The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-12-27

We have been ably supported in the views
we have so often expressed, by the leading
papers of the country. Free from pre)ualce|
and partially, examining everything when
has transpired with resolve to be correct
and not partisan, the Returning Board mas
becn the topic of many articles. The Herald
&(N. W even foresaw and pointed out the
crooked WAYS of this board, and we can fur
nish nothing more apropos than the editorial
CONNER of the 18th of December, which we
laid aside to see if the predictions of that
|naper would come to pass. That which was
nredicted on the 18th of December is fulfilled
on the Goth:
The Louisiana Returning Board and Its
Frauds.
The Louisiana Returning Board is q conclave
of desperate conspiratOrs against the rights OF
the people and public order. Their legal duties
are the same as those which belong to the board
Of State Canvassers in New York-not more diff
cult and requiring no more time for their proper
discharge. Our similar board always completes
it's work in . few days; but the Louisiana be
turning Board has been in session month, ana
is not yet ready to declare the result OF the NO
vember election. They are passing all this time
in plotting frauds against the anti-kel!ogS cleo
tors and candidates.. They do not find it easy to-
perfect plan for transforming the C0nservauve1
majority given in November into . Radical MI
uority, which Is the pro lem they have dishon
estly set themselves to solve.
Our State canv&ssers IN New York had, thls
year, an unusually complex and intricate task, III
consequence Of the separate submisslon OF a|
humber OF constitutional amendments which
additional labor, and yet the counting. and the|
official declaration of the result was long ago
completed, while the Louisiana Board, With
merely the ordinary election returns to count M
smaller State than New York, are not yet ready
to certify that either party carried the election
This scandalous delay results from attempts to
circumvent the actual figures and the inability on
the Board as yet. to discover method OF mack
ing the intepded frauds.
The first plan was simple, but the obstacles
proved too great. It was to raise some question:
or difficulty about the returns from the heavy
conservative parishes and put them over until
the other returns had been canvassed. This PLAN
would enable them to discover to precisely what
extent they needed to cut down, throw out or
falsify the Conservative vote. 1t was . plan
modelled OH that Of the Tweed Ring in this city,
in the election of 1868, when they sent circulars
through the State requesting their friends VI
telegraph the majorities ut once Oh the evening"
OF election day, the object being to enable the
Ring to determine, before counting the city vote,
how large they must make the Democratic ma
iority in the city in order to carry the State: In
like manner the Louisiana Returning Board
sought to ascertain how much it was necessary
to cut down the actual Conservative vote to make
Kellogg majority.
Rnt tReir secret study Of the returns convinced
them that they had undertaken to play too dar.
ing game that the Conservative vote, Us &C.
tually sent in, was too much for them; that they
could attain their dishonest purpose only by add
ing forgery to fraud. As to forgery they had no
scruples. but feared legal senallies so the mem.
hers Of the Returning Board found it convenient
Ito be absent for several hours one day, leaving
the returns in the custody of clerks. During
those three or four hours the clerks practised
more industry than virtue knowing what service
would be most acceptable to their employers,
:hev rendered it with the unshrinking loyalty OF
confederates in crime.
tents to suit the known wishes Of the board, rel
Sealed them to cover their tracks and put on an
air OF unconcerned innocence IS II nothing had
happened This was on Thanksgiving Day.
When the board who had given this opportunity,
came back they found everything apparently as
hev had left it, but during that convenient abb
sence silver lining had been inserted behind thel
cloud which obscured the prospects OF the kel.|
locg party. when the envelopes were opened
this silver lining would appear to cheer their eyes
and ,irradiate the political night. But the slip
which SO often happens between the cup and the|
lin verified the proverb in this pretty case:
The forgeries had been perpetrated with more
zeal than skill, some Of the changes having been
ate detection. The discovery and exposure Of
these frauds prevented the declaration Of the re-
.sult of the election on last Monday, which had
been promised when the Board adjourned over on
Saturday. The scheme was brought TO 90 2 deao
proving that forged returns had been substituted
The members Of the board we're put on their
defense, and averred, in selfexculpation. that
|they had no hand in the undeniable f0rgeriesJ
-: A. havQ
had it not been for these outside exposures. The
frauds we're go gross that they were denounced
and repudiated by some Of the Republican CAM
lidates, who would have profitad by them MIR
Elected to the Legislature from st. Helena
parish, honestly declared that he was defeated
at tho polls. and would not serve II counted in
The Republican candidate for Sabine parish, ]
whom the altered RETURNS would have elected ]
se!egraphed that he was fairly defeated, and
refused to profit by the fraud.
Under these circumstances the ReturniDg|
Board dare not declare the result of the election,
and resort to expedients for excusng further
delay. They adjourned on Monday on the false|
pretext that they we're menaced with violence.
lit is true that public feeling runs high in Newt
|Orleans, and it ought to run high in any honest
community at the exposure Of such attempts to|
nullify an election. But although the people are|
that acts Of violence would promptly bring the|
Federal troops on the scene, they intend to con
ine their opposition to peaceful methods. III
would be blunder to act otherwise.
Be sides tho certainty OF defeat it would enabled
their dishonest adversaries to change the issueI
from question Of legal resistance to frauds to al
|question of resistance to the Federal Govern
|ment. We trust they are too wary and have tool
|lnuca ef-command to tall into this fatal trap
The strength Of their case lies in the appeal they
will be able to make to Congress aud the coun-
|try il these shameless frauds are consummated.I
They must not blunt the force of their appeal
and prejudice their case by resort to violence:
They must not ALLEVIATE the independent press of
the country, which will fight their battle with
persistent zeal so long as they keep the law on|
their side, but will be compelled to cha. &c its|
support into rebuke if they are hurried by pas
sion into indefensible measures of resistance
N. Y Herald, l7N.
SPIcED Pres FEET.-Our friends, Messrs. C. b:
Lawrence Il Co., 80 and Al TchoupitOu 40 street,
have just received 100 kits Of those delightful
and much sought for extra spiced pigs feet. Bel
sure TO give them call.