Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-12
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 70. 1884.
New York-The Event.

Al, eyes are turned TO the State OF New
York. Nobody can think Of anything else
than the probable or possible results oil the
csnvsss OF the returns begun yesterday in
that State BY the canvassing boards OF the
various counties and cities. The probable
result "a the peaceful acqulescencc OF the
Republican conspirators In the declaved
will OF the people, and the seating OF
GEovER CLEVELAND In the presidential
chair. The possible result is an attempt to
Illustrate the will ef the people and
scat JAMES G.. BLAINE In the presidential
chair ss the last President Of this hereto.
fore free republic. For II the methods OF
clrctipg President which have character.
tied the Republican side in this campaign
shall prove successful, It were folly to ex.
pcct another election that would be any
thing else than a mere formal registering
OF the will OF the oflice.holders.
Again: II the county boards Of canvass
ers should pretend 10 have found such err
rors In the aggregate as will tohen corrected
at Albany give the vote OF New YORK TO
BLAINE, we do not believe that the State
Beard OF Canvassers will consent TO make
any such pretended corrections. That
Board has already In its possession the GER
tiled returns from every county In the State.
In order 10 the election OF BLAINE, IL l.
necessary that these returns shall be al
tered by the State Board OF Canyassers so
M 10 cause them TO agree with the new re-
turns which will be sent up TO Albany as a
result OF the count commenced In The
several counties yesterday. large ma
iority OF the canvassing boards OF the
counties are Republican-that is, ma
jority Of the members OF most OF
those boards are Republicans. But Re-
publican officials have already forwarded
TO Albany, as we have said before, returns
certified to be correct, and II Is too late,
sitter these Republicans have learned that
they can elect Mr.. BLAINE by a miscount,
for them to expect the public TO accept such
action rs honest and binding upon The
State Board OF Canvassers. We say, there
fore, that II the result OF The canvass COM
menced yesterday by the county boards
shsn be TO show that CLEVELAND has carried
New York. that will settle the matter.
There will be no further dispute. There
will no trouble follow. But II the result
of that canvass shall be TO show that BLAINE
has carried New York. the controversy
will he transferred TO Albany, and econ
fusion worse COMPOUNDED" will reign |
throughout the country until next We'd
nesdsy. Nobody will believe that 1t is
anything but a false "showing." The
fraud OF 1877 is too fresh in the public
mind. The lmpudent claim set up last
week that Florida. West Virginia. Indiana.
and Virginia bad voted for BLAINE has dis
posed the people to doubt the validity OF
auy claim that NAV be made by the same
Conspirators.
Once more II the count OF the county
boards shall elect BLAINE, and the count
of the state Board shall elect CLEVELAND,
the controversy will be transferred to
Washington city, and there will be no
peace In the country before the ith OF
March next.
The Court Of Appeals oiNew York State
IL one Of the purest and best in the United
States. We have confidence in that trlbu-
nal. Il, therefore, as is threatened by the
Republicans, the lower courts should begin
10 issue writs OF mandcmuS ordering the
election Officers to certify the truth OF the
crooked returns OF the Blaineites. the
country may rest assured that the court OF
last resort win issue writs OF prohibition,
or otherwise correct the decisions OF the
lower courts which will thus have abased
themselves.
But Il will be said thai inasmueh u Mr.
CARR, the Republican Secretary OF State at
Albany. the capital Of New York, is the
last State officer through whose hands the
returns will pass, or, rather, that he viii
have to certify the action OF tie State Board
OF Csnvassers to the two houses OF Con-
gre~, the Republicans win have his as
sistance at the supreme moment. There
Is, we would fam hope, no iounda-
ton here upon which to base hope.
Mr.. CARR has already given the most posi-
tive assurances that II CLEVELAND has one
majority his vote as member OF the State
Board Of Canvassers will be east in favor
Of irving the return 20 CLEVELAND.
there be truth in him, he cannot execute
the will Of the consplra,ors; and yet, 4
the perplexity Of the Democrats, it is as
serted that he Is undecided a. TO his pow
es. In other words, he doesn't Know
whether or not he has the right to refus
10 certify the result ascertained by Thu
State Board OF Canvassers. But rs be Is
n member Of the Board-the only Republi
can among five MEMBERSHIP will probabl,
be made TO understand that when tn
board have acted no enc Of the i've cal
afterwards change the result ascertained b.
the Board as u whole. AZ any rate, th'
other four members will be sure, In tn
contingency supposed, TO certify to the TIVE
Houses OF Congress the election Of th
CLEVELAND electors 10 the State Of New
York.
It's not too soon for the people TO b.
bordering these possibilities. The life o
the republic Is Ut stake. Though the worlC
is many thousands OF years old. the peopl
had never before this Government Wa
founded proved that they were capable o
ruling themselves. Surely there Is reason
for asking whether ours Is the frst success
or the last failure Of republican institu
tions.
The Election Laws.
The United States Statutes at Large pro
vide that Federal supervisors NAV b.
present whenever voters are registered