Year: 1877

/


lowing speech from Mr. Carr:


Mr.. Carr said: | have no hesi-


fancy in saying that my convictions


are that under the palpable facts be-


hind the Governor certificate the


vote of the State of Florida should
have been returned for Tildeu and
Hendricks, but, sir, at the same
time / hold that the Democratic
majority of this House has no NOR
al right to complain that this Com
mission has rendered partisan de-
cision in reporting the four electo-
raj votes of Florida for Hayes and
Wheeler. While / assert that this
decision is contrary to the facts and
contrary to the will of large ma


jority of the people of the United
States, yet as boldly assert that
wrong is chargeablc further back
than the Commission. The wrong
rests upon the shoulders of those
who establish this partisan tribunal.
When the Democratic majority of
this House adopted this law with
full knowledge that the majority of
the Commission would be Republi-
can, governed by Republican in
stincts, controlled by Republican
interests, warped by Republican hi
ases and moved BY Republican mo


tives, they deliberately abandoned
every claim which the Democratic
masses asserted to the control of our
national affairs. The Commission
have done no more nor less than
what could have been expected or re-
quired Of them. You erected po-
litical tribunal, invested it with po-
litical attributes, and gave them po-
litical questions to determine, which
they have settled from a political
standpoint. Being Republicans,
they believed that the Republican
candidate for the Presidedcy was
and ought to be elected. In max
ing their declaration they have been
true and faithful to their political
sentiments, education and associa


tions. No legal wrong can attach
to them for this; but when you who
are Democrats deliberately put such
power over such questions in the
hands of tribunal so constituted,
you committed n bold and daring
wrong to your pretended political
convictions, whose political senti-
ments and rights you betrayed and
abandoned to your political adver


saries. / arise to remind the Dem
ocratic majority that in common de


cency your votes on this measure
have estopped you from indulging
in even one word of criticism
against the decision of that tribunal.
Sirs, it is your own offspring. You
brought it into being. You gave it
life and power, and you alone are
responsible for the result. IL is no
excuse for you to assert that you
did not anticipate such result;
that you expected higher and better
things of your founding. You had
no more right to expect a tribunal
so constituted TO produce differ
ent result than to expect the thorn
bush to bring forth figs, nor will so
weak an apology save you from the
just condemnation which your be-
trayed and outraged constituency
will forever heap apon your treach-
erous head. Laughter and ap-
plause. No, sir; the wrong Is a
great and burning outrage, and lies
at your hands alone; nor will the
Democratic people be slow in as
certaining the true source of their
discontinue and defeat. 1t may
subserve your purposes for a brief
time 10 attempt TO shield yourselves
under the cover of hollow denunci-
ations of your tribunal as a cry of
'stop thief" and for moment may
delude the officers Of the law. but
when the mad populacc shall have
vented unmerited anger upon this
tribunal for a brief hour, IL will seek
the true object of its just indigna-
tion, and the blame will at last lie
where it properly belongs. The few
only who had the moral courage 10
take the floor, and amid the deris-
ion and contu mely OF the Demo
cratic majority, dared to warn you
OF the inevitable results Of that
days work, have the moral right TO
complain Of the end Of this days
labor. But, sirs. while they have
deep regrets as TO the action Of the
Commission, they have deep and
bitter denunciations and condemna-
tion to heap upon the heads of those
who, claiming TO be the leaders Of
the great Democratic party in this
trying hocr Of its existence, have
proven themselves either incompe-
tent from ignorance, or unworthy
for base reasons. Renewed laugh
ter and applause on the Republican
side. Here then, in the name Of
the Democracy Of the whole coun-
try, absolve that Commission from
all charges, save it may be that Of
an honest mistake. Ia the name Of
the same great power, j denounce
the majority of this House rs being |
for the wrong. and igno
rantly or corruptly recreant to the
which has been imposed
on them, and faithless 20 the trust
confided in them.