The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-03-28

Mr.. Beck said he would not vote 5000
year into the pocket of the Secretary
of Republican National Committee
to be used in furthering his own per-
sonal and party political ends.
Mr.. Bayard thought merely minis
terial officers should abstain from the
exercise of partisan influence, and not
seek to emulate the political power of
election officers directly responsible to
the people for carrying out of the views
Of their constituents.
Mr.. Hill, of Georgia, replying to
Blaine's charge ofbad faith on the part
of the Democrrts in not accepting as
final the decision of the Electoral Com
mission, said there was an issue of fact
raised here between Senators who had
spoken and a very material one, affect
ing not alone the Democratic party,
but the character of our institutions. It
was important that the real truth be
stated upon this question. The charge
of a revolutionary purpose made
against the Democracy by the circular
which had been read was denounced
by the Senator from Connecticut,
Eaton, as false, whereupon the Senator
from Maine, Blaine, came to the rescue
of the document and charged there
was such revolutionary intent, and to
sustain his general charge he specifies
the Potter resolution as having that
Interior meaning. MIR. Hill claimed
the Senator from Maine was as incor-
rect in his statement, as was the Secre-
tary of the Senate in his, and that he
could produce no fact to bear out his
charge. No portion of the Demo-
cratic party ever intended under any
contingency a revolution movement
for expulsion of the President
When the electoral Commission bill
sion as follows: "Section 6, That
nothing in this Act shall be held
to impair or affect any right now exist
ing under the Constitution and laws
to question by proceedings in the judi
cial courts of the United States the
right or title of the person who shall
be declared elected or who shall claim
to be President or Vice-President, if
any such rights exist" This is pro-
vision OF an act of Congress establishing
the Electoral Commission and it was
embodied there in view of an appre-
hension that the Commission would, as
they in fact did, refuse to look into and
investigate alleged frauds in Louisiana
and Florida, and that the result of their
labor would be the declaration of one
of the claimants as President, without
an examination into testimony regard
ing tho merits of the case. It was
adopted that the doors might be left
open in such case to a proper judicial
Investigation, which should bring out
the facts. That there was ground for
the belief that the Courts of the country
from the fact that learned statesmen
and distinguished statesmen on both
sides of both Chambers incorporated a
provision in the Electoral Commission
bill reserving all right to reopen this
question and have it Investigated be.
fore the judicial tribunals of the coun-
try. Some of the most able lawyers
believe that by proper proceeding the
Supreme Court can get jurisdiction to
investigate this question. 1t was on
that principle that the Legislature of
Maryland passed memorial to Con-
gress demanding that proceedings OF
this nature should be inaugurated.
Some of the most distinguished Re-
publican lawyers Of the country held
that it would be perfectly proper in a
competent proceeding for the Supreme
Court to reopen and determine this
case upon its merits. Every gentleman
OF his, Mr.. Hill's, acquaintance, every
States who desires to investigate this
question at all. desires to do so in the
Courts, aud under the encouragement
and authority of the electoral law.
Was this revolutionary? Whether that
proceeding before the Courts should be
inaugurated or not, more wonld de-
pend on tho reliable evidence that
should be obtained in the case; there
fore all sections of the Democratic par
ty were willing to have an investiga-
tiCn to obtain the real facts. There
were Republicans as we'll as Demo-
Gratis in the country who, if it should
fail to thoroughly establish the illegal
ity of the Presidency, and if it should
appear that the Supreme Court have
authority to investigate the subject,
were in favor of such investigation.
MIR. Hill denied that the Democratic
party had ever announced a rcvolu-
tionary purpose looking to the eNpul-
sion of the President.
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