New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-10-24

d 1CfH-if I AND fHLL LL.tIIDNN.
The Democratic organs which in one column
bc,eech their readers to believe that no ques-
,ion, of National concern are involved in the
New-l ok State election, usually protest in
the mex. column, with superabundance of
emphasis. that nothing is worth much cOnsid-
Grafton in the Ncw-York State election except
the Federal election laws, whose constitutions
ality is now az issue In the Supreme Court.
These laws the Democracy declare that they
will sweep from the statute books not be-
cause the polls ought not to be protected
from violence and fraud but because it Is, rs
they say, unconstitutional TO protect them by
officers of the General Government If, then.
the supreme Court is about To settle the
question, there is no further occasion for
political dispute over il. Problems of const-
tutional law are not to be solved 10y show
of hands; least Of all Is there any excuse for
debating them on the stump or mixing them
up with the perplexities of party policy, when
the tribunal which the Constitution itself has
provided for their final decision has them ac
tualiy under review. If the laws are held to
he VOID, they will be abandoned 10y common
consent; ii they are sustained, the Democrats
by their own principles will have no longer
about them now is waste of time and
temper
But there are some indications of the real
feeling of the Democracy with regard TO The
purity and freedom of elections which deserve
a great deal more attention than the formal
declarations OF their newspapers. Since the
defeat in Ohio it is evident that the chances
of Mr.. Tilden have greatly improved, and
that If the National Convention were 10 meet
to-day, unembarrassed by the probabilities of
an overwhelming Democratic defeat in New
York. Mr.. Tilden would surely receive the
nominations Now, there is no public man in
the United States so deeply implicated rs he
in attacks upon the purity and freedom Of
the suffrage. His agents have been exposed
in attempts, repeated several times and in
several ways, to set aside by fraud OF by vio-
lence the verdict recorded by the people at
the polls These agents offered brides TO the
canvaSsers in al least two Subsequently, in
threc-to falsify the returns. They offered "a
bribc to Il Presidential clector in another state
Ia cooperate in the organization of a fraudulent
electoral college, so that the vote of the State
might be east otherwise than AZ the people
had directed They offered brides TO the
members OF a Legislature to count in Il de-
fcatcd State administration which could be
used to thrust out Of Office board OF prcsi
dental electors fairly chosen by the people
and regularly commissioned by the proper
State authorities. All other schemes having
failed they formed plot To imprison board
of electors, by trick and fraud, So that
the vote of one Stltc could not hc
| cast at all. These are not random
charges but facts which have been estab-
lshed by an official investigation. and.
| in the main, confessed by the guilty ne
-otiators. The acts nave been brought home
| believed 20 have been his money; and the
corrupt agents have never ceased to cuioy his
fullest confidence. Some of them are still
engaged IN the management OF bis political
affairs
Selecting for lie head of their ticket % man
| involved Ia the worst election fraud Of tins
generation, i, seems that they nov Talk about
| ewing tn second place To q man WHO is only
remember / iog D.. connection with q fauiou.
cl,cio .Iead of twenty years ago. Econ
gresham s.sl. of Indiana, b, thc latest
candidate spoken Of rs q yohe-l,!!Ow with
Mr. riden, and his claims TO the dist nction
| .fe, nr-t, that he l. almost rs r.ch "a the
/ statesman OF Gramercs PaIk, and secondly
Jhat he was the author of the :" English Com
| "promise.' The second tide j. ~ good a.
Tie first. The English COMPROMISE was Il
| bill introduced IN Congress III 1865 for the