Fraud So Palpable And Glaring Stared

the Electoral Comniission in the face, that it dare not risk the election of Hayes on an inquiry into the action of thit Louisiana Returning Board. Messrs. Pierce and Seelye, two Massaohusetts Republican menibers of the Honse, votod with the Demócrata against confirming the decisión of the Electoral Commission in the Lousisiana case. Senator Conkling fouud it convenient not to bo present in the Senate on Monday, and record his vote in favor of counting Louisiana for Haye3 and Wheeler, in accordance with the tripartite tribunal. What a terrible horror the Republican leaders, in Congress and out, have of interfering with the rights of the States,- that is the right of a single State to defraud the nation, and foist a defeated candidato into the Presidfntial oh air That is the Republican idea of State rights. Republican candidatos for Regent of the University are numerous : Hon. LeRoy Parker, of Flint ; Hon. E. P. Ferry, of Grand Haven ; Dr. Potter, of East Saginaw ; and Capt. G. L. Maltz, of Alpena, havo already been entered for the race. The two best uien in the State should be nominated, regardless of location. Up at Lansing the " faithful " have put two and two together in this wise : Senator Christiancy is to be given the cast off judicial robes of Justice Davis, and Secretary Chandler is to be returned to his old seat in the Senate. Perhaps that little game willbe entirely satisfactory to the great body of Michigan Republicana. We shall see. The vote of Louisiana (or the vote Louisiana didn't give) was counted for Hayes on Tuesday, the Senate refusing, by a 8trict party vote, to ooncur with the House in overruling the decisión of the Commission, and on Wednesday Oregon was reached and turned over to the " high joints" who will doubtless find a way to get around that sacred certifícate of the Governor, A decisión will porbably be reached to-day. A week or more ago the Lansing Republicun gave out that the stockholders of the Detroit Post living in the political metropolis of the State had been called to attend a meeting which was to consider the oft mooted plan of consoliditting the Post and Tribune. And now it is reportad, sub rosa, that Zack Chandler, the chief Post stockholder, defeated the consolidation, by agreeing to foot tho bilis for a season. Chandler must keep control of an organ until he is " well-heeled " under tho incomiug administraron. When son-in-law Hale is made a cabinet offioer, and himself provided for, will be time enough to dispense with a personal organ. Sexatoh Edmuxds thought it better to make his oalling and re-election sure than to cali in question the acts of that Louisiana Returning Board, and so he swallowed these pregnant words of his, " Tho liberties of a State would be in a " rather hopeless chaos, if you take a " hundred years to come, if tho deter" niiiiation of who bave been elected by " the people to be their rulers is to be " oonfided to the discretion of any se" lected body of men whatever," and 80 he gave his vote in Commission and Senate to cover up fraud and oheat a State out of its voice and the nation out a legitimately elected President. His motto is not "It is better to be right than to be Senator." " TUE members of the Louisiana Returning Board are thrust into a damp, dark, hole in the cellar of the Capítol :" that is the daily wail of the Republican journals sent up in behalf of the contemptuous Wells, Andflrson & Co., held by the House for refusing to produce tho official papers which would disclose how they patched up the parish and preciuct returns and stole the electoral vote of a State. Yot these political conspirators, tools of greater and shrewder conspirators at Washington, are confined in the same room that witnesses held by the House for contempt have been confined in session after seB9Íon. Another illustration of the old proverb, " No rogue e'er feit the halter draw with good opinión of the law ;" or of that other one, "Curses, like chickens, come home to roost ;" or of that scriptural denunciation, "With what measuro ye mete to others it shull be measured to you again." Tuis is what the Detroit Post says (and in italki at that) of the decisión of the " high joints " that fraud in a Returning Board was too sacred to go behind : " For, if Congress could go behiud tho returns from the States, and eitUer reject the votes of States or cliange such votes, the people of the United States would never elect anothor President - Congress would elect whomsoever it might pleaso." Now, suppose we state it in this way : " If the Returning Board can go behind the ballot boxes and precinct returns, and either reject the votes of the people or change such votes, the State would never elect another governor or another electoral college, but the self-perpetuating Rutuvning Board will eloct whomsoever it inay please." We will further quote the Post, with slight variations : " On this principie any State in the Union could have its vote thrown out (changed), merely by the Returning Board pratendiug that some counties or precincts had not strictly complied with all tho technicalities of the State laws or State constitution ; or on the ground of any trmnpod up charge of fraud ! No State in tho Union could escape boing disfranchised by a partisan Returning Bosird undor such a rulo." The case of Louisiana and Florida exactly. And not only are those two States disfranchised, but the other States voting for Tilden, with the majority of the electors of the whole country. The Pot reasoned bettor than it knew. In the