New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-02

e measures which The y "H' Il = :''''-''' :
condemned, by means OF officials "hoi" ''i'
ucople have formally rejected. Th's j.
tbc cr,,tr.., fact to be considered ID
every discussion Of the situation III VI me-
and il i. in the iyht OF this that Governor
Gllcclous conduct must be Judged. over
fms ouc.tjon of fact there can be 10 debate
II is true that, in the so-cnlled law AM
order" meetings, Democratic orators nave
clic,cd themselves OF specnus and i'd h'I''
ORGANIZATIONS of R"pubhcan election lr'"nS'
but his only provc> that they are hunting i"i
Scu.c foundation in equity u"on "inch 10 r'>'
their Gaze, because they are An-Ih" OF "
moral weakness. Garcc'on h'S i"dr no II
,'n...t to Justify hi. CONT CIV any ~uch Gl"A'.''
II i on all hand, conceded that tie people OF
u. inr AS an prglniz d body OF Safeguarding
iccmcn, have gone through the rOl"mnlty OF
an election, and their creature has used his
,lccg It'd authority 10 dcica. their WILL
Now, on the face of It, an act like this is a
monstrous violation of fhr very foundation
principles of our system Of government. The
Governor must demonstrate, in order to justify
himself, that he ia driven to this line OF ac-
ton by some commanding necessity IN the law
under which he acts, or else that he Is con-
strained by some paramount moral obligation
winch is still more lmperious than the will OF
the people. In either case, such an anomalous
step would naturally he taken with the great
est caution and dlfiicrcr, after every effort
had been made TO demonstrate its necessity
to- tie majority whom ne virtually dts
fIunchlscd, and after he had convinced
every reasonable MIN that his motives
were not infected with the slightest
tant Of partiSans ship. But in the Maine case
there Is no pretcnce that all the higher NOR
alitcs have not been violated. Still further
the Governor does not insist that he was under
any legal compulsOn, and the most comprc-
hcns;ve claim made 10y his apoloGistI Is that
he has acted "strictly within the limits OF t!ic
claw" He has been AT no pains to disguise hls
partisansllIp, and after secretly maturing the plot
with the Fusion conSpirators ne has dciianty
refused to offer to the majority OF his conslin-
cnts any opportunity lor even IA ialr prcScnta-
ton of Their case before an impartial tribunal
Ii is not any exhibition of lofty dcvo-
tIon to the cause of justice and rIEit
III which Governor Caiccon rloricS. IL"
declares he is proud of having achieved Il
,urtv >uccc>> 10y such adroit prlii"sglng That
the law IS powcrcSS to prevent or punish
HIM.
This is thc Indictment which tells 2gA'nN!
tlc VI .inc con>piritnr,. Every pleading on
trchnicAlilcs viii be III missed III the PIES
encc OF the ovcr>hadowlng moral consid"ra-
! tons III the premises. 1t Is enough +" Know
that State has been forced t" the brink ol
y,olrncc because The recognized rl:itS OF tine
people have been outraged, and IT l. sui
Gcirni proof OF III" guilt of tn" admin1trat-
i've head of the. State. AID Of h'S r"un'ril"rs.
! that i'll the crIsis they hav' not dared f.
make Az appeal 10 tie pop1ior :>" OF '"n"r
All of in ilcr ~ 'h-ir o"n support. THUS
the one an .aIiiugt,,t. In the iorun % No..
our court OF ulImai" appeal. the man Nh"
rct'iioSs ia lost.