New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-17
Law Oh NO LAW?-THAT Is THE QUES-

implicit obedience to the will Of the PEG.
pie, legally expressed, than ourselves.
There are few who will rejoice more sim
cerely than ourselves in any election re-
suit which improves the character and
efficiency Of the State or national courclis'
Yet, Radical as we are. We can not go so
| far as to recommend that any infoTma! Or
outside interpretations Of the popular WILL
! should supersede the forms OF the law.
We infer that there are Conservatives WHO.
! assuming an election result to be what
they desire and 20 doubt believe, would
sanction such an exhibition OF outside
force. or such All intervention Of popular
opinion as to execute in summary man
ne, the vii! Of the people as interpreted
by the candidates for the favor Of the peo'
pie. Tie Times treats this important
principle Of obedience to law in manner
too cautious 10 be just. Adverting to the
..:Lirteen:L section OF the election law.
j: says: ....
Nv ~. provisions OF which all returns.
wherein .he formalities of Law haze NOT
been COMPLIED with, can be excluded.
Nov we do not read that section OK any
othe, as doing more Than excluding all
votes which have rot been delivered and
received according 70 law; but is the
Tines prepared 70 say that votes should
be counted from the outside and accord
ing 20 che assumed intent of the poll list:
This is . dangerous doctrine. I: is tie
doctrine Of anarchy. We value the re-
spect for law far more than the occupa-
ton ef Office by ,aen 10. elected. but this
sentiment Of the Times involves utter dis
regard Of the law and the seizure Ct Office
upon the simple declaration OF al armed
force that it has Won the offices and IN.
tends to have them. The Times cites out.
side opinion that nearly every city poll
might be declared invalid under the law,
and it deprecates such decision aud
says:
The probabilities are stron. that were
such decision arrived at to-day. to-mor.
row morning every officer known - be
elected would take his seat.
This is not, we trast, language OF in.
timidation which has been snaEed into
the elastic columns Of the Times. No
Republican desires the clinm of counting
men into city Office who have been beat
en-, but 40 friend OF free government
would desire to see board OF five otfi-
GERS finchin from the performance OF
their duties before an exhibition or al in.
timation Of force TO punish them tor.
their off ciai acts
It is very improper to say that the
Only hope of the Republican party to-
day is the casting OUT OF certain returns
where it is alleged intorMalit have been
committed.
The Republican party has no hope in
illegality, and the Times does great in.
justice in any such allegation But shall
not the people have the benefit Of their
own laws, whether they return one partisan
OF another? Let the law be respected,
wha,eyeAits results. "A waiver OF form
al..;es' can not be entered without the ab.
.!.cation of duty and violation Of oath.
And we for one should protest against 1t:
no. tha. We wish o. expect % pvoti. by
any such decision of il!egality. The OPP
position has carried the city by a majority
.: votes. The city election mus. lave
been considered according 70 :orn. for
tie outside organizations specified every
term an! condition which the law re-
CURED. Yet if there have been vo.es or
polls illegally certified. are they &c have
the same value with those which ace IA
strict conformity with law: We do not
understand any persons to contend for
such doctrine /! would be equivalent
to a proclamat ton: "We wish and intend
to exercise the affairs of the city; we shall
march into the City Hall and install the
men whom we prefer, withou: regard to
any who oppose as.
But does not the Times see that every
such proceeding in disregard Of law may
and, indeed, must involve tie people Of
the city in an open and face to face con.
troyersy With the federal government?
The proc!amations of the President are
yet satisfied. The troops and ships are
here 20 protect the now acknowledged
government: acknowledged iy the fact Of
the election conducted under its author
ity. Is it reasonable TO suppose tina: if
the Returning Board were driven from its
duties, the poll lists Cancelled, the returns
disregarded, and men placed il Office
who have been legally excluded, that the
federal government could withhold its
orders to suppress domestic violence
We wish 10 see no such conflict. We pre-
Ger the legal decision of the psope: authori-
ties. TIE Republican party Las nothing
to expect from the formal execution Q: the
law. but witt, AL good citizens i: has
much to apprehend from the doctrine
that Office in Louisiana is to lie awarded
not according to the Will Of the people.
but as may be determined by tie greatest
amount of intimidation or fo.ce which
can be brought to bear by one party
against the other This is not question
OF to-day. Every year viii produce a
more eqaal division of the white and co.,
ored votes, and il may not be long until
elections shall be decided. like battles. Is
the best artillery and the most daring
men. We shall have then passed into tie
category of those revolutionary States
which have 80 lone had no other r-,la