Year: 1877

Our institutions are really in great danger,
but it is likely to come in n shape some
what different from that which is appre-
hended. We have no fears of civil war |;
no apprehension of a dislocation of the fed
eral government; and, even if the federal
government should be temporarily disabled,
no fear that the result would be general
anarchy. Our political system has its
strong as we'll rs its weak points, and
among the strongest is the effectual
barrier against social chaos which ex-
lists in our State governments. In its
general outlines our system is the wisest and
safest ever devised by human sagacity. Our
double system, which commits ordinary in
terests to local control and clothes the CEN
trail government with the external affairs of
the country, is great safeguard against
anarchy. All the ordinary interests OF So
ciety are intrusted to the protection OF the
State governments. The preservation OF
order, the punishment Of crimes, the en-
forcement of contracts, the creation OF cor
porations, the collection of debts, the admin
istration Of justice between man and
man, the descent of property to heirs, the
transfer of real estate, the regulation Of mar
riage-in short, ali the ordinary means for
the preservation Of order, come within the
jurisdiction of the State governments, which
insure us against the dissolution of civil
society even if we should be overtaken by
so great calamity as transient suspen-
sion Of the federal authority. Even On
interruption Of the postal service is an evil
that could be borne. Our express and tele-
graph companies might serve as partial
substitute, although the, inconvenience
would be great, especially in parts of the
country remote from the principal lines Of
communication. A deadlock in the federal
government would nevertheless involve us in
fearful perils Of another kind. We should
be at the mercy of foreign governments.
The regulations pertaining to our foreign
commerce would fall to the ground, and our
paper currency would SO depreciate as to
throw all business into utter arrangement.
Although the State governments would pro-
tect us against social anarchy we should be
plunged into commercial chaos. We do not
fear this great calamity, because we are con-
fident that whoever may be declared Presi-
dent the appropriation bills will be passed,
and the authority of the President de tacto
will be generally recognized in spite of any
defects in his title.


The danger which confronts US is not so
cial anarchy, against which our State gov
crnments are competent to protect us; nor
q suspension of the federal government,
which public opinion would not tolerate
under any provocation; nor civil war, which
the defeated party could not attempt with
out utter ruin; but the real danger is that
such disgust with our institutions may
grow out of this protracted agitation and
turmoil that the people will be ready to ac-
cept any change which holds out o promise
of greater stability and better protection
against the convulsive politics from which
all interests suffer.


Our Presidential elections are the weak
point in our system. Even at best they have
a disturbing influences During the last
half of every administration oil the public
functionaries are absorbed in schemes for
electing the next President. The session of
Congress which precedes Presidential cleo
tion is wasted in political manGuvres, and
it happens now that the session which fol-
lows the Presidential election is equally abb
sorbed in strenuous partisan endeavors.
We are threatened with q still further con-
tinuance of this prolonged interruption Of
wholesome legislation, by plunging the coun-
try anew into the heat and turbulence of o
Presidential contest in the year following the
Centennial. II the two houses should be
unable to agree on rule for counting the
electoral votes and there should be o con-
flict preventing any result before the 4th of
March we should Immediately find our
selves in the midst of another Presidential
struggle more bitter and envenomed than
the one from which we have not yet emerged.
Every hope of an early revival of business
would be shattered by such o contest Fully
two years would he worse than wasted in
time when the present turmoil began and
running on until the two houses of Congress
should have counted and declared the cleo
toral votes Of 1877. And, after all, the same
questions that now distract the country
might return upon us after the vote in new
set of Electoral Colleges.


Every well-wisher of our institutions will
desire to avoid the renewal Of o party con-
test fraught with so many evil consequences.
Business will be checked and enterprise dis
couraged until our political difficulties are
settled, and almost any early settlement
would be preferable to new Presidential elec-
ton this year under the clumsy, defective
system whose evils are now for the first time
fully disclosed The country cannot afford
to have another Presidential election until
the present bad system shall have been
amended In the meantime it is 'better to
suffer the ills we have than fly to others that