Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1881-10-16

No man who has watched the
history Of parties of late In the
United States can fall to have been
struck by the utter failure of any
sort of provision for the rights and
the proportionats representation of
That party which sue
Deeds In commanding q bare ma
jorlty in the "pivotal State"-and
that State of late years is clearly |
New York-takes control Of the |
national government without q
possibility Of disputed tenure of
any one of the accompanying
offices. It is the whole animal, in
every ease, with the hide, tallow
and tail thrown In. The majority
by which this dominating State
may be carried for the successful
party may be only three or four
units or three or four thousands,
yet the result Is the same.
We have suggested one aspect of
our electoral system, but there is
another and even less republican
phase Of cur boosted institutions.
Our electoral scheme is 90 arranged
that there might be majority of
the electoral colleges for the candi-
date Of one party, while he might
be In . minority of millions Of the
popular vote. Yet still the same
mocksry of q republican system Is
preserved.
To-day we are face to face with q
peculiar slate of things. 1t is a
disputed question 90 to whether
Gen. Hancock or Gen. Garfield had
. majority Of the popular vote in
the last Presidential election. In
any event the difference was a
mere tribe. We believe, without
strainipg point, that several hun.
dred thousand Democrats failed to
vote through their disgust at the
chicaHe and base devices through
which Mr.. Tilden was cheated out
Of the Presidency. Yet, as 1t was,
the Democratic vote was close up.
on five millions. This party,
which had lately controlled both
branches Of Congress, found itself,
after the exercise of great delicacy
and confederation, at the opening
ofths summer, with absolute pow.
or, but declined to take the advant-
age given it by the designations of
Senators Conkling and Plat, and
thus organize the Senate. 1t adj
iournsd, instead Of playing the
hog. Through the assassination
Of President Garfield and the trans
lation Of Arthur to the Presidency,
1t assem- bled in special called
session with a majority of the
United States Senate. Its first
and immemorial duty, adhering to
precedent, was to elect President
pre- tenn. of that body. 1t could
not shrink from nor evade the
duty. It responded to the situa.
tion by electing conspicuous gen.
tlsman and statesman, Thomas
Francis Bayard, to that dignity.
The Democratic majority fol.
lowed this proper action with its
usual magnanimity. Wood Pulp
Miller and old granny Lapham
were really and truly elected Sen.
ators Of the United States through
the most disgusting bribery and
o0icial duress. The stink of the
dotngs in the New York Legisla-
turs would tax the ingenuity Of a
Lubin to qualify it. The Demo-
cratic majority might have hung
up both these corrupt abortions on
tsnter hooks, pending the usual
oflicial Investigations and finally
expelled them for cause. What was
the result of their too generous sd-
mission 2
The Republican party which,
during the early Summer, bribed
Malone, during the early autumn
bribel David Davis with the bait
Of ONCE. There is an absurd Irish
play which representa- a table in q
cabin In the Green Isle from the
ceiling of which depends a piece Of
bacon, to which every one of the
guests is supposed to point his pc.
tAto, securing thereby q new flavor
to the esculent, the struggle being
80 to which Of them shall be able
to grab and swallow the relishing
morsel. While this lie really
silly travesty on the poverty of the
Irish people, brought about by the
oppression OF the British govern.
ment, 1t nevertheless not inaptIy
represents the course of the Repub.
loan party, the other day. It's
manipulators suspended piece Of
bacon. In other words the Presi.
dency Of the United States Senate,
from the fretted roof of the Capitol,
and. were careful to see that 1t
swung very near David Davis's
eapaeious NAV. His reception Of
the gentle enticement was such as
. Louisiana alligator accords to
the myriad files which have gath
cred on his widely distended jaws
on . hot July day, when he reposes
himself in bayou prolific of in.
seot breeding accessories.