New-York tribune., 1879-01-01

Louisiana. III was DaSeu IN part upon tue
so-caled confessions of McIin and Dennis. The
four members of the Louisiana Return
ing Board. moreover, had been indicted for
forging and altering returns. and Anderson, after
being sentenced to two years Imprisonment, had
been DISCHARGED by the Supreme Court on technical
grounds Mr. Hale vainly endeavored to amend the
Potter resolution to include all of fraud
in any State, and when the previous question was
called the Republicans left the House The dead
lock was not broken until May II, when the rcso-
luton was adopted. The Republicans united in a
protest charging the Democrats with laying the
foundation for revolution. Alexander II. stephens,
in replying to Mr. Potter's explanation, predicted
that the investigation would end either IN con-
temptible farce OF i'll horrible tragedy
POLITICAL FARCE AND TRAGEDY.
1t has turned out more contemplate farce than
Mr.. stephens with his clairvoyant intuitOns could
possibly have imagined. Anderson, Mrs. jerks,
Weber and cloud of witnesses have come forward
TO contradict another and themselves in regard
TO mysterious letter from Secretary sherman
that IN turn written. dictated, forged, burned
and saved, but has never been produced. The com
mttee has taken an enormous mass of evidence, but
its conclusions will be of consequence 10 either
political party. The House Judiciary COMMITTEE
had the sagacity to report against the Maryland
memorial and the House subsequently adopted res
Outions declaring that the result OF TIE
last Presidential election could not be revised
either by Congress or by the courts. Congress ad-
journed late in June. after shelving the Tarf bill
and leaving 1.-THE available force of the Army at
%, 900 men,
If the Pott;r Committee has favored Mr.. Stephens
with "coHtcmptibe farce THE InBUW-for
The TRBUNa has made as well as recorded history
during this year of political surpriseshas tur ed IT
od,yO ipag
az so many democratic statesmen have been killed
off in their prime. and "horrbe " because, by the
recital of the efforts made 10y candidate for the
Presidency to buy his way into Office through
the negotiations and bargains of confidential
agents in Florida, South Carolina and Oregon
lasting reprOach has been brought upon American
politics After the publication of the cipher dis
patches, the Democrats found themselves without
an available candidate for the Presidency, while
their whole stock in trade-allegatons Of fraud
was so deprecated as to be on par with the Dred
Scott decision. 1t was about this time that Mr.
Manton Marble, who had addressed a letter to the
public on the subject of electoral frauds, retired
from public hfc and all the cOpiTceners with their
tongues in their cheeks, yielded mp the ghost while
General +, 4. Storrs who had nominated General
Grant for a third term at the Illinois Convention,
resumed the practice of law.
THE UPHEAyAL IN POLITICS.
The Spring election IN New Hampshire had been
carried by the Republicans, and the Democrats had
scored an unexpected victory in Oregon; but the
election in Maine was virtually a triumph for the
Nationals. This party had held its first Ma
tOnal Convention at IOcdO February 22i where
delegates representing twcuty-eight States had
adopted 4 platform favoring cheap money and
plenty of 1t, and industrial emancipation and
plenty of that. Similar conventions, IN wE'ch the
oh D.f .ol
together, were held in Pennsylvania New-Yo.A .Id
nearly all the Northern States. The Democ.Itc
leaders all along the line fraternzed with the low
organization. Senator Thurman lost his heat
OHIO. and in Indiana Governor lIcndrck. 'g0-
Gated what no called "nOn-intcrcst- bear mr.
rency,' based upon the credit of the country. The
Democratic platforms, fast as they were famed,
arraigned the Republican party for demOnttizing
silver, for establishing banks, for naming a resump
tiOn day. aud for legslating in the interest of capi
tai After the Maine election i'll winch they were
out-Yoted by the Nationals, the leaders began 10
realize that alfaton with the party might
lead to the utter absorption of their party:
but it was too late for them to draw back General
Butler who had been nominated for Governor BY !
the Massachusetts Nationals, entered upon ac- |
tive canvass aided by the leader of the anti-Ch-
nese movement in California and succeeded in get |
ting the support of two-thirds of the Democratic !
delegates NJ Worcester aUuOuRn lne DOuf- |
bonsr subsequently, made up third ticket |
in Faneul Hail. The Republicans, meanwhile |
were making war upon the allied camps Although |
defeated in Maine under the hard-mOney standard |
they did not finch from their convictions They |
TedOuhed their exertions, and IN every state !
planted themselves the highest level of honest
finance. The President rendered efficient service
by series of speeches delivered during tour in
the West. In New-York. harmony restored in
the party councils, notwithstanding the changes
which the President had made in the Federal Off
ces and Senator COnklDg in speech at the
State Convention struck the keynote of
sound finance. In the October elections
the Republicans were in the main successful,
gaining 80, 900 votes in Ohio. The publication of
the cipher dispatches completed the decentralization
of the Democrats. The November elections resulted
IN overwhelming Republican gains and reduced the
Democratic majority III the next House to very
small margin.
The elections gave the Democrats nearly solid
delegation in Congress from the South. In some
of these States ana especially in South Carolina the
result was phenomenal. The Republican majOrIties
were wiped out by systematic intimidation of
negroes before the election and systematic frauds
at the polls The moment the returns were received
it was evident that there had been foul play.
The TRIBUNE sent correspondent to the interior
of the State and has established the fact that
meetings wcrc broken up and ballotbOxes stuffed.
and that fictitious majorities rolled up
through intimidation and fraud. The President has
denounced these methods in his Message, and SEN
ator Blaine has laid them bare in of the open
ing speeches of the session.
THE FISHERIES AWARD.
The Government has made it a point OF honor to
pay what it was not legally bound to pay-the
irrational award made by two members of the