The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-17
POLITICAL LOOSEN ESS

FULITlCAL LVOSEN ES0
Now that matters in Maine have set
tied down to their accustomed quiet and
the Legislatures of the Republican and
of the Fusion factions respectively have
pooled their issues and gone to work seri-
ously, earning their per diem in the regu-
lar transaction of the Legislative busi-
ness, it may do to consider dispassion-
ately the subject of these semi-revolu-
tionary courses, such as have character
lied the proceedings Of political parties
in the elections in several States within
the last few years Happily the result
in none of these recent agitations have
resulted in bloodshed, but that we have
narrowly escaped this in the late strug-
gle in Maine, as also in the last Presi-
dental election in several Of the South
ern States and Immediately following it
in the Nation, is we'll known; and that
we have so escaped is considered by
many thoughtful minds as nothing less
than Providential.
Reasonable prudence, therefore, would
seem to dictate that moderate men, ire
spective of party predictions, should
come together to decree more clearly
defined set of machinery for securing an
unbiased vote of the people and more
cheerful acquiescence in the popular ver-
dict when so rendered at the polls. In a
popular government men make the laws
for their own protection and incidentally
for the protection of their neighbors. If
these laws are broken by the invasion of
a neighbor's rights, they may be, and in
deed are, by an invasion of our own
rights as we'll. Laws should be we'll
considered before passing, and when 30
considered and passed, upheld, or if
found obnoxious, repealed promptly.
But while they are laws we owe it to
ourselves to obey them. Manifestly the
laws Of Maine are lame in the matter of
choosing Governor, and possibly in the
matter of her entire electoral machinery.
We can see nothing better to keep the
present Legislature out of mischief than
the preparation and passing Of we'll
considered election law that shall in
future prevent any such dangerous and
almost bloody disputes for the demoral-
ization of the voters in that as well as ia
every other State in the Union. Louis
lana election laws manifestly want some
radical tinkering, and SO do those of
Florida and of South Carolina and pos
sibly other States to avoid scandal such
as characterized the proceedings of the
last Presidential election. So also do the
methods for counting the electoral votes
by Congress when secured in the several
States, and some effective means for the
choosing of such electors in a way so
sharply and clearly defined thatit shall be
impossible for dispute such as charac-
terized the last Presidential election;
when but for the moderation of certain
patriotic and high-minded Democrats
we might have been precipitated into a
bloody struggle, the consequences Of
which no man can think of without O
shudder. We had hoped that Congress
would be able to spare enough time from
its legitimate duties of pipe-laying and
''issue" e"-raising for consumption in the
coming Presidential campaign to devise
comprehensive and efficient law for its
own guidance and the guidance of all the
States in future Presidential elections.
But this is it seems too much to expect
from the different parties in Congress
each one of which considers measures fol
securing the ascendency Of its own fac
tion as of far more Importance than the
enactment of system of laws 60 clearly
defined as to make future disputes ovel
election returns practically impossible.