The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-12-12

that he did not care to make a retu TN
which was no indication of the will of
the people, but would merely serve
as an instrument to legalize fraud and
perpetuate an outrage. Of course we
do not presume to defend the singu-
lar conduct of this official. He has
undoubtedly committed very gave
breach of the law, one which is de-
serving of severe punishment. How
ever faithful his representation Of the
character of DeSoto's election, his
plain duty was to transmit return
/ thereof, accompanied of course by a
| report of the circumstances tending to
deprive the contest Of the elements,
all or singular, of freedom and fair
ness, trusting to the Returning Off
GERS to take such action in the prem
Uses as should vindicate justice and
defeat the ends of villainy. All hon
orable persons will agree as to the
impropliety Of the conduct of this
Supervisor, but this satisfactory un-
derstauding does not alter the fact
that his immortality has deprived the
Returning Board Of the sole means
provided by law for ascertaining if
an election such as is contemplated
by the statutes was held in the parish
of DeSoto, and if 80, what was the
the result thereof.
Mr.. Arroyo, the Democratic mem
Der, made strenuous effort, yesterday,
to induce the Board to receive and
canvass certain returns offered by the
Clerk of Court from DeSoto, but pres
ident Wells firmly ruled that as no
legal returns were in the possession
OF the Board the parish could not he
regarded as under consideration, and
this decision was sustained by vote
of three to one, Mr.. Arroyo standing
alone in his opposition. As there is
no reasonable ground for the SUPPOSE
ton that this action will be recalled,
OF that the missing Supervisor will
turn up again shortly, DeSoto may
be considered ruled out of the contest
but with much greater show Of jus
tice and legality than was displayed
by the Forman Returning Board, two
years ago, in ignoring St. James, h.
erville, and 9th er heavy Republican
parishes upon insignificant technical
tiles which by no means affected the
purity OF their elections.
AS we said before, the disposition
Of the DeSoto case indicates the poll
cy the Board Of Returning Officers
will pursue in the consideration of the
parishes where protests against the
returns are made and contests en-
tered. If intimidation of voters is
proven to have taken place in Caddo,
Rapides, Natchitoches, Bienyille, Sa-
bine and other parishes, OF if illegal
tics have been perpetrated with
view to change and falsify the result
u any instance, it may be set down
IS one OF the certainties that the Re-
turning Beard will vindicate the pur-
ty of the ballot aud the supremacy of
aw aud right by setting aside the re-
urns in such cases, regardless of the
POLITICAL effect of their decisions. We
re assured, therefore, that loudly
Democratic victory will {
e sensibly diminished, and perhaps
to a clear defeat by the in
uences Of law and justice, and we
wait with curiosity the action that
ill be taken, III this event, by the !,
White League. Will another 18th Of b
eptember coup 6etat he essayeda or o
ill the cowafdly plan Of private as 9
be adopted viii the
uttered threats against the Return =,
g Officers bear fruit in the assem- :,
ing OF furious mob hungry for the n
ght of Republican officials dangling te
ON lamp-posts, or will the cooler al
lads of the Democracy point out to ~ ~
cir less discreet associates the folly :,
another crusade against the gov Il,
nment and the laws of the land7 If
In word, are we to have more of q
e turbulence, riot and murder that ~
making Louisiana a stencil in the :,
strlls OF the civilized world, or will
7 Democratic people learn the les
that in submission to law. pre- 70