House on Tuesday last, Mr. Winohell, of Allegan, introdnced " A bilí to ainend section 3,488 of th compiled laws of 1871, relative to departments of the University," concerning which the Tribune correspondent says : " The real object of tbis bill is understood to be the disconneotion of the law and medical departinents frora the University. "We suspect that the Legislatura will fiud a constitutional stumbling block in the way of doing that little job. The Constitution of 1850 found the Univerëity in existence, with its several departinents clearly deñned by law, and it continuad the Uaiversity and its Board of Regenta, declaring the latter and thoir suocesaors in oflico a body corporate. Nuw a university does not and cannot consist of a single colleg or departiuont. The founders of our State and of the University new the meauing of the word and the breadth and scope of such an institution, as did the Congress which originally granted the lands which were the basis of the endowment fund. Webster's dictionary is good authority in a court of law and ought to be good authority in a body of law-makers, and Webster defines the word : Umversity : An assemblage of colleges established in oue place, with professors tor instructiug student in the sciences and other branches of learmug, and whore degree are conferred. A university is properly a universl iiiscliool, in which are taught all branches of learning, or the four faculties of theology, medicine, íaw, and the sciences and arts." That was the inBtituttion the framers of the Constitution found in existence, - except a department of theology, - and that is the University it was made the duty of the Logislature to foster. The Legislature we concede has control ot the purse of the State, can make just such appropriations as it chooses, and with such restriction8 a3 it sees fit to impose, but we submit that it cannot dismember, though it may cripple and perhaps destroy by withholding sustenance. Is it wise to do that, either because of local or sectarian jealousios mbdical differences, or even teruporary mismanagement on the part of the Board of Regents? That is the question. On Tuesday last, Mr. Sawyer, of this district, introduced the following bilis into tha House : A bill to amend the law relativo to parties doing a private bauking and exchango business. A bill making an appropriation for the dental school of the University. A bill to amond section 5,440 of the coinpiled laws of 1871, relative to gitrnishees. A bill to amend the chartor of the city of Anu Arbor. A bill to amend sections 5, 6. and 7 of " au act relative to the public schools of the city of Ann Arbor." A bill to provide for the erection and government of a State llouac of Rofuge tor girls. A bill to provide for the support and care of State paupers. A bill to provide for the care of destitute children. On the sanie day Mr. Allen introduced A bill to amend tho charter of tha village of Saline. Mr. Norris introduced A bill to amend section 2,93ö of the compiled laws of 1871, relative to ïdsu anee compauieB. And it was n't a very good day for bilis either. - Wednesday was the last day for the introductiou of bilis under the constitutional liinitation. In the Senate 125 bilis and joint resolutions were introduced, and in the House 186, and 16 jeiut resolutions, read tvvice by title and referred. The Washtenaw inembers scored as follows : By Senator Burleigh : A joint resolution proposing an ainendment to section 6, article XIII of the Constitutiou, relative to the Board ot Regenta of the Uuiversity. A bill to prohibit the use of ferrets in hunting rabbits. A bill to prohibit the uso of railway passes by mernbers of the Legmlature and judges of the Supreme and Circuit Courts. By Mr. Allen : A bill to provide for the publication of the proceodings of the State Teachers' Association iu connection with the report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. A bill to regúlate the lowering of mili ponds and water races within the Umita ot incorporated villages and cities. A bill to compel owners and operators of plank roadg and toll gates to fence such roads where they run along the bank ot streanu. A bill to detach the west half of the southwest quarter of section 31 ot Pittsfiold, and the west hall of the Southwest quarter ot section 6 of York, and attach the same to Saline. By Mr. Sawyer : A bill for the orgauization of a military company at Dexter. A bill to regúlate the manner of conductiug the financial interests of the University, and to require a proper system of accounts to be kept in every department of the University. A bill revising the charter ol the village of Chelsea. A bilí appropriating $20,000 for the purchase of the Stoere colloctiou for the University. By Mr. Norris : A bill to repeal an act to incorpórate the village of Manchester. - On Friday last the Senate Cornmittee on cities and villages reported, recoramending the passage of Senator Burleigh's bill amending the charter of this city by repealing the saloon and restaurant license clause. In the Washington dispatches to Tuesday morning's dailies the following paragraph was included: It is mentioned this evemug upon the bighest official authority that the President has (ietermined upon tho prosecution of Donu Piattof the Capital, for libel, also for seditious writing indictable under both common and 8tatutory law. District Attorney Wells was this afternoon directed to tako the necessary steps iu the matter, and the arrest will be made to-morrow. The article iu yesterday's Capital piincipally incitcd the