The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-23
Ghe g ailg Arens.
Independent IN Eoerythanaq.
Concluded from second r.eoA

the election. But it was proved that many
of these afhdayits were forgeries. and that
one person had forged more than 600 Of
them. If all these afhdavits had been gen
uine, and all the persons named in them
and who signed with cross marx. had
voted the kellogg ticket, they could not
have oyercome-they would simplv have
majority in favor of the Nc
Emery ticket. The law of Louisiana I'M
der which this election was held provided
and pointed out specifically the mode in
which the proof of fraud or violence, by
which a fair election may have been pre-
vented, should be made and presented. and
it afforded ample protection against such
fraud or violence. The vote Of any poll
might be rejected by the returning officers
where the proof OF fraud or violence made
and preserved as required by the statute.
was such as to warrant the conclusion that
the election was not full, free and fair
expression of the popular will. The spe,
cifc proof required by the statute con
sisted of the sworn statements of the SUI
pervisors of registration and the commits
sioners of the election in the several par
ishes, corroborated by the afidayits OF
three respectable citizens, qualified electors
of the parish, These statements were to
be made at once, cotemporaneouslv with |
the acts of fraud or violence complained
of, and transmitted to the Governor with |
the official returns of the election
and the law made no provision
for any inquiry as to acts of fraud or vio-
lence where the official returns were not
accompanied by these same official state
ments. There were some statements of
acts of fraud and violence in some parishes;
for instsnce, in the Parish of Iberville
where armed colored men took possession
of the ballot boxes, and by threats and vio-
lent demonstrations inundated the COM
missioners of election so that they, through
fear of bodily harm, declined to count the
votes. Irregularities occurred in other
parishes, but they were not sufficient to
affect the general result, as was proved be-
fore the Committee and the fact still re
mains that by the counting of the votes as
cast at the election, and the official returns
transmitted to the Governor as required by
law, from the several polling places in the
State, the McEnery Government was cleo
ted by large majority.
| Apart from the fact that very large
number of the affidavits relied upon were
proved to have been forgeries, it is obvi-
Gus that no more mischievous or danger
Gus principle could be admitted, than
that an election should be declared
void for fraud and set aside upon the er
parte affidavits OF pretended voters The
| benefits of crOss-eXamination in eliciting
the truth, and the facility with which cross
mark signatures can be obtained to printed
forms, are too well understood and appre-
ciated to require elaboration. Moreover
at every poll there were, besides the State
officers, the commissioners and clerks Of
election, the United States Supervisors,
one chosen from each party, and the dep
uty United States marshals, who could be
called as witnesses, and who would know,
necessarily, whether the election was fair
or fraudulent. In the absence of the tes-
timony of these officials, it would be an I'M
safe and most unjust conclusion that there
was fraud or violence ofany serious charac-
ter and such a conclusion based upon
any other testimony, necessarily involves
the guilty c)nivance and completely of the
State and Federal officers OF election.
[ feel auth, Red therefore, to say, with
out intending to give offense to any person
whomsoever, that the testimony before
the Senate Committee does not warrant
the conclusion that the election was voiC
for fraud, and that this conclusion shOulC
not be adopted without first hearing some
at least, of the host of sworn officers, com
missioners, supervisors. clerks and deputy
marshals, whom it stamps with faith
lessness in the discharge OF their sworn du
ties, and with official perjury. Few Stat
elections are held against which complaint
of fraud or violence are not made by thu
defeated party; and if Congress should de
clare this election void, precedent will b
established by which every State election
hereafter. against which complaints @
fraud or violence are made, and suprorte
by er parte afidavits, may be set aside b
the Federal Government The will Of tn
people as expressed through the ballot
box in the forms prescribed by law
may thus be defeated at any time
and the right Of local self government
the several States will be utterly destroyed
The State Governments may indeed, col
tinue to be Republican in form. but it will
in form only The solemn guarantee {
}. the Constitution will be so interpreted an
applied as to leave to the States the mer
&c shadow, without vestige of the substance
n of elective Republican Government an
that wise and benefcent provision whic
- was designed to assure to the States tt
protection and preservation in perpetuit
of their rights and liberties will be wreste
to their overthrow and absolute destru
| ton. K. ii. MARI.
OF New-0reans,a Delegate of the People
Convention.
IT. Washington, D, G. Jan, 10, 1874.