The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-07-15
a Esit Of History.

winch is interesting, III late, ana no
longer of value. 1t says The state
ment comes from Il responsible
and well-informcd source, and its
truth is vouched for in the most
solemn manner. The gist of the
storyis that it was well understood
by the Democratic leaders in con-
gress that Judges Field and Cliff
ford would vote for Judge Davis as
the fifth judge and fifteenth mem
Der of the commission, and that
the Republican Judge Strong would
also vote for him. This last fact
was not known to the Republicans.
On the 22nd of January a public
meeting was held'at the home town
of Judge Davis at which the elect
oral bill, reported four days before,
was emphatically Endorsed by care
fully drawn resolutions. Three
days after the bill a passed in
the senate and on the same day a
combination of Democrats and In
dependents in. the Legislature elect
ed Judge Davis United States SEN
ator. The account goes on to say:
Tho electoral bill was taken up in
the house about noon of Thursday,
the 2Gh of January. Representative
Payne of Ohio was in charge Oft, and
he asked and obtained unanimous con-
sent that tho vote upon lis passage
shonld be taken AT 3o'clock ofFriday,
the 26ih. The intervening twenty
seven hours were taken up in a debate
upon the bill.
Meanwhile Judge Davis was asked
whether his election as Senator would
deter him from assuming the response
bilily If chosen one of the electoral
commission. The answer was snch rs
to satisfy the Democrats. Had it been
otherwise, tho electoral commission
bill never would have passed the
house. Why should the leading Dem.
ocrats who were then in Congress re-
main under the imputation of having
been fools to be tricked. or towards tc
surrender, when they had really
guarded every pointi
OF course, Judge Davis had given
no assurance as to how he would de.
eide, neither had Field nor Miller
neither had Clifford nor Strong. But
that he would serve as one ofthe COM
mission was the certain expectation o
cEough Democrats 10 have beaten tbs
electoral bill if they had doubted him
As it was, the bill was passed, and the
friends of Mr.. Tilden were jubilant..
The foup Supreme Judges were tc
meet on the Both ofJanuary--fonr days
after the fiscal passage of the bill-fol
the purpose of deciding whether I'll.
den or Hayes should be the President
If Strong should vote with Field and
Clifford for Davis. Hayes could not in.
wade the White House. The occasion
was n momentous one. But before tht
time came to decide, Justice Strong
announced the fatal fact that his FRIEND
Davis had positively refused to be
voted for as one of the commissioners
The fifteenth member of the commits
sion had then-to be chosen from
among tho associate justices, Swayne
Bradley and Hunt. Many reason!
have been assigned why Bradley wa!
selected.
The main facts I have sought t.
'emphasize are that the Democrats be
lieyed that David Davis could ht
elected a commissioner and would
serve and that he only made his un'
willingness known after he. had been
made United Ststes Senator by Dem
ocratic votes and had allowed TIT
Democrats of the house to pass III,
electoral bill.
This statement puts in an unfa
vorable light the. action of Judg'
Davis in WITHHOLDING his refusa
Ito serve on the electoral commits
sion until after he had secured tn,
coveted senatorship by Democrat
votes. The Sun ventures the sug
/, gestion, out of respect probably t.
the memory of Judge Davis, tina
he may have discovered and con
cluded at the last moment that tn,
electoral commission bill was un
northumberland Plail
Dealer.