Daily Republican., 1880-05-27
Preparing for Fraud.


State enjoyed a constitutional right te
determine for itself which Of the two
contesting electoral tickets had been
chosen by the voters of the State. In
the argument upon the Florida returns
they took the extreme ground that even
after valid certificate of election had
been issued by the Governor, the State
through its legislative and judicial de-
partment, could cancel that certificate
and issue a new one to other persons,
and that Congress would be bound to
accept it. In the case of Florida the
Supreme Court had decided that the
certificate Of election had been improp-
erly issued to the Republican electors,
and authorized the granting of new
one to the Democratic candidates, and
Mr.. Tilden'S representatives at Wash
ington insisted that Congress and the
Electoral Committee were obliged to
follow the judgment of the court. Cir
Cumstances now, however, have mater
tally altere! cases, and We have the
spectacle of a Democratic Congressman
from Florida who never was elected,
who the Governor Of the State, the Re-
turning Board and the Supreme Court
of the State all united in saying was
never elected, and who subcommittee
of the Committee on Election and Privi-
leges, in Congress, have declared
was never elected, still holding
his seat in Congress, and he is
very likely to hold it until after
the fourth of March next, simply be-
cause Florida may he reeded TO make
one of the Democratic States in the
election of a Democratic President if
thu election is thrown into the House
Of Representatives. Strange to say,
Senator Bayard who is claimed as one
OF the broadest minded Democratic Sen.
ators in Congress, is amongst those who
are willing to 60 back upon their record
of 1877, and now is willing to deprive a
State of any power in saying who are
its rightfully elected electors in case Of
dual returns TO Congress.
Senator Edmurds who may rig htfully
be called the Req ublican leader of Con-
gress in his bill for determining the
electoral votes, has adopted the Dem
ocratic principle asserted so vigorously
by the Democrats in 1871, land proposed
that whenever dispute arose as to the
validity of conflicting certificates the
question should be referred to the
courts of the State, and their decision
should lie biz ding upon Congress. Thus
if there should happen to be an cleo
tion contest in Delaware as to who were |
the rightfully elected electors, the
question would be left with the court
of the State for decision, and a more
righ tsous decision could more natural |
ly he expected from such men as Chief
Justice Comegys and associates Hous-
ton, Wootten and Wales than from
partisan Congress, influenced |
by the heat and animosities of an elec.
tior campaign. This plan proposed by
Senator Edmunds was in harmony with
the Democratic theory of the Constitu
tion, and moreover the Democrats were
distinctly committed to it by the pro-
ceedings OF three years ago, yet while
it was put to vote the other day in
the Senate, the Democratic members
led by Senator Bayard voted unani-
mously against it. Either they were
not sincere when they made their plea
before the Electoral Commission, or they
are row conterdirg fer a measure
which they know to te in direct con
fiiot with their own most cherished
principles. 1t has been the general
opinion ever since the Dem ocratic party
obtained control Of Congress, that they
had 70 desire 10 settle the difficulty
about counting the votes, aud this last
action shows that they prefer to leave
the matter open in the belief that tie
Democracy can usually snatch some ad-
vantage out of disturbance ard public
danger. This general opinion i as / cen
conf med by late events and it is clear
now that the majority do OF wish for a {
cor situti0nal settl' mint OF the case
which will remove it is far as possible
from the arena Of partisan politics, even
If 1t ran be settled in accordance with ,
their own views. The concurrent reso
luton offered by Senator Morgan an
ex- confederate General, and which
Senator Bayard SO heartily favo,s,
amounts to nothing more than bod
sch ms by which the Democrats having t
4 majority Of both houses Of Congress a
proI ose 10 manage the 81, c.cral vote in
1881, leaving The remote iuture to take z
care CT its-]f. JuetDow it IL to the irte {
est Of the Democrats TO disregard tn IL de. v
'isions 'fthe State authorities, whether 7
they be canvassers, legislatures courts 9
Dr. goverJ ors, aud to constitute tie two b
branches of Cop2r a hinge returning o'
BOARD TO s(rutinize snd onurt o,,.xu z