Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1880-07-03

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hope that similar process would
he applied to the federal gov
eminent.
From the responsibilities of
such an undertaking, appall-
ing as it seemed to me, I did
not feel at liberty to shrink. In
the canvass which ensued the
Democratic party represented
reform in the administration of
the Federal government and
restoration of our complex polit-
ical system to the pure ideas of
it's founders. Upon these issues
the people Of the United States,
by Il majority of more than a
quarter of a million chose a ma
jority of the electors TO cast
their votes for the Democratic
candidates for president and
vice president. 1t is my right
and privilege here to say I was
nominated and elected to the
presidency, absolutely free from
any engagement in respect to
the exercise of it's powers or dis
posal of its patronage. Through
the whole period ofmy relation
to the presidency I did every
thing in my power to elevate
and nothing to lower moral
standards in competition of
parties.
By what nefarious means the
basis for a false count was laid
in several of the States I need
not recite. These are now mat
ters of history about which
whatever diversity Of opinion
have existed in either of the
great parties of the country at
the time of their consummation,
has since practically disappear
ed.
I refused to ransom from re-
turning boards of Southern
States documentary evidence,
suppression of which and by
substitution of fraudulent and
forged papers, a pretext was
make for perpetuation of a false
count. The constitutional duty
of two houses of congress-, to
count electoral votes as cast,
and give effect to the will Of the
people as expressed by their
stuff ages, was never fulfilled.
The electoral commission, for
the existence of which I have
no responsibility, was formed,
and to it two houses of congress
abdicated their duty to make
the count by a law enacting
that the count of the electoral
commission should stand as
fiLal, unless overruled by con-
current action Of the two hous-
es.
Its false count was not over
ruled owing to the, completely
of the Republican senate with
the Republican majority of the
commission, which was controll-
ed by it's Republican majority of
eight to seven. The electoral
commission counted out men
who were elected by the peo-
pie, and counted in men who
were not elected by the people.
| That subdivision of the cleo
tons created a new issue for
the transcending in Importance
all questions of administration.
1t involves a vital principle of
self government through cleo
tons by the people.
| Theimmense growth ofmeans
of corrupt influence over the
party having possession of the
executive administration, had
already become present evil
and great danger, tending to
make elections irresponsible to
public opinion, hampering the
power ofpeople to change their
rulers and enabling men hold
ing machinery Of government
to continue andperpetuate their
power.
1t was my opinion in 1876
that the opposition in attempt
ing to change the administers
ton needed to include at least
two-thirds of the voters at the
opening of the canvass in order
To retain a. 1n1iOritv ot tho al