Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-10-02

DIN improbable SSery-Tise RuneSred Rtth.
dra,cGl of Garfield %sa Fdvor of a stronger
Man-A Fesc Re0soho In Fayor of the
Plea.
Washington Special (Sept. 29) to Cincinnati
Enquirer.
There Is a profound sentiment growing
here that the visit OF General Grant, Senator
ConkIing, ex-senator Cameron and other
distinguished Grant leaders, to General Gar
field at Mentor has hidden purpose which
as yet has not been disclosed. Those who
know these distinguished leaders know tina.
the social relations existing between them
and the Republican Presidential candidate
are not Of such character as would induce
any one of them to 60 around the corner to
call upon him.
The statement is made here that old Simon
Cameron has been with Garfield for three
days ct least, and that the Winnebago Chief
planned the meeting at Mentor, and that its
object means good deal more than any de-
sire to patroDize candidate whose inevi-
table defeat is as clearly written upon the
wall az was the warning TO Belshazzar.
The theory advanced by Republican of
prominence is that the purpose is.iu certain
contingency, to induce Garfield to withdraw
from the ticket. The contingency is Repub-
lican defeat in Indiana. While the Repub-
licans have no hope that they can carry Indi-
ana according to the present outlook, the in
tention i5 to use money without stint or scru-
pie. If the State can be bought, we'll and
good for Garfield, for in that event the
leaders apprehend the tide will turn, and
bat x,,U ,L,f L, y1fL
carry even bad candidate through. Should
Indiana be lost, however, defeat, Under the
ordinary form of election, is conceded in ad-
vance By the wisest Republican politicians,
and the next thing to do will be to make the
best Of o desperate game.
Without any intention to be an ala1mist,
or even create a sensation, repeat, ss
near az memory can serve me, the views of q
Republican of good. sense, communicated to
me to- day, and without any desire to be-
lieve that party ends will be subgsrved
through any such desperate resource. Said
he:
"The defeat Of the Republicans in Indiana
presages clearly to my mind the defeat of
Gen. Garfield in November. His candidacy
has not turned out to be strong one. There
is no reason, though, why the Republicans
should lose this election. The constitution
provides that each state shall appoint, in
such manner as the legislature thereof shall
direct, number of elections equal to the
whole number of senators and representa-
tlves to which the State may be entitled in
congress, &c. Now, every northern State
but two has Republican governor and leg
islature. The exceptions are New Jersey
and Indiana. The legislature of every
other northern State could be convened, and
prescribe either that the electors be chosen
by the legislature or by congressional dis
tricts. This would give thu Republican
candidate over two hundred electoral votes.
''But would not this be dangerous blow
at the liberties Of the people?" quoth your
correspondent.
81 am giving no opinion es TO that. 1 am
only saying that the Republican party has it
In its power under the form of the highest
iaw-the constitution-to elect it's candi-
date. Let me quote you an extract from
Senator Morton's speech On the very subject,
delivered in the United States Senate on the
18th of January, 1878, upon pending raso-
luton instructing the committee on priv
leges and elections TO examine and report at
the next session OF Congress the best and
most practicable mode Of electing the Presi-
dent and Vice President. He said:
LILO aPPointmeu6 OF EleCLorS is pleced
absolutely and wholly with the Legislatures
OF the several States. They may be chosen
by the Legislature, or the Legislature may
provide that they shall be elected by the
people of the State at large, or in districts,
as are members of Congress, which was the
case formerly in many States; and it is, no
doubt, competent for the Legislature to au-
thorize the Governor or the Supreme Court
of the State, or any other agent of its will to
appoint these Electors. This power is con-
ferred upon the Legislatures of the States By
the constitution of the United States, and can
not be taken from them or modified by their
State constitutions, any more than can their
power to elect Senators of the United
States. Whatever provisions may be made
by statute or by the State constitution to
choose electors by the people. there is no
doubt of the right of the legislature to re-