origin of the present
| administration.
! For the first time we have President OF
| the United States who was never elected to
that office Thus for the time being the most
important and peculiar OF all our institutions
| is overthrOWn. We are no longer in the &C
tuai enjoyment of the right to have Chic
Magistrate of our own choosing. Stealthily
| and fraudulently it has been taken from Oul
possession. II we submit to be deprived OF il
in this instance, what certainty have we oil
recovering it in the future? Ii it can be takeI
from us once, it may be twice and thrice: i
may be taken forever. Ii it was worth tive
wars, is it not worth protecting now2
The first duty OF the whole nation is to SCI
this matter right. 1t Is the greatest wrong
exceed it In importance. No obligation cal
be more immediate or more imperative upon
a free people than to restore a foundation
stone on which their liberties rest when it has
been temporarily displaced in the practica
working OF the government. This first, Othe
things afterward.
Voices are heard around us counselng &C
quiescence in the great wrong. They speal
not the language OF patriotism or OF wisdom
Nothing needs to be done more certainly
nothing needs to be done sooner, than to re
move the man who has dared to assume the
office of President without having received
the passport of the peoples choice to tina
high place
we MAINTAIN, therefore, tilhG no grave
issue has ever arisen than that which nov
confronts the American people. 1t shoult
be met with cnndor, with courage, with de
cision. The rights Of the majority under
the constitution can be peacefully asserted
and enforced. Let the two houses of Con
gress, in the full blaze Of light, which {
thorough investigation will turn upon the
subject, perform their long neglected constt
tutional duty, and declare who was elected
President. He who would attempt to resis
the legal effect of such a declaration should
be powerless and would become infamous
AS gently as the coming of spring time, bu
as certainly as the law of gravitation. would
the constitutionally ascertained will Of a ma
iority of the American people go into opera
ton. Our appeal is not to arms but to law
Let the great issue be determined according
to the constitution, and all will be well.
We understand arrangements have been mad
by the proprietor of Point Clear to have tele
graphic communication with Mobile this season