Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-17
THE REPUBLICAN PLOT.
Why It Is Not Likely to Secure tho Pre-
demon.


desecy.
To the Editor Of the Globe
In your article this morning on the reported
conspiracy of the Republicans to cheat the
people second time out of their choice OF
President by calling extra sessions of the
legislatures of Connecticut. New York and New
Jersey to pass laws taking from the people the
choice of electors, and choosing the same by the
present legislatures, which were elected on
other issues, you call it ''device that would
inevitably defeat the Democratic party
In this think you are mistaken. "Whom
the gods will to destroy they first make mad''
(crazy) and there is no surer or quicker way fo,
the Republican party to end its existence than
to adopt such trick. That party in the next
campaign will have to start with back.
breaking load of the now admitted fact that it
cheated the people out of their choice for Presi.
dent at the last electi~n. That party cannot
carry the odium of another fraud on the
popular will, and the fraud Won
speak of, while it would cheat
the majority out Of their choice in the three
States named would change the majority in
enough other Northern States to more than make
good the loss.
l found this opinion on confidence that
there is good deal of honesty still left among
the masses of the people. There has been no
great party that did not contain large numbe,
of men 80 honest that they would not commit
OR assist a fragrant and self.evident act of in.
justice. aTho Republican party is not an excep-
ton and the proposed fraud will drive into
our ranks many and enough of the more honest
and conservative of them.
The political history of this country furnish.
es an interesting and somewhat parallel case.
In the excited contest of 1900, when Jefferson
was the Democratic candidate New York was
the pivotal State. The electors were then
chosen by the legislature. The previous year,
and without any reference to the Presidential
election, majority of Federalists had
been elected. They had held their session and
adjourned sine die, though their. terms
would not expire until July lst, 1900. and the
governor had the power to convene them in
extra session any time prior to that date The
election for the next legislature which, accord.
ing to usage. would choose the electors OF
President, and in whose election the issue was
tho choice of the people for President, was
held in April, and resulted in the election of q
majority in favor of Jeffersonian electors 1t
at the same time became certain that Jefferson
could not get, including New York, more than
seventy-three electoral votes, and seventy were
necessary to choice. It was also known that
four of the congressional districts of that
State were reliably federalist. If the old legis.
lature, elected on other issues, and without ref
erence to the Presidential question, could be
convened in extra session before the LIST of July,
and should pass a law giving to the people the
choice Of electors by congressional districts.
leach district choosing one) the federalist
would secure four. and thus defeat Jefferson
and the peoples will.
Hamilton with the appreciation of many, per.
haps the most Of the lead
of having the federalist governor convene the
old federalist legislature in extra session and
mace nh q lov on1 fhorohu 1ofoof %ho ohoso
of the people. And accordingly Hamilton
wrote long. and of course able letter to the
governor urging him to call such extra session.
That governor was JOHN JAY, and though he
was an intense federalist and sincerely belived
the election of Jefferson would be calamity
to his country, he refused to resort to any
such device to set aside the will of the people
toms letter is this endorsement: 'Pyoposing q
measure for party PURPOSES (which I think ii
,D0uld not become me to ADOPT"
I do not suspect any of the Republican ,ead.
ers of the honesty and patriotism of John Jay
But there are many OF equal honesty and pa
triotism, and who like John Jay will refuse to
be party to any device for the defeat of the
tempt at it, There are hundreds Of thousands of
them who would have supported Tilden in a
demand for Inauguration. The device you
speak of. if adopted, would be plain confes-
sion that the majority of the people in those
three States are Democrats, and wish Demo-
cratic President. Such confession would be
fatal to the Republican ticket in other
States.
The next Democratic candidate for Presi-
dent, besides being elected, will be inaugurated.
Frauds such ss John Jay loathed can never be
successful. They are worse than the electoral
oramission, and no party can stand it on top
of the electoral commission. DEMOCRAT.