The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-03-24

bly, the best constitutional lawyer among the
Republicans In the senate. II Will, there
fore, create surprise among Democrats and
carry dlsmay to Republicans Of centralixtnE
views, to find this eminent Republican
placing himself squarely on the platform oi
State sovereignty -as fully 80 as would
Bayard, Thurman. Eaten or Voorhees,. After
referring 10 certain notifications In the bill
presented to the previous Congress, ono oi
which reduced the measure to simple
proposition extending tho time at which
presidential electors should cast their votes
from the first Wednesday In December to the
first Monday in January. Mr.. Edmunds gave
utterance to the following words:
] have also modified It so M to give time for
such States ne have any existing laws adequate
to me purpose 7? determine for themselves,
lieve, they have the sole right to do who their
electors are.
These are strange ,ltterances from highly
respectable Republican source, and such stall
warts as insist upon spelling natiao with a
big IN" may be led to inquire, "Whither are
we drifting r. such words from Morgan,
Hampton, Lamar or any other Southern Hena-
tors would no doubt raise the cry Of another
rebellion brewing. Mr.. Edmunds distinctly
declares that tho States may determine for
themselves who their electors are. Mr.. Ed
munds now sees no necessity for tho In
tervention OF "vieiting statesmen" to as
certain the electoral vote Of state
The Edmunds bill provides for State
disposition Of any controversy that may
arise over the result Of the vote for
presidential electors In any State, and fixes a
later period for casting the votes Of presi-
dential electors than IL now provided for. "in
order that each State may dispose Of any con-
troversy that may arise" The bill also pro-
vides for q meeting Of the two houses Of Con-
gress, land" says the stalwart vermonter,
'procecding Inv conformity Nth the decisions
reached in the respectips STATES. u, any case Of
dispmfe."
Should the Edmunds bill become q law, &c
will remove any remote possibility OF Fed
eral Interference with the electoral votes Of d
State Mr.. Edmunds, IL should be observed,
Ia Senator from one Of the most persistently
anti Democratic States In the Union, State
which In fourteen consecutive presidential
elections has gone against the Democratic
nominees. But Vermont La one Of the small
States. In point Of area. and will always be
In the third or fourth class In respect to
population, and II cannot have escaped the
notice of the sagacious Vermont Senator that
when Texas, California, Missouri, Georgia,
Louisiana and other Southern and Western
States become densely populated, that In the
observance Of the Democratic doctrine Of
State sovereignty and the right of local self
government the best safeguard is thrown
around his own State. It isnot to be supposed
that any Democratic Senator or Representa-
live will question the correctness Of Mr.. Ed
position; but how will It be with Re
publican Senators and Representatives from
arge and populous States like New York,
Ohio and Illinois, or those
rom States with large arens and populations
rapidly increasing, such as Michigan, Wis
,onsin. Minnesota Iowa. Kansas and Califor-
ala It would be nm interesting spectacle to
see Logan. Ferry, Window, Conkling, Gam
eron gpennsylvania) and Carpenter. all Re-
publicans from large States, take a stand
against Blaine. Sharon. Jones (Nevada), Blair,
Burnside and Edmunds, all coming from
small States, on principle concerning which
Ill Democrats are In harmony. With DEM
,crats the right Of local self-government is
but with Republicans only, a matter
of expediency.