Year: 1877

in the decision of the electoral COM
mission, yesterday, Hon. Nathan T.
Carr, an Indiana Democrat, elected to
fill the unexpired term of the lamented
M. G. Kerr, administered scathing
rebuke to his recalcitrant brethren,
from which we quote as follows:


doubt not that under palpable facts
behind the governors certificate, Flor
ida should have been returned for
Tilden, but hold that the Democratic
majority has no moral right to COM
plain that the commission rendered
partisan decision in reporting the votes
for Hayes. Though this decision was
contrary to the facts and the will of the
people, yet the wrong is chargeable
further back than the commission,
namely, on those who established this
partisan tribunal. When the Demo-
cratic majority of the House adopted
this law, with full knowledge that
a majority of the commission would
be Republican, governed by Republican
instincts, controlled by Republican in
terests, warped by Republican biases
and moved by Republican motives,
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 or should
have been expected or required of them.
You erected a political tribunal, in
vested it with political attributes, and
gave the members political questions to
determine, which they have settled
from political standpoint. Being
Republicans, they believed that the
Republican candidate for the Presi-
dency was and ought to be elected. In
making their declaration they have
been true and faithful to their political
sentiments, education and associations.
No legal wrong can attach to them for
this, but when you Democrats delibe-
rately put such power over such ques-
tions in the hands of tribunal so con-
structed, you committed bold and
daring wrong to your pretended pcliti-
cal convictions, and assuredly to your
political associates, whose political SEN
timents and rights you betrayed and
abandoned to your political adversaries.


Iarise tn remind the Democratic ma
jority that in common decency your
votes on this measure have stopped
you from indulging in even one word
of criticism against the decision of that
tribunal. 1t is your own offspring.
You brought it into being; you gave it
life and power, and you alone are
responsible for the result. 1t is no ex-
cuse for you to assert that you did not
anticipate such result-that you ex-
pected higher and better things from
your founding. You had no more
right to expect tribunal so consti-
'tuted to produce a different result
than to expect thorn bush to
hiring forth figs, nor will SO weak an
apology save you from the just condem-
nation which your betrayed and out
ragged constituency will forever heap
upon your treacherous heads. The
wrong is great and burning outrage.
1t lies ut your hands, and at your hands
alone; nor will the Democratic people
be slow in ascertaining the true source
Of their discontinue and defeat. 1t
may subserve your purpose for brief
time to attempt to shield yourselves
under cover of hollow denunciations of
your tribunal. The cry of "stop thief"
for moment may delude officers of the
law, but when the mad populace shall
have vented its unmerited anger upon
this tribunal for brief hour, it 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 to
stand here upon this floor and, amid
the derision and contumely of the Dem.
ocratic 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 re-
grets as to the action of the commits
sion, they have deep and bitter denun-
Citations and condemnation to heap on
the heads of those who, claiming to be
the leaders of the great Democratic
party in this trying hour of its exist
ence, have proven themselves either in
competent from ignorance, or unworthy
for base reasons.


Here, then, as in the name Of the
Democracy Of the whole country, alb
solve that commission from all charges,
save, it may be, that of an honest mis-
take, and in the name of the same
great power denounce the majority Of
this House as being responsible for the
wrong, and recreant, ignorantly or cor
ruptly recreant to the confidence which
has been reposed in them, and faith
less to the trusts confided in them.