The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-05-25
IS 1T REVOLUTION?

!
cressional investigation of the presidential
frauds is revolutionary. The investigation
proposes to uncover certain frauds. Is it revo-
lutonary to expose and overturn fraud? Is
this government safe only when resting on a
basis of fraud?
Long before the presidential count was made
IN March 1877 the whole country became salts
fled that some sixteen electoral votes had been
carried for Hayes by fraud. On that point
there was no doubt, the only question of dis
putc being whether congress could render the
fraud nugatory The republicans maintained
that the electoral votes cast in the states ana
certified to the Vice President by the govern
ors were alone valid and that the Vice President
alone could open and count them, and declare
the result The democrats commended mat
congress and not the Vice President had pow
er to do this. Everything vital in the issue
was involved In the point. After weeks OF
wranging, during which the peace OF the coun-
try was seriously threatened, Conkling invented
the expcdient of the electoral commission. Two
questions were supposed to have been referred
to the commission: ~ Has the Vice Prcsi-
dent alone power to open, count and declare
the vote? Co Has congress the power to 60
behind the certificates Of the governors and
undo the frauds which are admitted to have
been pcrpctrated? The commission answered
No to both questions. The frauds were pro
nounced irremediable, and Hayes was counted
fal hn tnliDn nf tho
mission for the sake of peace" at the same
time declaring its solemn conviction that Ill
den was and Hayes was not honestly elected,
Now comes Maryland and objects to the con.
stitutionalty of the commission that made this
extraordinary decision, an objection which
nobody pretends to answer, for the unconstitu-
tonality of the electoral commission is uni
versally admitted; and further asks that con-
grcss may officially inquire into the alleged
frauds and if found to exist, shall either itself,
or direct the Supreme Court to- decide whether
they can be reversed.
At the same time comes Mr.. COnkling, and
charges not only that the alleged frauds exist
but that Hayes and certain members of his
cabinet were parties to them, and that facts
can be proved that would sink both in eternal
iniamy.
At the same time come sundry election Off
GERS from Florida and confess that they were
parties to the frauds and that they were insti-
gated to and encouraged in their commission
them by Hayes and his agents and intimate
friends.
Shall Congress be deaf to the demand COM
Ing up from all parts of the country to investi.
gate and ascertain whether these things are so =
Especially shall congress be deaf to the formal
demand of a sovereign state, which alleges it
was cheated out of its electoral vote to investi-
gate this question? A republican congress or.
dered an investigation into the alleged frauds
in New York city IN 1872 on the demand of
the Union League, though the frauds had no
effect one way or the other on the result Of the
presidential question. How much more was
| it the duty of congress to investigate the al
legged frauds when they decided the election,
and the investigation was formally demanded
| by state'
| But the Investigation Il said to torevolution.
AIRY because 1t proposes 10 undo the solemn
decision of the electoral commission which
congress approved, 1t proposes nothing
OF the kind. 1t proposes, first, to establish by
rTefragiblc proof, what the whole country has
for year and a half fully believed that Hayes
carried Louisiana and Florida by fraud; and
secondly, it proposes to get at the authority on
which McIin, Dennis and Conkling say they
l"know" that Hayes Sherman, &c, were par
ties to the fraud. The first point Of the PROOF
is already established by q thousand witnesses
The main effort of the present inquiry will b,
directed to the calculation of the second point
If Hayes is innocent in that regard, nobody
thinks of assailing his title; but if guilty h,
deserves to and will be impeached and remov
ed from office, 1t is not the unhitching of hi
title rs settled by the unconstitutional by
commission, but his expulsion from Office b,
: Impeachment that Hayes is alarmed about.
And it is this latter investigation o
completely" in the fraud that scared the IT
pubicans in the house and caused their bite
Opposition to the Potter resolution, for tn
9 completely" in the Louisiana frauds was ia
from being confined alone TO Hayes. Tn
complete unraveling of that infamous conspi
racy will he political death and eternal infa
N.Y." as Conbling says, to dozens ofpromincn
republican leaders besides Hayes.
MILITARY OVATION AT SPRINGFIELD.