Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 February 1877 — THAT BILL. [ARTICLE]

THAT BILL.

1W «M*Ued corn promise biU fee the appointment of * admit commission of fat justices of the rapreoae court, five sen•tora, uixl fire me tubers cf tbc bouse of lasirussiitstirni Co M 4« questions srisin K fas the counting cf the doctoral rctci ftr uresideut and vice president of the United States, passed congress bj s Urg* majuntj iu each bouse, was spprousd br President Grunt, and has be. ecsse a iav. Tbs gentlemen composin g the eonanuMiou are Justices Gifford, Strong, Miller Field, and Bradley, probably, though at this writing he has not been chosen, three republicans and two democrats; Senators Edmonda, Morton, Fmlinghuysen, Thurman and Bayard, three republicans and two democrats ; and Representatives Payne, Hunton, Abbott, Garfield and Ho*r, three democrats and two republicans. The commission will enter upon its duties to-day, and it is thought that fan two to three weeks will be reqniped to complete their labors. A strong array of legal talent baa been engagwl by bqjth political parties. The democratic oounael are Jeremiah Black, ax -senator Mutt Carpenter, exrassociatc justice Campbell, and it is said Hop. Benjamin F. Butler, for the republicans Wm. M. Evarts, K. M . Stoughton, Stanley Mathews, Robert Jngersoll and Mr. Sbcllabarger. Prosideot Grant accompanied his approval of the bill with a message in which he act forth at considerable length his reasons therefor. In it ho takes Hie position that at one time the peace of the nation was in imminent peril fan the excitement occasioned by the intensity of partisan feeliug, and that in his judgment this measure afforded a wise and constitutional means of escape from the danger. In conclusion he says: For the first time in the history of our country, under the constitution usltuow la, a dispute exists with regard to the result of fire election of chief magistrate of the nation. It is understood that upon the disposition of the disputes touching the electoral votes east at the late election by one or more of tue states depends the question whether one or the other of Lire candidates for the presidency is the lawful chief magistrate. The importance of having clearly ascer- j Uined by procedure regulated by law j which of the two citizens has been i elected, and of having the right to , this high office recognised and cheerfully agreed in by all the people of the republic, cannotoeoverestimated, and leads me to express to congress and to the nation my great satisfaction at the 1 adoption of a measure that affords orderly means of decision of the 1 gravely exciting questions. While I tue history of our country iu its ear- j Her periods shows that the president 1 of the senate has counted the votes j and declared their standing, our whole j history shows that iu no instauce of j doubt or dispute hss he exercised tire j power of decidiug, aud that the two , houses of oongress have disposed of' ail such doubts aud disputes, although i ip po instance hitherto have they i Been such that their decision could ] have affected tire result. JPor Lba first Ume. then, the govern- I merit of the United States is now ; brought to meet the question as one vital to the result, and this under conditions pot best calculated to produce agreement or to induce calm feeling; Iu the several branches of the govern- j luent. or auioug the people of the country. In a case where, os now, > the result is involved, it is the highest: duty of tire law-making {rower to provide fn advance a constitutional, or- j derljraud just method of executing tire constitution in this most interesting and critical clause of its provis- i ions. The doing so, far from being a coni promise of right, is an enforce- j ment of right, and au execution of the 1 powers conferred by the constitution Iu congress. I think that ttiis orderly ! method has been secured by the bili,! which, appealing to the constitution and b»W as a guide in ascertaining the rights, provides means of deciding the auestions of single returns through 1 irpgt action of congress, and in reapect tip double returns by the tribunal or irupdry. whose decisions stand uu- j less bot£) houses of congress shall con<cur in determining otherwise, thus seen ring definite disposition of all /juestinu.s.of djsyubc, ip whatever asarise. W ith or without thi# tow, as all ‘of the states have jroted, and as a tie vote is impossible, It must be that one of tlie two candidates has been elected, and it would I«e deplorable to witness an irregular controversy as ,to which of the two should receive or which should coniipue to hold office. In all periods of history controversies have arisen as to the suoaessiou or choice of chiefs of stated, aud no party or eitigey loving j his country and jtg Ifee institutions lau sacrifice too much of riietje feeling In preaery through Gie upright i-ourse (4 U»\ his ouuutry from the tfipaileet danger |fl it# pei*» on such on oeoasi.oi), jt mound be im~ {treaseii too firmly iu the hearts of all the. people that true liberty real progress can exist only through eheerful adherence \ff gopatitutiaual law. I lie hill purports tq provide pnly for the settlement of questions arming from tbc recent elections. The fact that sueb questions can arise djewoii - ytrates # necessity, which I cannot doubt will before long he of iwrmaneui general tegislatioi/to meet imH&mfkteb hive not been eoßtemjwßM to the constitution op laws U fib* emiptri’. ffie bill not be jmrfeei and its provisions may pot be -ueb as to P ° ° lte

