Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-12-27
nae Las, Dsmoerasis Foi'y.


The Democrats usually signaliae the
Opsniug Of each new session OF o'n-
sYsss With a blundsr that keeps them
in hot water until the Adjournment
It may be predicted almost hks ID
eclipse Of the moon which prssides over
their saucusss, that when two or three
Of them are gathered together. Foiiy
will sit In the midst Of them. The de-
hate on the electoral bill is just the
thing 70 bring out all the latent sapa-
eity In their ranks for mischief. The
slestopsl bill is at bcst sort Of debat-
ing society question. II has not even the
excuse Of resisting the inauguration Of
Garfield. No Democrat denies the legal
ity ofhis election, nor questions that
he viii receive the full majority OF the
Electoral College, and that he will be
declared President and inaugurates.
The electoral bill, therefore, DOES not
concern the present. It, Of course, can
NO. be ex post factO, and concern the
past, though this is what the whole
discussion turns on. It simply goes
over and over again the stale and
wear isoms invectivs aboutithe manner
in which President Hayes was counted
in.
Debating societies may discuss the
past, bat it is;ths business OF leglsia'
tors 10 concern themselves about the
present or the immediate future and
not to speculate upon the remote
probabilities Of time TO come. II there
be q law requisite for clearing up the
antiquities In the Constitution, as
TO who shall count the electoral vote,
and where, now is not the time to pass it,
Such bill ought not to be passed IN
the session in which an electoral count
Is to take place. 1t ought not TO DO
passed by party vote in any case and
most Of all 1t should not be passed
by q partisan majority on the eve Of
its surrender of power. If the law is to
apply TO the remote and not the i'm
mediate future, then it should be
passed in no party spirit. 1t should
touch the bias Of no present interest,
and should be mAtursd carefully in the
judiciary committees, and be so just in
character that tho unanimous consent
Of both houses OF Congress would be
reasonable expectation. This Is the
common sense Of the situation as IN
dsrstood by the public. The Democrats
cannot impose upon the country with
their pretence Of q patriotic purpose tc
provide against q possible dispute IN
1855. They may warm over their OLD
campaign speeches Of last fall about The
"Grsat Fraud" pump mp sham teari
and array themselves in their thread
bare rhetoric, but they will only deep
on the distrust with which the country
regards them.
To-the average intelligence it will b'
considered revolutionary and threat
ening measure, an underhand attemp
to override the election OF Garfield; an(
thus the last session Of Congress, with
Democratic majority, will be LOOKED
upon as standing menace to the peac
and prosperity of the country, night
mare to which the adjournment on tn
next fourth of March will be blessed
relief, that the Nation may breath
freely again. Practically considered
the Democratic majority is powerles
for evil. 1t cannot control its owl
slender majority to pass a partisal
electoral bill. II 1t could the sympa
thies Of the country would be with tn
Republicans should they flibuster I
prevent its passage, and finally,
passed It would surely meet with a.
executive veto, and that would be tn
end Of II. Impotent to do the thin
their oratory suggests, the Democrat
have only the power to excite the fear
and suspicious Of the simple minded
and the broad laughter Of the leVeI
headed.