Year: 1877

4


Their ship Aground.


There was an uneasy apprehensive feel
ing in Washington during the greater part
| of yesterday. The democratic flibusters
seemed to have gained strength since Satur-
day, and the sense Of alarm which thereupon
arose was spread far and wide through the
| telegraph wires. The evening newspapers
in every part of the United States contained
dispatches which conveyed an impression
that the completion of the count might be de-
feated by the flibusters and that necessity
might arise for new Presidential election
next autumn. 1t was so clearly within the
power of the democrats to spin out the pro-
ceedings by dilatory devices and prevent
any result previous to the 4th OF March
that the symptoms of an intention to exert
this malign power were naturally looked
upon with alarm. motion was carried In
the House to listen to the reading OF the
evidence which impugned the eligibility OF
one of the Pennsylvania electors. That evil
dence was not long, but it seemed to open
the way for reading prolix statements in
connection with other uncounted States 1t
was undoubtedly meant by the movers
as n stratagem for consuming time
and defeating the purpose of the Electoral
law. 1t is no wonder that it's success
caused anxiety and misgiving, tho time for
completing the count being now SO short
that slight distractions might defeat an
election. But the heavy cloud which
seemed to be settling over the prospect was
lifted and dispelled by the action of the
House at a later stage of the days proceed
ings.


The rakish craft of the filibusters, which
sailed into the contest in the early part of
the day with flying colors, was hit by
damaging shot between wind and water
when purely dilatory motion was made
to take recess until to-day. The
flibusters were badly beaten, the vote
being only SO for to 17S against the
proposed recess---the most disastrous check
yet encountered by the malcontents The
object of the flibusters in proposing this
recess was to gain one days time by prevent
ing.any action yesterday on the South Caro-
lima case. Had they succeeded in this at
tempt they would not only have wasted q
day when time has become so important
but have opened the door for similar rccesses
on every occasion when the two houses
separate to consider objections. Had this
motion succeeded the South Carolina
case would not have been given
to the commission until to-day at
the very earliest the decision could
not have been announced before tomorrow;
similar dilatory recess would have carried
it over to Thursday, when only two days
would have remained for completing the
count, with prospect of objections to the
vote of Vermont and to that of Wisconsin.
The objection to the VWmont vote would
have furnished q pretext for recess until
Friday and the Wisconsin objection pre-
text for recess until Saturday, which will
be the last day of tho session.


The decisive, overwhelming vote of moro
than two to one against the proposed recess
brought, therefore, great sense Of relief
1t was clear demonstration that the fill
busters are in a hopeless minority, and that
all attempts on their part to prevent n COM
pletion Of the count will miscarry. 1t is an
encouraging symptom that the nail thus
driven into the coffin Of the flibusters by
the splendid majority of 17S to SO
against this recess was clinched by
an adroit stroke Of parliamentary
tactics of which the credit belongs
to Mr.. Fernando Wood. No man has a
keener eye to detect the political drift. He
saw at once when the motion of the fill
1


busters for recess had been voted down by
so strong a majority that they were destined
to defeat He accordingly did one of those
brilliant things which are possible only to
men who have quick and sure eye in sud-
den emergencies. He moved q reconsidera-
ton of the vote against o recess, and then
to lay that motion on the table,
the motion to lay on the table
being triumphantly carried, which pre-
cluded as Mr. Wood intended, the renewal
of the motion for q recess before the re-
assembling of the joint convention to act on
the case of South Carolina. BY this dexter
Gus stroke the filibusters were checkmated
for the day, the joint convention met to
count the votes of South Carolina, the dis
pute respecting this State was referred to
the commission, and the chances now are
that the count will be completed on Wednes-
day. 1t is due to Mr. Wood that his prompt
perception Of the weakness of the filbusters
should be recognized, and that he should
have credit for his brilliant stroke of parlia-
mentary tactics which followed up and an
initiated the enemy.


There is no excuse for any kind of dill
atory measures since the certainty has be-
come so clear that Mr.. Hayes will be the
next President unless the purpose of the
Electoral law is defeated. The objection
made yesterday to one of the Pennsylvania
electors was SO utterly frivolous that the