questions and of (he country. The country Is agitated. It needs and it desires peace and quiet and harmony between alt parties and sec Mons. Its Indultries are arrested; labor unemployed; capital idle, and enterprise paralysed by reason of the doubt aud anxiety atteudlng the uncertainty of a double claim to the chief magistracy of the nation. It wants to be assured that tbc result of the election will be accepted without resistance from the supporters of. the disappointed candidate, and that its highest officer shall not hold bis piaoe with a questioned title of right. Believing that the bill will secure these ends, I give It my signature. We believe that on this occasion, as well as upon many former ones, President Grant has shown a wise, patriotic and sUtcsman-like comprehension of the situation. It cannot be charged that he is a man to be intimidated by noisy demonstrations or swerved from duty by threats, yet the fact that troops were concentrated in and around Washington is ample proof that he was apprehensive of the critical condition in which the public miud was led by the excitement of the presidential contest. Banger threatened and he was too good a soldier to be surprised. The fact that these troops are now being transferred toother itationa is sufficient to show that the presideut and his advisers consider the danger averted and the crisis past. Whatever shall be the result, whether Mr. Hayes or Mr. Tilden is adjudged to be entitled to a majority of the electoral votes, the adoption of this hill by such a pronounced majority of congress, its prompt pffioial approval by the president, together with his good common sense reasons therefor, aud the subsequent decisions of the tribunal appointed under its provisions, will reconcile the great mass of the American people to that result, and obtain for the new administration a better, and more liberal feeling among those of the opposite political faith than has seemed possible at any time syice the election was held. The Rensselaer (Jasper County) Union, edited by one Horace James tries to be very severe on Senator Major. It charges him witii all manner of discreditable motives, simply because lie would not be made a tool of by the republican mernbeis of the legislature. In estimating the weight I to be given to these strictures it to j necessary to take into consideration .the following facts: Mr. James (lie j editor in question offered hi considerj atlon of one thousand dollars to sup- , port the democratic candidates from Tilden down, iu the last canvass, the I parties to whom the overtures were ! made did not think the influence of himself and paper worth tliqt sum and his proposition was declined. Mr. James was in the independent congressional convention of the teuth | district, held at Michigan City last summer, and cast the vote of Jasper county for Mr. Hnymond the demo- ! cratic candidate against the protest of nil true independents. Subsequently, Mr. James supported the republican candidates witii ali his feeble power, and from the time of his adhesion thereto nothing has been heard of the suit for slander pending against, him brought by the Hon. Jasper Packard, late representative in congress from that district. This circumstance affords the ground for belief that the dismissal of that suit was the price begot for supiwrting Hayes and the republican ticket, and for hbusing Mr. Major, Mr. J. is au unclean bird.— Indianapolis Sun. Seuator Major and ltis protege, Mr. Buchanan, who is also the editor-in-chief of the journal from whence the foregoing quotation is made, will find such statements as are contained therein, though they were true, entirely inadequate to justify them in betrayimr public confidence. It is not enough mr these champions of independent political reforms to retort ‘ we are no worse than others" when questioned about their own dishonesty. Their promiuenee was attained by the cheekiest kiud of Pharnsceism. They claimed to bo wiser, better, honester and purer than other men, and thauked God very volubly, with “eyes a-roH'ra’ and noses a-sniftin’,” that they had been born and brought up so goody-goodly. Mr. Major was elected by the voters of White, Benton, Newton and Jasper counties, more than one thousand majority of whom are republicans, to rcpiesent their interests in the state senate; but instead of doing as he was personally pledged to do he broke his promises, betrayed his constituents, and offered his official influence to the democratic party for a stipulated consideration—that of yarning Mr. Buchanau for the principal clerkship of the senate. In doing this he neglected the wishes of those who had elected him and became solely interested in Mr. Buchanan's personal welfare. Mr. Major is a public officer and it -is not pertinent for hjm, or for those who now own Inin by the right of purchase, to set up in justification or extenuation of his official misdeeds the alleged shortcomings of private citizens, Whether Mr. James, Mr. Mr. Jiiden, or any other person, was gqilty Of something real or imaginary, does not enter info tit# discussion of Mr.-Major's case.. He is a public office* and is sup-; posed to hare been sefoctod because of

