Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-20
REPUBLICAN REVOLT.

Tho Republican Scheme Of Appointing
Presidential Electors by Republican
Legislatures.
The New York Sun gives editorial prominence.
with extraordinary display. to tho following dis
patch from Washington, comfrmatory of hints
already given inithese columns:
There is no doubt that the extreme radical
leaders among the Republicans are seriously
contemplating . change in the mode Of ap-
pointing Presidential electors. not only in New
York, but in several other States where the 70
suit ut the polls next fall might be doubtful.
The States particularly spoken of in addition
to New York are Connecticut, New Jersey,
Ohio, Colorado, Nevada, California and Oregon.
It is understood that tho Republicans will
control the next Legislatures in those eight
States, and though New Jersey and Oregon
have Democratic governors, who will hold
through the coming year, the stslwarts think
they can frame such law as will prevent any
obstruction of their plans by the executive of
any State.
The federal constitution confers full power
upon the legislatures in regard to the appoint
ment of Presidential electors. But Congress
has passed law directing that they shall be
appointed in all the States on the Tuesday
next after the first Monday in November, and
that they shall cast their votes On the first
Wednesday of December. This is all the Con-
gressional legislation there is or can be on the
subject. If any State legislature should, At its
approaching session, take tho appointment
from the people and confer it upon itself, the
law for this purpose would provide for the
| Assem- bling of the legislature on tho day in
November fixed by Congress for the appoint
ing of the electors.
It anybody should ask whether the Repub-
| lican party would dare to do this in the doubt
| full States alb we mentioned, he may find his
! answer in the character and history of that
party. The stake would be the Presidency and
Vice Presidency. The alleged excus for this
| extraordinary measure would be the charge
that the Democrats in most of the Southern
States will resort to intimidation and force to
prevent the Republicans from voting in these
North are justified in using all legal and con-
stftutional means for sounterbalancing the I'M.
| Just course of the Democrats of tho South.
The Republican party was originally made
up of the most radical elements of the Wing,
| the Democratic, and the Abolition parties. Its
youth was spent amid the heated agitations that
| sprsng cut Of the slavery question. In its
| early maturity it conducted one of the greatest
| wars of modern times. Uron it devolved the
reconstruction of the Union amid commissions
that had no precedent in our history. The first
fifteen turbulent years of its existence brought
into its ranks = large share of the young. hot
blood of the country. When Grant was first
elected, it had become accustomed to deal
| with great questions, and to get along, when
ever it was deemed necessary, without paying
too careful regard to the Constitution. It
thus grew to be very bold, aggressive. and
somewhat interruptions party, and,
upon tho whole, perhaps the most
skillfully handled party which the country
| ever saw. During all this time, and down to
the present day, it never has for moment
feared the Democratic party, but, on the
contrary, has rather jeered at its timidity and
despised it's methods, and has ever stood ready
to take it by the throat, as it did at the close
of the last Presidential election.
Hence, ought any close observer Of the
events Of the past twenty years to doubt
that the Republicans will change the mode
of appointing electors in six Of the eight
States, i'll they can thereby secure the Presi
dency9 As to any reeoil from this bold step
the advocates in this line of policy point
to the fact that the next census will con
siderably reduce the power of the Southers
States in tho Electoral Colleges, while 1T tn
same time increasing that of the States il
the West and Northwest, where lie tho strong
holds of the Republican party.