New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-19
ROBBING CONSTITUENCIES.

ROBBING CONSTITUENCIES.
It seem to be the intention of the Democrats in
the House to prevent by ii clustering any 0ecls-
ion on the contested election cases at the South.
Ii is given out that, without formal resolution,
this was the conclusion to which the Democrats
in caucus virtually arrived, and some journals,
more or less Democratic in their sympathles,
are already warning Democratic members that
such course would be in the last Dc gree fool
ish and suicidal. But the Democratic party has
a wonderful talent for doing things of that Sort
Every time it has approached within reach Of
national success, its idiots have Immediately
leaped to the 'front.' seized the leadership, and pro-
ceeded to do the sliest thing then possible. There
are signs that the performance is to be repeated
The Democrats have persuaded themselves
that their success in 1884 has been virtually
insured by Republican dissensions. All the
long cared members of the party are getting
impatient to grasp the leadership before the
victory shall be won.
Ii is the fashion among Democratic poll
tlcians to treat with infinite contempt and
derison all suggestions of public duty. Show
them that a course will help or hurt the party,
and they may isten-though the idiots rarely
listen even then. But it is of no sort OF use to
reason with a Democratic politician that a
course must hurt the party because IL is dishon-
est or against the public interest. His fixed
idea is that the majority of the voters are
| either knaves or fools That is his fatal mis-
| take.
1t is the sworn duty of a member of Congress
| to have cases of contested election acted upon
| tl,.t 4 hall
not be robbed of representation by the men
of their choice. No duty can be higher, because
the character of all legislation depends upon
| the fidelity of representation. member OF
| Congress who will vote to deprive district OF
| its chosen representative for Il week OF month
is as guilty as he who votes to seat man who
| was never elected. A member who will vote to
rob a district of representation by the man
actually chosen in accordance with law, wha.-
ever his professions Of virtue may be, will vote
| to rob the people of money or OF any dear and
| sacred rights He is dishonest knave, and,
with inducement and the prospect of impunity,
| will act the scoundrel i'll any other way. The
| plain people who make the majorities III this
country are not in the habit OF forgetting this
fact, as some members of Congress do The
| people value their right to be represented. lie
who Intentionally deprives any district OF that
right, the people we'll know, is a thief, whether
he does it for personal or partisan reasons.
| When a member brings a contested case to
direct vote, he can generally persuade con-
/ stituents that he voted according to his hon
est Judgment upon the law and the facts. In
most cases, there is some argument and some
evidence on both sides, and an error OF judg-
| of oh ia Iish U
But member who votes to prevent deci-
sion has no such excuse BY refusing to permit
| the case to be decided at all, he gives the
best possible reason for the belief that
he does not intend that it shall be decided
honestly. His sworn duty as member is to
aid the transaction of public business, and not
| to block the wheels of government by refus-
| ing to submit to the decision of the majority
unless in extreme emergency. When mem
Der takes it for granted that the majority OF
| the body to which he belongs will decide a
| contest against him, and resorts to filibustering
| in order to prevent the majority from deciding
| at all, he challenges public attention TO his
acts, and to the reasons which he can give
for "A course so revolutionary. The presump-
| ton is strongly against him. The evidence
| that he is in the right, and that the majority,
if able to act at all, would do gross injustice,
must be exceedingly clear and convincing, OF
| the public will at once condemn him as a dis
honest knave, who, for partisan or personal
reasons, seeks to rob the people of their right
to representation.
| 1t happens that the country knows some
| thing already of the conduct of elections at the
| South. Decent Democrats have been obliged
for years to hide their faces for shame, when
| White Leagues, Ku Klux Klans, masSacres,
assassinations and hoggings, fraudulent regis
trations, tissue ballots, and perjured returns
| have been discussed. There is hardly an in
telligent man in the country who has not
formed the opinion that the Democrats have
carried Southern elections by fraud or violence
in great many cases, and, Ill fact, this has been
repeatedly admitted by Southern journals, OF
which some have insisted that "the people" were
justified hy extreme necessity, while others have