official action just determined, but it is undorstood that provious articles in the same paper regarded as hbellous upon the President will be oflicially uoticed iu a criminal prosecutiou for libel on the President. Wouldn't it be well for tho President and liis official advisers to read up a little in the history of the country. We have a slight recollection of the alien and seditiou law, passed to proteet the administration of the eider Adatns from the criticisin of his opponents. Matthew Lyon was convicted under that act, but his conviction left a lasting stain upon the reputation of his persecutors. President Grant can gain nothing by libel suits. Don Piatt will make the capital Grant & Co. hope to gather in. The stealinq of $25 will eend a man to prison for a term of years ; the stealing (under the forma of law) the Electoral votes of two States will make Huyes President for a term of years. That's the difterence between tweedledum and tweedledee. SrEAKtNG of Mf. Walker'a blll to repeal the law roquiring a levy of 1 20tb of a mili annually in aid of the University, the Detroit Pmt correspondent aays t.hut under the old equaliza tion the aid was $'S 1,000 a year, and will be $"(), 000 a yoar uuder the uew equilization. As the valaution of the State waa not incrcaiuitl at the last equalization in June, we are at a loss to see where tho increa9ed aid is to come trom. Gov. Tilden refuses to let his bank account be covered up to screen tho chairman of the Kepublican National Committee, and denies auy knowlodge of the üregon finaucial negotiations. His letter is sharp and püinted. Is n't it time to culi a Democratie State Convention to nomínate candidates for Judge and BegentsP Uoanls ol ('aiivassors in Michigan. In his message to the Legislature at the beginning of the session, Governor Croswell called attention to the advisability of amending the law relative to the canvass of votes, makiug the suggestion that officers who are candidates for election should not be canvassers. It appears to us, however, that it is of far more impoitance to clearly defiae the duties of canvassing boards and to impose penalties for the noglect or improper performance of those duties thun it is to Httempt to secure members who are not personally interested in the result. Care should be taken to preserve the purity of the eleotive franchise in the iirst place, and after that all the work should be of a purely ministerial character, with a legal remedy in case of any usurpation of functions. If the members of the Legislature will consider this matter and examine the Constitution and law, they will bo forced to the conclusión that if a Board of State Canvassen) in Michigan promúlgate a notorionsly false canvass of the result of an election for Presidential electors, and do it on the day preceding the meeting of the electoral college, the only check which can possibly be imposed upon theiu lies in the refusal of the Governor to issue certificates of the eleotion of the men whom they had declared elected ; and according to the ductrine laid down by Wm. M. Evarts, in hi argument before the electoral comrnission, the action of the Cnnvassing Uoard of a State, when perfected by the meeting of the electoral ooilege, is ftnal and conclusive and cannot be set asirle by any authority. Our State Constitutiou provides that " when the determination of the Board of State Canvassers is contested, the Legislature, in joint convention, shall decide which person is elected." This provisión affords a remedy, such as it is, for a fraudulent canvass of the vote for State oflïcers, but is of absolutely no valué as applied to Presidential electors ; because, in the tirst place, the Legislature does not meet until some weeks after the electors have performed their functions ; secondly, because a determination by the Legislature might not be made until after the counting of the electoral votes, and, finally, if the argument of Mr. Evarts is sound, because it cannot undo the wrong ifitwould. To quote his words : "They (the electors) are voters that exercise a free choice to vote or refrain from voting, and to vote for whom they please; and from the moment their vote is sealed and sent forward toward tho soat of government no power in a State can touch it, reverse it, corrupt it, retract it. - iïothing remains to be done except to count it, and count it as it was deposited." The provisión of the Constitution, ag re8pects cotí tests over Presdential electors, is practically nugatory. It needs no argument to show that the people of Michigan are wholly dependent upon the honor and integrity of the Board of State Canvassers for a correct ascerlainment of the result of a Presidentitti election. Is it not possible that this dependance may fail at a time when it is most vital that it should be stablo and secure ' If there be such possibility, it is clearly tho duty of the Legislature to throw every safeguard around the vote of the citizen, to provide efficacious methods by which the vote shall be ascertained, to define the duty of canvassing oflicers, and prescribe an exeinplary puuishineut for neglect or malfeasance. In the purity of the elections the dearest rights of the citizen are bound up, and there is no more important question which it is the province of the Legislature to consider. We hope that there will never be a controversy in Michigan over the result of an election of Presidential electors ; and legislaticn is desirable to remove all possibility of controversy. Possibly the Constitution can also be amended to good advantage,