Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-13


sioners from time to time, and chose Miller,
Strong, Clifford and Field, and finally
Bradley. If there had been any disposition
to elect Davis his colleagues on the bench
had it in their power to do so, without any
delay or difficulty. Judge Clifford was most
anxious for him to be chosen, and presented
bis name several times, against the wish of
Judge Davis, who we'll knew, by association
and by instinct, that there was no possibility
of his election.
There never was day, an hour, or . min
ute when the six Republicans on that bench
would have put the power of making
President in the hands of David Davis.
They knew as we'll in advance as they would
have known If the experiment had been
tried, that his honest nature and stern man
hood would have revolted against the con-
spiracy to steal the Presidency, and that no
power could have prevented fair trial on
the merits of the case instead of q mere
count of returning board frauds. - .
The properties of his high judicial trust
commanded reserve on the part of Judge
Davis when this subject was in every mouth,
but the men who sat beside him for years on
the same bench, who had studied his charac-
ter, who knew his sterling integrity, ard
who both respected and feared his Jackson
ian courage, did not need to be told where
he would be found if the decision was to de-
pend upon him. Consequently there was
not the remotest intention of putting Davis
where by one word he could destroy
the conspiracy. The managers who
pulled the wires and who dictated the
names of the commissioners knew what they
were about from the start, and they would
trust no man, even of their own side, who
was not ready to accept the party decree
blindly and to sacrifice conviction and con-.
science to make tho fraud triumphant. Z -
Hence it WAS that the Republicans of tho
Senate rejected so conspicuous leader %
Rosee Oonkling for commissioner, though
he was q member of the committee that re-
ported j.. the bill, because by silence he
had excited distrust, and there was sus-
picion that he would not gulp down the
Louisiana infamy without wry face.
The witnesses are still living who know
the history of this transaction from begin
ming to end. Judge Clifford, who was most
urgent in pressing Judge Davis, cannot have
forgotten how coldly the Republican Judges
received that suggestion. It SO happened
that the fifth judge was about to be chosen
when the legislature of Illinois most unex-
peotedly elected Judge Davis to the Senate.
This necessarily excluded him from accept
ing the place of commissioner, even If he
had been so disposed and could have been
elected.
After his election to tho Senate, it became
convenient for the Republican leaders to
say that Davis would have been made tho
fifth commissioner, but for his refusal to
serve, and disappointed Democrats were
weak enough to accept this statement for
truth, when uttered by the lips of the very
men who would not trust Roscoe Conkli2g
with their case in court! M u: 3@E
It is no secret that Judge Davis never
had faith in the electoral commission rs
a mode of making a President. He
believed that Congress should not
have delegated it's power, even If it
had the constitutional right to do 50. He
was opposed to dragging the judiciary into
politics, and foresaw that tho supreme court
must suffer from q loss of confidence in the
country by a decision which would fix tho
responsibility there. Hence he would not
8 not have the chance to defeat their
game. -...~ ~. ....-.. - ..----,.
There is another unwritten chapter In the
history of that eventful period. If by any
possibility, against which the Republican
managers had, as has been seen, provided
by every caution, the commission had
reported in - favor of Tildsn,
he never would have been allowed
to enter the White House peacesbly, if ut all.
The Republican Senate was prepared for
the most desperate measures. They would,
in that contingency, by debate and by dila-
tory moves, and by oontesting the votes of
Louisiana, Florida and South Carolina, have
prevented an approval of the report, or an
election by the House, upon q disagreement.
On the 4th of March there would have been
no President, and Caleb Cushing had pub
ished an opinion looking to this remote
but possible situation, that Grant would
hold over until new election could be
ordered. ..--
Grant, who had sent troops into Louis
lana, South Carolina, and Florida, to protect
the returning boards in their villainies, also
collected force at Washington, after the
fraudulent certificates had been sent up, to
overawe the House of Representatives, and
to complete the conspiracy. The Republic
can leaders in no event ever intended that
the power and patronage Of the government
shonld pass from their hands without blood
shed. or that Mr.. Tilden should be in posi-
tion TO expose their thievery and oorruptio1l:,
They preferred to make Grant dictator, and
he was willing.
Mrs. Andrew Androwski, of Milwaukee,
died recently from tho effects of terrible
burns received while kidding fire with
kerosene. She was "a years Of age. and