Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1880-03-04
The lmpending Struggle.


The Presidential Election Of 1880
will present one of the most serious
crises in our history. 1t is fraught
with greater peril to free government
than any previous partizan contest
under our constitution.
The Democratic party now con
trolls both branches of the National
Legislature. 1t assumes that Con-
gress has the exclusive right oi
counting the votes of the States.
Some leading lights claim also the
right Of Congress to 60 behind the
record and to review all the details
of the Election. This villainous
doctrine was first formulated by Gar
celon the usurping Governor oi
Maine. EfsEf
A subcommittee of the House oil
Representatives has fully endorsed
this political heresy. DonelIy aoi
Minnesota contests the seat of Wash
burn and claims to overcome ma
jority of over 5000 by trumped up
charges OF fraud, bull doing, &c.
In ordinary times even Demo
cratic House would be ashamed to
entertain this disgraceful contest.
But the present is crisis which
tempts the democracy to the most
perilous outrage ever perpetrated up
on the rights of minorities. If there
should be failure to select Presi-
dent by vote of the electoral college
the choice devolves upon the House
of Representatives in which each
State has single vote. A fraudu-
lent displacement of the Member
from Minnesota would give the ma
jOrity of States, as the House is now
constituted, to the so-called demo-
cracy. The public is awaiting with
some anxiety to see whether the
democratic majority is ready, with
out exception, to place itself upon
the level of its subcommittee.
The game of the Congressional
Garcelons is to reject the votes of
enough Republican States, upon one
aimzy pretext or other, to throw the
election in the House. Then it is
proposed to carry Tilden through
with high hand.
On the other hand the Vice Presi-
dent of the United States, in whose
hands the returns from the different
States will come, has claim not yet
settled to the exclusive reading and
counting of the votes. There is no
doubt of Mr.. Wheeler's honesty and
courage. He will give the statement
just as the returns justify. Should
he find i. necessary to claim the
right. which fair Interpretation Of
the constitution gives him in oppo-
sition to the usurpation of the two
confederate majorities there will at
once be o conflict Of Jurisdiction.
Two Presidents will be inaugurated
and new civil war will result.
That efforts are being made to COM
NIT both houses to the Garcelon
doctrine can no longer be doubted.
Whether it will succeed is profile
matical but sufficiently probable to
cause grave apprehensions in the
public mind. A gentleman engaged
in large business in Western city,
In our presence, expressed the wish
that he could consolidate his posses
sions into gold SO as to be ready for
the emergency which he fears will
come upon US. He tells US that
similar apprehensions exist in the
business circles in which he moves.
We believe such apprehensions, as
yet, are premature but we are not
sorry for their existence. A general
awakening of the people to the
possible consequences of democratic
policy as now foreshadowed, IS one
Of the most satisfactory indications
of the present crisis. With the
awakened energy of tie American
people to manage the problem, even
copperhead Democracy, armed with
fraudulent majorities in both houses
in Congress, would be as helpless as
in 1861, when it dared not fulfill its
promises of aid and comfort to the
rebellion.
Let the Republicans drop their cx-
cessive personal partizanship. Let
a free and generous policy unite the
of all lovers of free
government and the democratic
party will be buried out of sight. 1t
is the last desperate effort of reac-
tionary despotism to control the
destinies of the Republic. The ceu-
sus of 1880 will cripple its capaci-
ties for mischief beyond repair,