Year: 1877

wAsaINeFoE, February 10. lit VIA
very generally said to-day that Sena


tor COnkliugs.had expressed, In conver


saiion with his friends, his unqualified


disapproval Of the action OF the com


mission in the Louisians case. Ot


this there seems to be little doubt. Il


was also rumored that he would, in the


Senate, when the decision Of the COM
mission came up for action, take strong


ground against sustaining II. This
rumor drew to the Sentate side an i'm


mense crowd, and curiosity was ON the


tiptoe during the whole of the two


hours discussion. But Mr.. ConklIng


did not appear iu his seat at all, ahd


wnen tho vote was taken he was not


there to record his name. Perhapshe


will do like Mr.. Purman. Of Florida,


come publicly and express his hon


est opinion when it is too late to he Of


any practical good. Mr.. Conkling


missed splendid opportunity to>day


to set himself very high 10 the respect


of the people. L..


Several republican Senators can be


named who would have been glad to
follow his lead had he possessed the
manliness to denounce what he knows
to be an outrage ON free government,
and 1t is net at all improbable that had
he been so disposed he could have se>
cured the reversal Of the august judg~
ment of the commission. A very sig
nincant circumstance was the absence
from the Senate to-day of Mr.. Ed
munds, who persuaded Judge Thur
man to pair with him. He is on rec
ord in the Senate as having given the
opinion that the Louisiana returning
board was an illegal body, and its
manner of canvassiDg votes not worthy
of respect or consideration. He went
b ok on this record in the recent SEES
sions OF the electoral commission, but
he did not want TO do it squarely in
the open session OF The Senate.


fa JUSTICE BRApLEY's COURT. a
In Supreme Court circles to-day it was
said that Justice Bradley was feeling
very unhappy over the unpleasant pO-
sition in which he was now placed, and
was much exercised by the criticisms of
the public press on his action. 1t was
said that he was conscious of the wrong
which had been perpetrated by the re-
tutning board of Louisiana, but that he
felt himself powerless, according to his
on of the constitution and the
law, to correct it. 1t must add tb the
piognancy of Justice Bradley's feelings to
know the baser class of republican four
mails which approve of his partisan
course.


A member of the electoral commission.
speaking tonight on this subject, said
that Justice Bradley ought to feel very
badly, as he had certainly put himself in
q most indefensible attitude. The urem-
ises which he laid down in the Florida
case, and the conclusions which he drew
were directly to the contrary
of his conclusions in the case. The mem
Der of the commission further said that
he regretted the action of Justice Brad
ley and his republican associates of the
Supreme Court, more especially for the
reason that their action had ruined the
court in the affections of the people, and
from this time henceforth until there was
a radical change in its membership il
would be looked upon in no other light
than that OF partisan tribunal. The
case Of Justice Bradley is indeed most
pluaole one. Sometimes during the dis
cussions OF the commission he was COM
pletely. cornered by other members.
When he was laying down the opinion
that II was not competent to 90 behidd
the Governors certificate Senator Bay-
ard put him the question: "Suppose
State should elect double the number of
electors to which it is entitled, Or the
electors of State should vote for an
alien for President, would there be no
power to remedy this 2" Unable to re.
ply. Justice Bradley hung down his
head in his abject partisanshfp.