New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-29
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4 AW-RREAKER.

The Governor of West Virginia. being
Democrat of the sort which THE TRIBUNE
without hesitation calls disloyal sets an ex-
ample that his political friends may well hope
their opponents will never see ut 10 follow.
According to dispatches, he gives certlhcateS
of election to two Democratic members OF Con
gress- elect whose seats are contested by ne
publcans, but refuses to give certificates TO TWO
Republican members of Congress-elect whose
seats are contested by Democrats. If the dis
patches do not misrepresent the matter, these
four persons, two Of each party, were elected
on the face of the returns, and in accordance
with decisions of the courts in the various
cases. but the Governor constituted himself
returning board, and declined to respect the
returns when they indicated the election OF
his opponents. 1t is not intended to do the
Democratic Governor any injustice, and every
good citizen will hope that facts or provisions
of law not yet made known may afford some
color of justification for his conduct for II 1t
be correctly reported, it is simply case OF
naked and impudent law-brealdng.
The Governor who breaks the law sets a
dangerous example to his people and to other
Governors 1t is Of all forms of disloyalty one
of the most pernicious, and this particular
Democrat could much more easily be forgiven
past conduct as a whipped rebel than present
conduct as a defer Of the statutes he has sworn
to obey and enforce. There may be found
some process by which even the instrument OF
West Virginia bandits can be made TO feel that
a civilized Nation condemns him. Public
opinion may not count for much, it is true, to
an official who owes his political existence to
such violators of law as have been operating
in West Virginia, but he may perhaps be
reached nevertheless, if Federal courts or Con-
gress take cognizance of his behavior.
The question which will at once be suggested
to every mind is whether our form of self
government could continue to exist at all, If
other Governors were also law-breakers, as
this person appears to be. What would be our
form of government if, after the people had
voted in Ohio or any other State, the Governor
should calmly proceed to give or withhold GER
tain certificates as he might please? How
would it be if Republican Governors in Illinois,
Michigan or California should act on the same
plan? The principle could be carried only
shade further. Ii would next become a po-
htical necessity for State Canvassers to refuse
of adverse politics, on some pretext of legal
informality political necessity for Repub-
ican Legislature to count in Republican can
didates every time, and to count out Demo
Gratis and so it would presently come to pass
thai voting would be a miserable farce and
waste of time.
Only one thing saves this Nation from an
archy-the respect of decent citizens for law.
If the Governor of West Virginia has put aside
law in order to serve his party, he is astOnish-
ingly foolish in this case, for there is a Re-
publican majority to organize the House with
out either Of the members from West Virginia,
but that does not make him decent man.
1t does not make his conduct less disgraceful
or less disloyal. In that case this particular
Democrat will be considered, by every re-
spectacle citizen of any party, person incom-
parably more guilty and more dangerous to
civilized society than any of the thieves, muir
derers, bandits and other criminals who are
hunted BY the law.