Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-01-03

lated, and 1t is Impossible Io Jueglly CourG
In determining. that to be legal which is
merely desirable, or that TO be right YfiSh Is
only profitable. The order in the Kellogg
case was &c parte it was placed in the hands
of the Marshal without notice to the parties.
It proceeds for an alleged contempt by no
legal procedure usual in matters of this
sort, and we ore not aware OF any 1mmlnence
of danger to the public peace, which 3usti-
fies the seizure of the State Capitol, in a
.hancery cause in the suit between KellogS
and Canvassing Board, suit professedly
brought to perpetuate testimony. The case
of Antoine displays with more distinctness
than that of Kellogg the use that has been
made of judicial EOrders to accomplish the
results of which the judiary had no cogniz-
ance. Antoine was candidate for Lieuten-
anti Governor, and was entitled to his office
in January next, had he been eleced. With
disputed title, month in advance he fled
this bill and obtained the order we have
cited, placing under an interdict the Gov
ernor, Secretary of State, the members elect
of both branches of the General Assembly,
all Boards and officers and nen of the police,
the members of the two Canvasssing Boards
and upon this er pdrte order the organiza!
ton of the General Assembly was regulated
and directed.
Since the meeting in New Orleans, under
which the Committee was appointed, we have
been met with the suggestion that these
orders and acts are facts accomplished, and
that their revocation or recession would not
restore the statu qaso, and that our COM
plants, therefore, are unreasonable. II this
opinion we have be correct, such condition
ought not to affect our action or conduct
When the King of Great Britain established
arbitrarily government in one OF the colo
MES, the remaining colonies took alarm lest
it might serve as precedent as we'll as an
instrument to establish such governments
aIc natlnnf
under wrongful orders and acts of a judiciary
tribunal than even of violence from other
sources of aut lority. A government which
rests for it's organization upon an illegal
judicial order, executed by Marshal with
companies of soldiers, does not command as
much respect or authority as if judicial
appendages had been dispensed with, and
the army had set up a government with
strong and usurping hand.
The Committee take the liberty to say
that they have had no connection with these
suits as parties or attorneys. Neither do
they claim any of the offices in dispute.
They have not heretofore been confined in
controversies among political classes, which
have endangered the peace of, and brought
scandal upon, the State. They affirm that,
during the last four years, there has not
been good government in Louisiana.
There has been extravaganza, prodigality,
dishonesty and waste in the public expendi-
lures. The public debt has been enormous
ly increased with but little corresponding
benefit. The credit of the State has been
given to speculating corporations for per-
sonal aims. The taxes on property have
assumed such proportions that they might
be called rents paid by proprietors to the
State for it's occupation and use. The
taxes upon business oppress the commercial
and laboring classes. The laws to
control elections, corporations, and public
oks - ,1o40 Of
off1ce-holders, and the consequence is de-
preston and discomfort. The State needs
an honest, faithful and responsible govern
ment, conducted to attain public objects,
and not to enrich its members or perpetuate
their power. There was an earnest effort to
obtain sueh government at the last eiection.
We affirm, without fear OF contradiction,
that the foregoing statement exhibits, on
the part of the United States Court, the
most unparalleled and baseless usurpatiOn
of jurisdiction and authority of which the
annals of jurisprudence afford any example.
The action of the Returning Board, recog-
nized and vested with all it's powers by this
Court, has been equally unprecedented.
Without any official returns before them,
without any official data on which alone their
action could have been righful1y based, they
have presumed to proclaim the results OF the
elections. The declaration by them of the
votes cast in the different parishes is as
had been held. They have arbitrarily re
duced and increased the votes on one side
or the other in different parishes to suit their
purposes. In several parishes, while return
ing, or even adding to the votes cast for
their candidates, they have simply annihi-
lated or stricken out entirely the votes cast
for their opponents. In other parishes they
have exactly reversed the returns, giving
to their candidates the majority which had
really been returned for their opponents.
They have not pretended to furnish the pub
lie with any statement of the basis on which
they proceeded or the theory on which they
acted. Their whole conduct is without any
kind of reasonable explanation. We submit
to the people of the United States that such
proceedings reach point at which the
whole theory of popular government is re-
versed and overthrown. The means by which
such results have been reached are enough
to startle the public mind, but the
results themselves are not less ap..
palling. Aside from the general affairs of
State, we find the Legislature of the State
delivered over into the hands of men who
were not elected, and who are utterly unfit
for positions of such responsibility. AS
originally composed at its organization, it
comprised sixty eight persons of color, most
of them totally uneducated, with very
small minority of whites. Since that time
they have expelled members whose seats
were uncontested, they have unseated mem
bers returned elected by their own Board,
and seated their defeated opponents on the
simple ground that the former had not ap-
peared to claim their seats. The result is,
that, originally bad as the Legislature was,
it makes itself worse day by day, and the
prospect is that soon the Conservative ele-
ment of the State will have no representa-
tion whatever. To those who fatter them
selves with the hope that Mr.. Kellogg would
not willingly abet any scheme of outrageous
misgovernment, it is now apparent that, even
supposing this to be true, the power of re-
straining has passed entirely beyond his con-
troll, and that, should he attempt to thwart
the schemes of this Legislature, his own i'm
parchment would be probable event of the
future.
In conclusion, we would state that we have
attempted to perform the duties of our mis-
sion in the purest non-partisan spirit; that
we have not sought to furnish capital to any
in the interests of any faction. We have laid
our case before the President and his Attor-
ney-General, and we willingly testify that
we have been courteously received and pa
tiently listened to. While they have refused
the specific measures of relief for which we
applied, they have given reasons Tor such re-
fusal in no manner nan implying E1!. ag
done. The have referred us to Congress,
aud we feel assured that we shall have the
Immediate sanction of the President so
far as we invite an impartial investigation of
the facts of our case, and that we shall have
his cooperation in any measures of relief
which Congress may adopt after just in
vestigation. The people OF Louisiana, ig-
noring party, and conscious OF an honorable
effort to place in Office men OF Th TFleo prooisy,
seek Justice, not generosity. IneY ask Tor
calm. impartial examination of the recent
extraordinary events within their borders,
and that there NAV be a speedy correction
of the dangerous evils now threatening the
very life of their State.-lSigned by the
Committed
| IT ia ranorted that the Japanese Gov.