The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-01-07
The Duty of Congress.

"o''t~' ~ Il = - tOHN.
The Duty of Congress.
By the last elections the Republic
cans were again fully entrusted with
the destinies of this country; the
Democratic majorities in both branch
es of Congress disappeared. AT that
election the main questions before
the people We're the preservation of
the national credit, the protective
tariff, and the national banks. Upon
these subjects the voice of the people
gave forth no uncertain sound. But
in some of the Southern States,
where the good sense of the people
al large is in accord with the Repuh-
licans upon the questions above
named. they were returned a class of
men whose existence in Congress is a
source of danger to the best interests
of the country. 1t is well under
stood in some parts Of the South that
a false count or a stuffed bailot-b0X
seat inen To Congress that the honest
! ,najorities of the people never select
ed. Public opinion in certain States
justfies cheating the colored voters
in any way that is possible. To
avoid what the old Confederate gen.
erals hold to be the nightmare OF ne.
gro majnrities. men otherwise hon
orabe have given countenance to the
most open and notorious election
frauds. This has been justified by
the Democratic and Bourbon organs
in the South. The consequence has
been that decent men have in some
States withdrawn from politics, being
unwilling personally to soil their
hands with the dirty sWindles which
they knew were going on. and whose
"poiilical necessity" they apologized
for and thus the elections in some of
the Southern States have been placed
in the hand of a vile and unprinci-
pied set of sharpers. who, being justi
fled by public opinion in cheating
the negroes, go op with impunity
to additional swindles on their own
account.
1t has thus happ' ned that men
have been counted into seats in Con.
gress who do not really represent
their constituencies, and these are for
the most part men whose political
complexion upon finance, public
credit, the tariff and the national
banks il such as to make their pres
ence in Congress a standing menace
of bad legislation. 1t is a serious, if
not an alarming, thought that The
well being of the whole people is at
the risk of combination of the OPP
position elements to the Republican
party. There are bitter haters of the
national banks, nocmpromising op.
ponents to sound protective tariff,
silver lunatics and infiationisls in
Congress now, who owe their seats to
tissue ballots and false counts.
BY the Constitution each house of
Congress is the judge Of the elections,
returns and qualifications of its own
members, and this is duty in which
stern judicial attitude should be
maintained. Under ordinary circum-
stances the presumptions are that the
credentials are what they on their
face purport to be. The prima facia
right Of a member elect to be enrolled
cannot be denied. But where mem
ber-elect comes from region where
public opinion justifies election
frauds, where it is held to be "de-
Tending civilization" to defraud the
colOred voter, the presumption of
fact is that he Was not fairly elected.
A majority has no need to cheat IA
minority. ItsimDly Outyotes it. And