The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-05-28
his opportunity to stab the party which
had so greatly honored him.
EDMUNDs's GREAT PAPER.


series of contributions by those who
since the close OF the War of tho Re
bcllion. Among other things up for
discussion in that series is ''The Hayes
Tilden Contest The May number OF
the Century had an. article by Colonel
Henry Watterson OF the Louisville
Courier Journal, giving the Democratic
partisan view of that contest. Mr..
Watterson expressed himself as firmly
of the opinion that the installation of
Mr.. HAYES was fraud upon the Amer
can people, and that Mr.. Tilden should
have had the Presidential office by
virtue of the election Of 1876. But his
article was in fact q rambling, partisan
claim, chiefly distinguished for its lack
| of authorities. Of documents, and of the
records of the time.
The June Century has a rejoinder by
former Senator, Edmunds, who is the
sole survivor OF the Electoral Commits
sion which passed upon the disputed
returns of the election of 1876 by
virtue of a law passed by Congress "a
| law, by the way, which was supported
with practical unanimity. by the Demo
Gratis, the Republicans atfording such
opposition to it as was recorded in the
yotes.) Senator Edmunds makes the
whole case crystal clear. He shows that
the points involved were not first dis
cussed AT that time He shows that
both parties united in good faith In
passing the Electoral Commission bill,
and that both parties acted candidlv in
the presentation Of the membership
of each upon the Electoral Commission
He shows that whenever a disputed re-
turn was referred to this Commission
for settlement the matter was con-
sidered faithfully and honestly by that
body. He shows further that Senator
Thurman a member of that Commits
sion, had on a previous occasion taken
exactly the opposite ground from the
Democratic contention in this Hayes
Tilden case. On being confronted with
this former declaration of his, there
was nothing for Mr.. Thurman to do
except to say. as he did say, 81 have
changed my mind. - Senator Bayard
also being confronted with similar
contrary opinion expressed by himself
in February, 1873, made no reply. In
all this, however, Mr.. Edmunds tcstifes
to his full belief in the honesty, in.
tegrity, and good faith Of Messrs. Thur
man and Bayard, and, indeed of all the
members of the Commission.
The pith of the central question in
the whole controversy was the power
Of Congress to go behind the returns,
duly certified by the States, as to the
result Of the election and the choice of
the electors in any State. Mr.. Ed
munds shows that the Constitution
gives to the States the complete power
OF certifying the result of the election
for President by the voters of the
State Senators Thurman and Bayard
had emphatically stated their agree
ment with this Constitutional provision,
that Congress had no power whatever
TO go back Of the certified returns OF
the States as to the electors chosen.
In all this matter, Senator Edmunds
presents the records fully and without
the possibility of dispute. 1t is paper
that has been much needed in the dis
cusson Of this controversy, and Sena-
tor Edmunds, in contributing it,
prefaces his paper by the statement
that he thinks the time has fully come
to give the facts and the record. In
this the American people will be en-
phatically with him, and will welcome
number of points that have not been
known, but as Illuminating the whole
subject under discussion, and showing
clearly the right Of the case establish
ing the Hayes claim.
In this same June number of the
Century Colonel Watterson has what is
called reioinder. But it is noticeable
that this rejoinder is absolutely lack
ing in support from any document, let
ters, kilograms, or records Of any kind,
1t is merely rambling attempt at
reply, without any substance at all to
it. Mr., Watterson evidently sees that
his case is lost; and be replies merely
from force of obligation to say some
thing, and from mere habit Of gar
rulity.
We do not imagine that any one will
ever have the nerve TO reopen the
Hayes-Tiden controversy on the record
on the law, and on the facts, after the
publication of this illuminating paper
of Senator Edmunds. Those who may
hereafter question the title Of Presi,
dent Hayes will have to do SO on
Hayes's own admissions with respect to
the governorships in the disputed
States. Governor Nichols of Louisiana
and Governor Chamberlain Of South
Carolina were ousted from the gov
ernorships to which they had been
elected in each case, they receiving
larger vote and a larger majority, each
in his respective State, than Hayes re-
celved. President Hayes consented to
Il &c ~