his superiority of talent, honesty and judgment to the mass of men; when he appears before the bar of public opinion he will find very little heed taken of his counsel’s pica that he is not worse than a feeble editor of an nninfluential rural newspaper. Now York gold quotation* for January 30: opening 105 f, closing | 105$. President Grant thinks the ; country ia in condition to resume specie payments, and suggests that it would be well enough for congress to amend the existing law in order that it might be commenced at once instead of postponing the operation until January Ist, 1870. The indicationssre that a point has been reached wfien resumption is possible, and that this has been brought about without one-half the suffering that was anticipated by the greenback expansionists. Times are close to be sure, and have been for a year or two, but- if a gold standard of values has been reached business may commence building upon a firm safe basis. The worst has been passed, and from now on a gradual improvement may be anticipated with confidence. The difference in tlie value of gold and greenbacks is now but little more than enough to keep the former from circulation and is comraeting daily. Under the circumstances It would probably be wise for congress to pass the legislation suggested by the president, and let the honor of it reflect upon his administration. In the Chicago market on the 30th the cattle quotations were 10©15c lower for all grades except choice; butchers’ stock sales were made at [email protected]. llogs indicated an advance of s@loc; light quoted at $5.65<g6.10; medium aud good heavy' $6.15(t£6.45; choice to extra prime heavy packing $6.45@ 0.00; fair to choice shipping $0.13 @0.40. Mr. Major owes his election to Horace .E. James, of the Rensselaer Union. —Kcntland Gazette,. This is a mistake; and it is repeated by the Indianapolis Herald, At the election held previous to the candidacy of,Mr. Major the epunties which form our senatorial district gave an aggregate republican majority of 734. Two years after it gave Mr. Major 752 majority over his republican competitor,. Dr. J. A. Hatch, of Kentland. While this paper favored the election of Mr. Major at that time, nothing less than stupendous egotism would inspire any one man to lay claim to the influetice that compassed the result. Mr. Major’s election from a district giving such large majorities for the republican party as this district did at the elections held immediately before and since, the latter reaching upwards of 1,000, panupt be properly ascribed to the unaided efforts of the editor of a humble country jonrnal. One of the potent influences of that campaign in Mr. Major’s favor was the salary-grabbing record of his competitor in the lower house of the legislature at its previous session. Another influence that operated agaiust Dr. Hatch s election, aud, consequently, iu favor of Mr. Major, was the couveution tricks adopted by the friends of the re-, p&biicau candidate to effect his nomination. If republicans of this district will be careful to remember the lesson taught] by the incidents of that campaign, it may yet prove a blessing rather than a calamitous disaster. Gen. Johu A. Logan, though the republican caucus nominee, lacked three votes of re-election to the United States senate from Illinois, aud was compelled by the hopelessness of his case to withdraw from the contest. His fatal affliction was a complication of salary-grab aud similar diseases. He has gone to i meet Lyman Trumbull. It is another instance of retributive justice. That class of patriots brought upon the republican party the reproach which h*3 resulted iu a series of disasters during the last four years. The only reason ■ why the lopping off of such branohes will do j the party no good is because the reforms which compass them are effected by a! combination of opposing forces instead ; of being originated within the organize j tion. Perhaps some strongly partizaq ] republicans may consider these observa- j lions a little too independent to suit them, but whether said or unsaid they epbudy truths which have irresistible influence with the party’s future. A cemetery is a pleasant place cora?»red with *ousß homes, etc.— Delphi inies. Sore enough! But what bad taste to infijgt the tale of yoor domestic infelicity upon * suffering public,

One of the best edited papers that reaches this office is the Rensselaer Union. It to bold, tearless, independently republican, and it to almost a pity that its managers are circumscribed to the contracted limits of a ready-print; for, with room to spread, we feel sure that Mr. .James could make a journal of commanding influence.— Warsaw northern Indianian. For the good will of our veteran contemporary, many thanks. But the evil effects of his intoxicating flattery are completely neutralized by the schoolday recollection of how amazingly thin became a lump of butter of generous proportions for an average slice of bread when under the deft manipulation of some thrifty second wife it was spread over the nooD allowance of half a dozen step children. Genius is governed by a law similar to that law of natural philosophy which governs fluids, and, if not damned by an insurmountable obstacle, will eventually find its proper level. “You have your paper to fill up anyhow and you might as well publish this, vs anything” is the way folks talk when they want a free puff, or special attention called to something they are making money from. Suppose we should call on you some day, and find you nicely arranged before a warm fire in ;> comfortable room, and we should say: “Now, John, you have to put in time some way. suppose you come round and saw up a load of wood wo have just received.” NVhat would you think of us, anyhow? A newspaper to be prosperous must make some money, and that same spice is what it is to liemade from; and when it does not make us money, we prefer to let it lie idle, or choose our own way of disposing ot lL**—Plymouth J)emo cent.