New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-30
TILE SINE OLD RLENDER.

THE SANE on BLtNULH.
The protracted deadlock is broken. For eight
days the Democrats have ilibustered to prevent
discussion of election cases. Now that they
have been forced to abandon this fatal con-
test of their own choosing, 1t is a good time TO
look back and consider just what it is they
have been about. Under the lead Of Mr. Ran
dali they have been repeating once more a
bluuder which has been 50 often disastrous to
them that one might suppose they would have
learned by this time 20 avoid tiff indeed they
can learn anything from experience. They have
been once more bending AL their individual ener-
-ics using all the poWOrO the party organization
ana enforcing il by the dictum Of a caucus, to
keep up Il solid Democratic South. There Is no
other explanation OF the madness which under
took 10y methods little less than revolutionary
10 obStruct action in the House upon a con-
tested election case II which the proofs of fraud
are overwhelming. The excuses for the OBJ
,tructiye tactics which have been resorted
to are the merest prctexts. They deceive
no intelligent person. The statement issued
by the Republican Congressional Committee
VIII. ell was printed in yesterdays TRIBUNE sets
forth the facts so clearly that there can he no
mistaking them. The case had been fully
! heard by the Elections Committee before the
! death Of OConuor. who was counted IN over
! Mackcy, the risutlnlly elected member. There
was no doubt OF Macley's election. The
| grounds upon which votes enough were thrown
out 10 destroy his majority were SO frivolous
| and so false that 10 impartial person could
raise "a question 20 the legality and justice
! of Nackey's right TO the seat occupied 10y
| O'Gonnor. Upon the whole testimony in the
case the committee AWARDED the seat to
Mackev. OCOnu0r's death did not alter this
/ state of facts. Nor did the circumstance that
the same party Nlt recognized his fraudulent
claim and awarded him the certificate ordered
a new election to iii the vacancy and undertook
70 perpotuato the wrong by giving certificate
tc DIbblc.
O'Connor not having been elected originally,
| hi, death left no vacancy, and the election to
| fiji an alleged vacancy was null. Mackry hav-
| ing been legally elected had no concern with
the farce O.! an election to iill a seat to which
/ he had already been chosen and TO which a
| minority of the Elections Committee were
| ready 10 declare him legally entitled. Dibbe
| came upon the ground with no claim except
| under an Inheritance of fraud, and there was
! neither law, Justice reason nor common sense
! in his pretence that there WAS any originality
! in it, HIS claim rested solely Oh O'COnnOr' 5
original RICH, 20 his seat. If the latter WAS
| honestly and fairly elected, then his election to
! i'll the vacancy could not be disputed Tor in
the form of an election which he went through
he was unopposed. e OConnOr was not
/ elected, 10 technicaity or quibbe could give
| Dibble any Standing for there was no vacancy.
| This is the nutshell in which the whole case
! lies. As between Mackcy and O'COnnOr the
case had been fully heard by the Elections
! Committee. The advent of Dibbe into the
! case through the form OF pretended election
/ did not change at all the original aspects of
! the case. The inQUi,tion of the Committee
wa, rs to the election of Mackey or O'Connor
| Itresuted in a decision that Mackey had been
| elected But what does Mr.. Dibble do upon
! his arrival on the stage with his Inheritance of
| fraud Does he propose to take up man
! fashion the ease of ONonn0r, and by proving
the latters right to his seat vindicate his own
! title as his legally elected successor Not at
all. He evadcs that direct issue, and under
takes by bubbles and eyasons to delay action
and enjoy as long as possible his Inheritance of
! fraud.
On the oath Of January, the printed record
|
protest denying the jurisdiction of the Com
mittce to inquire into the right by which he
held his seat, and alleging that the death of
| O'ConnoI terminated the contest of Mackey u.s.
| O'COrnor. Could there be IL more preposterous
claim Why, this being granted, fraudulent
| holder of a seat had only to resign, and have
his supporters III fraud order a new election as
| Tor filling a vacancy, to defeat the honest
claimants demand for justice and establish the
| perpetuity Of the fraud. Obviously the protest
was only pretext for delay. 1t was argued
| before the subcommittee and decided against
| Dibble on the 3lst of January. On February
| 3 it was reargued at his request before the
full committee; the decision was reafirmed
! and he was granted twenty days to file his
! brief On the 9TH of February he filed
second protest which on the following day
was denied, and he was again directed to file
his brief in twenty days. On the DIST of Feb
ruary, seven days before the expiration of the
time, he repeated his protest, and for the first