The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1872-03-09
The New Election Law.

The Senate passed Il new Election
bill on the 23r.l, to take the place of
the existing statute on the same sub
ject. The bill provides for IL State re-
turning board, to whom is contided the
counting and compilation of the elec-
ton returns for the several parishes.
This Returning Board, it will be seen
from the following section, is to be
virtually High Court of Qualification.
Appointed by Warmoth, we may be
sure it will subsequently execute his
orders, q ht Dunham, against Demo-
Gratis and his Radical enemies alike.
The section reads thus:
Sec 3. Belt fufher enacted, etc., That
in such canvass and compilation the
lowing order: They shall compile first
the statements from all polls or voting
places at which there shall have been
Il fair, free and peaceable registration
and election. Whenever, from any
poll or voting place, there shall be re-
ceived the statement Of any supervisor
of registration, assistant supervisor of
registration, or commissioner of cleo
ton in form as required by section - of
this act, on affidavit of three or more
citizens, of any riot, tunult, acts of vio-
lence, intimidation, armed disturbance,
bribery or corrupt influences, which
prevented or tended to prevent II fair,
free and pcaccable vote OF all qualified
electors entitled to vote at such poll or
voting place, such returning officers
shall not canvass, count, or compile the
statement of votes from such poll or
II "a Sf sat
all other polls or voting places shall
have been cnnVassel and compiled.
The returning officers shall then pro-
ceed to investigate the statements Of
riot, tumult, acts Of violence, intimitla-
ton, armed disturbance, bribery or cor
rupt influences, at any such poll or
voting place; and ii from the evidence
of such statement they shall he con-
vinced that such riot, tumult, acts of
violence, intimidation, armed disturb
ance, bribery or corrupt influences did
not materially Interfere with the purity
and freedom of the election ut such
poll or voting place, or did not prevent
Il sufficient number of qualified voters
thereat from registering or voting to
materially change the result of the elec-
tion, then, and not otherwise, said re-
turning officers shall canvass and COM
not be fully satisfied thereof, it shall be
their duty to examine further testimo-
ny in regard thereto, and to this end
they shall have power to send for per-
sons and papers. II, after such eXnmi-
nation, the said returning officers shall
be convinced that the said riot, tunult,
acts of violence, intimidation, armed
disturbance, bribery or corrupt intiu-
ences did not materially interfere with
the purity and freedom of the election
at such poll or voting place, or did pre-
vent Il sufficient number Of the qualified
electors thcfcat from registering and
voting to materially change the result
of the election, then the said returning
officers shall not canvass or compile the
statement of the votes of such poll or
voting place, but shall exclude it from
their returns.
The following Republican senators
voted against the section: Antoine,
Coupland, Hcrwig, Lewis, Lynch, Me
MILAN, Ray, Smith, Syphcr and Will
cox. The vote stood ayes, I6; nays, II.