Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-07-14
The Fraud Issue.

The Boston Herald, one Of the ablest and
most candid Of the independent journals,
thus conclusively discusses the fraud issue /:
awe have no sympathy whatever with the
persistent efforts of certain vitriolic speak
ers and writers to impeach the title of Pres
ident Hayes by calling him the fraudulent
president That there were gross frauds in
Louisiana, committed by the Republican re-
turning board in the last presidential cleo
ton, cannot be denied. But the returns
were sent to Washington from that state,
properly certified by the state authorities,
and were in favor of the Republican elect
ors. The question then arose, Who shall
decide what votes TO count p 1t was a Sc
rious matter, for which the constitution did
not provide 1t was finally agreed upon by
the best men of both parties in congress to
leave the whole question to an electoral COM
mission, authorized to exercise the powers
possessed by congress, If any, the result to
stand as the decision, unless overruled by
the concurrent vote of both branches. The
formation of the electoral commission was
patriotic act in the interest of peace 10
avoid great danger. It was partici-
pated in by the Democrats even more gen.
orally than by the Republicans. The best
men of both parties favored it. The COM
mission was carefully made up. Five men,
bers of the senate, five of the house, five of
the supreme court, constituted it. No ADLER
or more respectable tribunal ever sat. It
happened to consist of eight Republicans
and seven Democrats. Had it not been for
the election of Justice David Davis to the
United States Senate, and his consequent
retirement from the bench Of the supreme
court, he would undoubtedly have been the
fifteenth man on the commission, and so
evenly balanced between the parties was he
at that time believed to be- that no man
could foretell his opinion on the question
raised. The subject was discussed with
great ability on both sides, and, after ma
ture deliberation, the commission decided,
by vote of eight to seven, not to go behind
the returns. OF course this was great dis
appointment to the Democrats, who, with
some Republicans, honestly believed that
Mr.. Tilden was entitled to the presidency,
but the decision was based on the sound
Democratic doctrine of state rights, and
was justified by the danger that an investi-
cation into the votes of the states by ma.
tional tribunal would extend beyond the day
appointed by the constitution for the new
president to take his seat In any event,
whether the decision was right or wrong in
law or equity, it was sufficient to give Mr..
Hayes perfect title to the presidency, be-
cause it was made by the special tribunal
created by both parties to decide the diff
cult question. Mr.. Hayes had legal title,
without flaw, and he is bold man who
can maintain that the equities of the
case were violated by the decision under
which he took the office. The fraud in
the case, which Democrats have perfect
right to make all the capital they can out
of, was in Louisiana. The result was a po-
litical overturn in that state. A similar
fraud was attempted by the Democrats and
their allies in Maine, but was not success
full. The spirit was the same as in Louisi-
ana, and the palliating circumstances not so
strong. The result in Maine should be the
same as in Louisiana. We rejoice to see
both parties denouncing fraud, but the
stigma should not be misplaced. When two
parties agree to leave disputed question to
the decision of a special tribunal, it is mean
and cowardly for the defeated party to de-
nounce the result as fraud"