New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-19

rehearing on the question whether the tohs"-
tutiOnal Amendments were lawfully adoptcu'
The Court proved that it was a particularly
INSCRIPTIONS partisan body 10y Its previous
decision. 1t cannot disgrace itself any further
by reversing that decision, at the behests OF
party. No one will doubt that the Democratic
ring ordered both decisions. Not the slightest
attention was paid, or will be paid, 10
the question whether the actual mayor
iy of the voters decided to adopt
the amendments. When it was thouRh'
that the Democratic party could MAKE
such nomination as to carry the
State in October, the highest Juilcia'
tribunal held that an election in October was
legal. Now that there is found TO DC no
prospect that the State can be carried l"
October, the highest Judicial tribunal is eA-
pected to hold that an election III OCTOBER
would not be legal. II is no new thing, ana
excites no surprise, that the Democratic party
puts itself on n level with card-sharper' ana
thmble-riggers, in dealing with the rights OF
the people. Not often, however. has thc
Supreme Court Of State been prostiluted 10
such dishonorable work, even by the Demo-
cratic party. But in Indiana, the public estI-
TO decide exactly as the political ring no"
controlling the State may desne.
The contemplated decision, if made, VIII De
a confession that tie Democratic party 90 S
not expect 10 carry Indiana. That confession
will have weight elsewhere. Perhaps us
moral effect will be nearly as great as that OF
defeat. Troops who run away from battle
field often demcrali2e an army quite as much
as if they had held their ground and been cut
20 pieces Indiana is one of the few Northern
States which the Democratic party still holds.
If il admits that its ease IS hopeless there as
il will by lodging an October election winch
it had contriyed to hold in order to exhibit
its strength and encourage its supporters,
what Northern State can it hope to carry
This is not the worst. A new decision on
the amendments, if it admits the validity OF
the vote cast by the people in April last as
to either amendment, must make that vote
valid as to all the amendments. But the first
required registration throughout the State,
and residence in the State six months, and Iii
the township sixty days before voting. In
short. it strikes directly at the very frauds by
which the Democratic party have b"en wont
10 oyerpOWer honest Republican ma, critics in
Indiana. The Republican party therefore,
would gain substantial and permanent ad-
vantage, as well as the prestige of assured
success in November, if the Democrats should
conclude TO make their Court turn Itself in
side out in order TO prevent an election Ill
October.
Ii is not easy to believe, however, that the
spectacle Of complete prostitution OF
Supreme Court to partisan ends Will be with
out effect upon fair and honest men through
out the country. lt will he said, and justly,
that if the Democratic party uses the judi
ciary so shamelessly in one of the few States
which it controls at the North, it will employ
the same methods to prostitute the United
States judiciary also to partisan uses, II the
party ever gets the power. great many
sober and thoughtful men can be found, in
almost every Northern Suite, who would con
slder this reason enough, if there were
no other for voting against Demo-
cratic candidate for President. Reck
less and shameless partisanship IN Con-
gress is bad enough, as we have seen.
Reckless and shameless partisanship in the
White House would be still worse. BIT
surrender of the Judiciary Of the United States
to such partisanship and its uses would be
deadly blow at free Institutions. Conserva-
tive men everywhere would have fresh reason
for alarm, if the Democratic party should
make the proposed exhibition of its real char
acter in Indiana. 1t would help the Repub
lcan party if the Democrats should make
this blunder. But ii would tend to bring free
institutions into disgrace. The Republican
party is not in such straits that it needs to
desire that its opponents should do any further
harm to the country, or inflict any further
disgrace upon it, in order to make Republican
victory more secure.