Year: 1879

There is significance attaching to the
Corbin Butler contest for seat in the Unit
ed States Senate from South Carolina that is
not generally understood by the public. On
the decision of that question may depend
the partisan complexion of that body in
1881. The committee on privileges and
elections has reported in favor of the claim
of Corbin, and if this report is concurred
in, the Senate will stand after the 4th of
March next Al Democrats, "a Republicans,
and l Independent. Of the vacancies oc-
curing on March 4, 1881, five are those
made by retiring Democrats from the States
of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Ohio
and Pennsylvania, all of which at present
possess Republican legislatures. If there
should be no change in the political COM
plexion of these States, the Republican party
even with the loss of Senator Bruce from
Mississippi, would have thirty-eight mem
bers, a plurality of the whole Senate, leaving
David Davis to be in the future as he has
been in the past party to himself.


Mr.. Corbin has no just claim upon the
seat to which he lays claim. He was elected
by boiling portion of the legislature OF
South Carolina, which, being minority OF
the whole number of members, had no more
right to elect Senator than the provincial
parliament of Ontario. Yet, now that there
is bare possibility that his vote will deter
mine the political complexion of the next
Senate two years hence, a party committee
has reported in favor of seating him and
kicking out man who was legally chosen
by a legally constituted legislature of the
State. It would be in perfect accord with
the past record of the party to carry out this
iniquitous scheme, for it has been repeatedly
proved that whenever party exigencies re-
quire there is no outrage upon the rights of
the people too great to deter them. But
they will do we'll to bear in mind that in this
matter they will be establishing precedent
that may return to plague the inventor.
There is in the Senate at present a man who
has no valid claim to his seat-Kellogg, of
Louisiana. Even the Republicans con-
fessed that his pretense of an
election was utterly untenable, and refused,
until the party required his vote, to admit
him. 70 expel him would be an act of
equity, but sooner than do so at the risk OF
party favoritism being charged upon them
the Democrats will probably allow him tc
remain till the expiration of his term. But
if the Republicans at the present session
perpetrate SO gross an outrage as to give
Gen. Butler seat to Corbin, the Democrats
in the next Senate will be compelled in self
defense to kick the disreputable carpet
Dagger from Louisiana out into the street
They would not only have the right, bu
they would be under moral obligation tt
do so.


We confess to surprise at finding paper
of such eminent responsibility as the New
York Times, that has always been foremos
in denouncing the disreputable tricks thai
have characterized the party in the past, de-
Tending the proposition to admit Corbin or
the ground of party expediency. The Time.
knows that Senator Buffers election was
legal and regular, and that to depose him
would be fragrant outrage against which
the people of South Carolina would have
right to protest most vehemently. It be-
Titles any newspaper laying claim to re-
spectabilitY or fairness to assume such ar
indefensible position.