Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-02
The last RepubIiean Outrage.


up to Wednesday last the Democrats
prevented, viz: unseating Mr.. Dlb-
Die, the regularly elected member from
the Second district Of South Carolina,
and giving his seat TO his Radical con-
testant, Mackey. This is but on par
with many similar high-handed outrages
which the Radical party has committed
from time TO time, and with which the
country Is familiar; still the exceedingly
arbitrary action Of the majority in COM
hitting It, and the reckless disregard OF
all rules and all justice by which it was
characterized, invest it with unusual
prominence.
In resisting this outrage, the Demo
Gratis asserted that Msckey had presented
forged and altered evidence before the
Election Committee Of the House to
prove that he had defeated Mr.. O'COn
nor at the regular election for Represen-
tative from the district in question,
AID that therefore he was entitled
to the seat to which Mr.. Dibble had
been elected to I'LL the vacancy occa-
stoned bv Mr.. O'COnnOr's death. They
declared that they could prove beyond
dispute TO the House that what they
charged against Mackey was true, and
all they asked of the Republicans was to
give them an opportunity to make
good their word. OF the truth of
what they alleged the Republicans
were evidently satisfied in their
own minds, but they had infexibly
determined that as their small majority
in the House needed strengthening, the
seating Of Mackey was party necessity,
and they were afraid to give the Demo
Gratis the opportunity to establish before
the country their charge of fraud. They
simply determined before hand that, &c
spite all evidence to condemn their
action, Mackey should. by foul means if
it could not be fairly accomplished, be
placed in position to increase their
voting power.
Having thus determined, and finding
. out that the Democrats would never con
sent to such a high handed proceeding
and such fragrant indignity upon the
honor of the House itself as long as it
could be prevented, they Immediately set
about accomplishing their purposes by
any means, however high handed, unjust
. or revolutionary, which were presented.
II was. therefore, determined to willfuIly
disregard the rules Of the House, which
had been supported by the Republicans
themselves for the protection of minOri-
ties, and to save the country and Con
gress from the arbitrary COZ
+ troll Of an INSCRIPTIONS msjOrity. To
this end it was necessary that their
( creature in the Speakers chair should
7 apply the gag law without mercy, even
though to do so it would be necessary
for him to indulge in reckless disregard
Of law, aud usurp authority to which he
had not the slightest right Such action
was revolutionary in the extreme, still
that was nothing in Radical eyes. A
\ party which had stolen the Presidency
/ Of the republic and a Senatorship from
I Louisiana could not be expected to hest
tate when the theft they now contem-
plated was simply that Of a member of
the lower house Of the Federal Legisla-
ture
By these revolutionary means Mr.. Dib-
I bic was ousted from his seat despite
( Democratic protest, and Mackey was in
I stalled therein. Thus the Radicals have
stolen one more vote, and having gone so
far it is MOTTO be expected they will stop.
Toe Dibble.Mackey outrage will be
promptly followed by others. General
I Finley, of Florida, has already been
forced to give way to the notorious Bisby
OF Bisbee, who has long been a chronic
sspirant for Congressional honors, which
the people of his district have steadily
denied him, aud Gen. Wheeler, of Ala
bsma, will he the next victim. But though
the Republicans will thus augment their
strength in Congress, will they do so be,
fore the country! They certainly should
not, since their course ought to
open the eyes Of the people to their dan
gerous tendencies, and to their unscrUpu-
lous disposition to seize the reins of gov
eminent whenever they cannot secure
/ control otherwise. Doubtless they think
that having stolen the Presidency, cor
rupted the voters of Indiana with brides,
seated Kellogg in face of the fact that
the pretended Legislature which elected
him was never recognized either by the
! State of Louisiana or the Federal ad-
ministratiOn, and committed other infa-
mics innumerable, they can still commit
any act, however egTegiously or fragrant
/ ly outrageous, with impunity. Perhaps
they are right. Certainly they have
cause to feel confidence, since the people
/ have, despite their universally recognized
unprincipledness, seen fit to keep them in
/ power. Still, the Democrats in this DID
ble-Mackey contest, have made gallant
| fight for right and justice, and thoroughly
| exposed afresh the reckless unscrupu-
lousness Of their opponents. 1t may be,
therefore, that this Mackey outrage may
prove the last straw to break the popular
/ cameis back
Tho chief OF the Rnroau of Statistics