The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-04-27
New York.

The philadelphia Times disposes OF ono
OF the bug bears OF The present campaign a.
follows:
The st. Louis Post-UiSpotch is certainly
doing all i'm its power TO furnish us snare OF
campaign bumor, and IL does IL IN sucn
soleron and matter-of.fact way that 1t APP
pears more than ordinarily comic. Our
esteemed st. Louis contemporary IS very
certain that IL Grant is nominated the
tbirty-fiye electoral votes OF New York Will
be casu-for him; that the Legislature "wi'l
be called together in extra session lew
days before the election, ana they can
change the law and appoint the thirty
five electors" The paper goes on to argue
from Understanding that TO be exactly what
would be done-that Ohio will be the
battle-ground in the event OF Grants
nomination, and that il the Democrats
can carry Ohio in October they need not
bother about New York. With this position
| nearly everybody will agree; but il the
Legislature OF New York can be got to-
gether few days before election TO appoint
electors, what is to prevent similar action
in Ohio after it is found out that the state
cannot be carried for Grant in any other
way? IL this system could be made handy
| i'm one State, it certainly could be made Just
as handy IN another. The nomination OF
Grant would be very likely 10 put several
northern States in the doubtful list. The
third-term candidate could not be certain OF
carving either Pennsylvania, Illinois, WIS
consin, Minnesota, New Hampshire, or Con-
necticut, aud possibly some other States
now having Republican executives ana
legislatures. II New York Is to be carried
for Grant by the Legislature, all these othor
States NAV be treated in the same way; and
" hat could be done about 1t IN the case OF
Ohio or Pennsylvania that could not be
done with reference to New York!
That ought to be sufficient to put an end
TO all the talk about what Governor Cor
NELL is going TO do in New York. But
there are other reasons. and perhaps more
convincing ones, which the Times does not
mention; and these are, that nobody 10
New York is in favor Of the scheme, il we
may Judge from the utterances OF the Times
and the Tribune; that it would damage
Senator CONKLING beyond the hope OF re-
coyery, and therefore will never receive his
countenance; that as be controls CORNELL,
the latter will never do an act which the
former opposes; that even If both CoNKLING
and CORNELL were in favor OF the scheme,
the Legislature would be afraid to adopt 1t,
the members OF that body we'll knowing
that the people Of the State would bury
them and their party IL they dared to COM
NIT such fraud upon the popular will, as
the voters Of New York would no doubt
consider 1t.
The fact is that there is no danger what
ever that the Legislature of Ohio, or New
York, or Illinois, or Connecticut, or any
other State, is going TO try to deprive the
people of the right to vote for President
Why even General MALONE was afraid to
try that game in Virginia, though his Legis-
iature had entire control OF the matter, the
Governor having no power over the action
of the General Assembly on that subject.
Nevertheless, it might be the best thing
for the country that could happen, for the
legislatures of the several States to take into
their hands the election of the electors Of
President and Vice-President. Aswe have
had occasion to say before, it may prove tC
be the last refuge Of States rights.