The New York herald., 1874-12-26

in the United States, is a more crowning
infamy than the action of the Lynch Re-
turning Board, surpasses even the midnight
order of Durell, and would not be submitted
to by any free people.
Resistance to the national authority, rep
resented here by large portion of the army
and naval fleet, sustaining usurpation and
sitting the voice of the people, has never been
meditated. JOHN McENERY.
THE RETURNING BOARD CLOSES ITS LABoRs AND
nEPoRrs-AcTs OF VIOLENCE AND MT1MDA-
TIoN CHARGED ON THE WHITES.
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 25. 1874
The Returning Board, In closing Its labor OF can,
vasstng and compiling the vote Of the State given
at the election OF November last, states that It is
but just and proper that the returning ofncers
should give statement OF the dinculties attend.
ant on their labors and the principles laid down,
drawn from law, to direct them in the discharge OF
their duties. In the frst place this election was
very loosely conducted by the Commissioners OF
Election-so much 80 that at not one-tenth Of the
polls in the state were the forms required
by law observed. The law requires that
the Supervisors OF Registration forward to the
returning of1cers the original list OF votes kept
by the Commissioners OF Election. Second-A
statement Of the persons voted Tor and the num-
ber OF votes received by each. and thlrd-the
tally sheets. All OF which the Commissioners OF
Election are required to furnish to the super
visors, and they to forward them to the returning
ofncers. In many cases no lists OF voters were
kept by the Commissioners, or II there were, they
were not forwarded to the Returning
Board by the supervisors, ana many that
were forwarded to the Returning Board were
not signed or sworn to as the law
requires. In many cases there was no statement
OF the persons voted for and the number OF votes
received by them forwarded to the Returning
Board, Tor the reasons that none were furnished
by the Commissioners OF Election to the super
visors. and many that were returned were neither
signed nor sworn to, and in many cases thele
were
NO TALLY SHEETS FORWARDED
to the Returning Board, to ena BILE them to test
the accuracy OF the statement OF the voter, and
In some instances only tally sheets were returned
to the Returning Board, without q list OF voters
or statement OF votes, and they not signed or
sworn to as the law requires. This being the
case, 1t became necessary that the papers received
from the polling places should be carefully
examined. There were over $50 polling
places IN the State, and there was large list of
Candidates, 80 1t became q very laborious duty,
which occupied the Board nearly month, labor
ing from eleven A. N. to four p M. and from seven
to eleven p. NJ. every day. Tue law requires that
in such canvass and compilation returning
board officers shall observe the following
order:-Tney shall compile the first statements
from all polls or voting places at which there
shall have been fair, free and peaceable regstra-
tion and election. Whenever from any poll or
voting place there has been any riot, tumult acts
of violence, intimidation, armed disturbances
bribery or corrupt influences which prevented or
tended to prevent ialr, tree ana peace
able vote OF all qualified electors enti-
tied to vote at sucn poll or voting
place, such returning officers shall not canvass,
count nor compile statement OF votes from
such poll or voting place until statements from all
other polls or voting places shall have been can.
vassed and compiled. The Returning Board Of
fcers snail then proceed to investigate the state
ments of riot, tumult, acts Of violence, intlmlda-
ton, armed disturbance bribery or corrupt in-
nuences al any such poll or voting place.
The Board has
FOLLOWED THIS REQUIREMENT
Of the law, as 1t was their imperative duty TO do,
and in examining the proceedings OF the Commits
soners Of Election for warded to 1t by the SUPER
visors. When either Of the counsel appointed py
the political parties objected to the count OF any
poll and laid before the Board any evidence to
sustain such objections such polls passed over
and not canvassed until the Board had compiled
tae vote from all the polls not objected to- In the
progress OF the examination q large number OF
polls were objected TO, including some in twenty.
seven OF the parishes, and in some OF these par
isnes all OF the polls were then objected to- The
grounds OF objection to some OF the polls were
the failure OF substantial compliance with the
law IN conducting the election and making the
returns to the supervisors; to some, that the
returns OF the commissioners mad been changed
alter they had been made to the supervisors;
and, to the far greater number, that the
voters had been intimidated so that they did not
register or vote, or were compelled to vote DIFF
ferently from what they desired. Had the Board
decided that anything like strict compliance
with the forms OF law In holding the election and
making the returns to the supervisors would be
Hqured the erect would have been that so many
OF the polls would have been thrown out that there
would have been no election in the state. The
Board then adopted rule that when the super.
visor had returned any evidence
SHOWING AN ELECTION WAS HELD,
although 1t only be tally sheet unsigned or
sworn to, that In the absence or raul or intim.
datlon 1t would compile the vote as shown by such
evidence or document, 1t may be called evidence.
This decision disposed OF good many protests TO
the reception OF polls but when substantial
iorms ol law had not been observed,
anu evidence oil fraud or intimidation
was produced, the failure OF substantial com.
plance with the forms or law was considered a
badge OF fraud and the pQ,l was rejected We be.
lieve this to be just and reasonable ruie and the
Board strictly adhered 10 1t.
In the cases OF Carroll, st. Helena and st. James
parishes, where 1T was charged and proved that
lA