Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-11-25
SUNDAY. -. NOVEMBER %. 1883.


IfMAuoNE cen induce Judge BOND 10 issue
q writ Of olio ,eorrnuio as means Of contest
ING the election Of the electors Of President
ard Vice-Presdeut who have been chosen In
this state. the Democrats Of New York and In
diana can use the sane writ as means OF
showing Up the fraud. corruption, and In
timidaton which enabled Mr.. QUAY Tnd his
gang 70 claim that New York aud Indiana
had voted The Republican ticket. And the
prospect q having like contest in every
State IN tbe Union may perhaps cause QUAY
and his feHow-con'pIra,ors not 20 appeal TO
BOND TO aid them Ia olecting a Republican
President snJ Republican Congress.
There are numerous difficulties in the way
OF the success. ~ MALONE sccbme, and coun-
sellers more prudent than QUAY may advise
the little General not TO attempt TO play
desperate game Of political strategy with no
better partner than EOAD. Oregon, Calior-
min. Nevada. Colorado, Mnine, Texas, and
all the rest Of The sisters. have an equal right
wiki Virginia 20 engage in toe business OF
transferring the election o. President from
the electoral colleges 20 The partisan courts
which twenty-five years ~ Republic n par
tisan Presidents indicted upon a long-sufier-
ing people. Mr. THURMAN, too, msy desire
g. question the validity 81 the votes Of some
Of the Kentucky negroes who were col0nized
in Ohio aud Indiana, aud aided in carrying
those States Tor lligrIsOE and MORTON. Then,
too, uero rs the most important question
OF III as yc' undecided. and this is as 10 whe-
tier TIE Federal Government has any right
e interfere IN any manner with the choice
Of electors oi President and Vice President.
The FcdCrl Constitution provides that
electors Of President aud NlcesPresident
ahsll boz chosen 10 every State in such mau-
uor a. the Legislature Of said state shall d.
rect. THIS constitutional provision fur
nishes che State courts with a much better
warrant for interfering in such elections
Gbau MAu0,r and all hls lawyers can find in
that instrument o. Justify their proposed
guit. What comment upon our boosted
free institutions would DO suggested to
foreigners by the spectacle Of thlrty-eight
States torn and rcked with conflicts be-
TWEEN their local courts and usurping Fele-
raj couri-l
10 IL worthy Of mention that whilst tho
Federal sttu'cs except electors Of Presi-
dent and Nicc-prsilent from The officers
whose elections can be- contested in the usual
manner la Toe rclcl courts, they do not
except them when they come to the writ OF
quo trqIy01'0 Section 20lS Of the Ulited
States Statutes 40 LQrqe provides that
wherever any peuou Crclpt cougftssmen and
electors is deprived OF his Office by reason OF
tie denial OF nelr0's right TO vote, the
Federal courts shah have jurisdiction in the
contest f1r such Offices. section go gives
jurisdiction Co the Federal courts cIcept IN
Gases 81 the election OF congressman, presideu-
tial eicctor,, ana state lccisatoTs-that &, II
the contest turns upon the denial OF a ne
ero's right % vote. But the same section
gives 10 th0 Federal Circuit Court jursde-
Ton Of all proceedings 10y writ oi Glo ioar-
rani3 prosecuted by any district attorney 10
remove irom Office any unpardoned rebel
who holds amy Office, except that OF member
OF Congress or OF q state legislatures. The
electors Of President and Vice President are
n. excepted Iini, OF course, this excep.
ton csnno, constitute the foundation Of such
suit a. MtHoSE's against the Virginia elect
ogs. wao are not uupardOned "rebes."
MAuoNe would not know any better than to
authorize writ 81 Dc applied for under this
section, but Mr. SHELIABEsGER would.
We think it may DO safely predicted that
upon whatever basis the writ Of quo '7ar-
Ta,,to Is TO he founded which General MA
HONE intends to ask for, the ultimate conse-
quences Of interference by The Federal courts
uuder such circumstances as now exist will
deter even DoND from proceeding very far
under that writ