The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-12-27

| We have been anticipating legal and
political difficulties in Arkansas, and
they have come to head. A gentleman
who was candidate on the Liberal State
ticket has applied to the United States
Circuit Court for an injunction to pre-
vent certain persons claiming an elec.
tion on the Republican State ticket
from exercising the duties of the offices
to which they claim to be elected. The
Court is also asked to compel Acting
Gov. Hadley and others to deposit in
the custody of the Court all original
election returns and documents there
with connected. The complaint further
charges the Governor aud canvassi ng
Board with depriving many persons of
their right to vote, and of altering the
returns after they were made up. The
proceedings are pending, and it will be
several days before decision can be
reached.
This case, as it stands in the Court, is
almost an exact reproduction of that in
Louisiana. Outside of the Court il has
these differences: ~ The Louisiana
suits were in the interest Of the Admin
istratlon but the Arkansas suit is for
the other side. (2) There was less
reason for complaint by the Kellogg
party In Louisiana than there is for the
Brooks or Liberal party in Arkansas.
In Louisiana 1t was set up that the Re.
publicans would have been elected If
10000 more colored people had been.
allowed to vote. In Arkansas il is
claimed that the Liberals were actually
elected, the returns being falsified and
many precincts having been thrown
'out. In Louisiana it is charged that
exactly 10000 colored Republican voters
were refused registration and the right
of suffrage. Ia Arkansas it is alleg ed
that Liberals who went to the polls
with certificates of registration in their
hands were deprived of the right to vote
and were told that their names were
not on the poll-books. These disfran-
chised men improvised polling pla ces
and cast many thousand votes. But,
aside from these, it is claimed that the
Liberal ticket was elected by fair ma
jority.
1t is proposed to resort to the extra.
ordinary and (possibly) unconstitution.
al provisions of the Enforcement Act
to prevent the declaration of the Ar
kansas vote in favor of the Republicans.
When this was done in Louisiana, 1t
was said in The Tribune that such pro.
ceeding was clearly at variance with
the commonest principles of right and
justice. This is no less true of the at.
tempt in Arkansas. While antecedent
circumstances in this last-named State
may seem to be more aggravating to
the Liberals than any which the Louis.
lana Republicans suffered, it is tru
that the same regular legal remedy is
open in both cases. Equity demands
that conclusions should be tried whe
the person obtaining the certificate of
election shall be in Office. Kellogg
should have compelled Nc Emery to
show his warrant for holding the Gov
ernorship of Louisiana, after he had
claimed to act as Governor the Ar.
kansas Liberals should in the same way
proceed against the Republicans W no
are to be installed in Office. All other |
anticipatory proceedings under the
revolutionary Enforcement Act are a |
mere trick. 1t will be worth while to |
watch for the issue in Arkansas the
Louisiana case furnishes bad and
violent precedent; but all conscientious |
and thoughtful people will justify only |
that course which follows the custom
ary processes of law and leaves the issue |
with the courts. Tribune.