Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-05

TIE majority assumed in their report that
these athdavIts were falsely and fr9udulently
made, and that this was known to the board
and to the visiting committee. We ind the
testimony taken before TINS committee rather
sustalns them than impeaches them. The
report then reviews at some length the testl-
mODy upon which this criticism Is based, and
from that goes on to discuss the making of
the second set OF election returns for Louisi-
ana. The minority admit that two of the
electors were absent, and their ma es were
signed by other parties and that this made
the certificates spurious. But they clam that
the spurious certificates and returns were not
considered, as the records of the electoral
commission clearly show. The last point the
report touches upon Is the Wormley confer
ence, IN regard to which it distinctly and al
together denies the alleged bargain to seat
Hayes. The report concludes: I'VE are not
aware that anything has been found more
significant OF wrong than the notorious cir
cuar of the Democratic campaign com
mittee of 1876, In which they advise the
parade of Democratic clubs on horseback, and
their marching as organized bodies to the
central rendezvous for the purpose OF I'M
pressing negroes with a sense of their united
strength; the recommendation of a sys-
tematlc warning to the negroes that we
have the means to carry elections, and we
mean to use them, and the like. To ig-
more this, as the majority nave done, forces
Us 10 COHEluut IUdL ILe Time mas not vet
come when fair review of the case and a
just judgment in regard thereto is possible.
We report that the new matter referred to
does not lmplcate Sherman or Moves In any
improper conduct or corrupt proceedings, but
that the cipher dispatches have been con-
fessed 10 be systematic and deliberate eff
forts to corrupt the returning and canvasSlng
boards of the States Of Florida, South Caro-
lima Oregon by brides being offered in
the shape OF great sums of money. What
ever are our differences with the majority of
the committee IN other respects, we should
most heartily rejoice to find some methods by
which all opportunity for fraud or violence
mis- ht be removed from cur elections. As to
Presidential elections the matter OF choosing
electors Is, 10y the constitution, so exclusively
committed to State legislation that We see no
method Of Federal interference. The propO-
stIon OF the majority, therefore, that the
election of electors should be passed upon by
the highest court of each State Is impracu
cable, because Federal legislation cannot deal
with the subject. We imagine that 1t would
have been satisfactory to the authors of some
Of those cipher dispatches to have that
count determine who were the Presidential
electors in South Carolina. But IN view OF
this testimony we cannot JOIN IN the report
that the course of honest elections would
necessarily be furthered 10y such a change.
The change needed Is IN the spirit and tenn
per of the community; the cultivation of re-
spect for law and the right; the recognition
by the strong of the rights of the weak, and
when progress is made In this direction, we
shall witness an equal progress toward the
purity Of elections, and not till then. We
regret, therefore, that the result of the IN
vestigation, in which the taking Of testimony
continued until the last day but one of con-
gress land is still incomple), must be report
ed, in obedience to the directions of the house.
A great mass of evidence has accumulated,
which can neither be considered nor acted
upon by congress, and the advantage gained
by the public in the daily consideration of it,
upon which the minority insisted, is the only
matter of profit to any"