New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-12
ctAt JOURNAL OF THE sTArS Or LOUISIANA.


lsb; but he would consent to receive thu
papers be fore the board for what they wert
worth, lea wing The board to determine whs,
disposition shonld be made of the case here
after.
Mr.. Arroyo tAen appealed from the deci
sion Of the chair, and his appeal was duly
seconded.
The presiden: stated he Mad ruled that
there was nothin: before the board from
De Soto parish. and from that ruling Mr..
Arroyo had taken an appeal, and it re-
manned for the members of the board to
determine whether the ruling Of the chair
was to be sustained or not.
The question was then put 20 vcte and
the CHAIR was sustained by four yeas TO one
nay.
Mr.. Arroyo asked permission to enter the
following protest. which was agreed to, with
the understanding that President Wells
should have the. privilege Of giving mis-
written reasons tor the ruling made by him
in the DE Sot, case:
The undersigned, member Of the Eo.
turning Board, protests against the decision
of the board III rejecting the duplicate
original election ceturns offered to establish
the vote OF the parish Of De Soto, because
the supervisor OF re gistratiOn of said parish
had failed to transmit the report required
OF him by Ia *, for the followin. reasons, to
wit:
|. Because for ths wanton and criminal
failure OF Ihe registrar in filing with the
board the compilation Of votes, election
returns, tally lists. etc, of the cOmlnission
ers of election in the parish of De Suto, the
people OF that parish can not and should not
be deprived Of the right which they have
had &c manifest their choice for officers
when ali tho tormalities Of the law have
been complied with and when that manifes-
tation hes been expressed through <he
recognized ballot bO1. the sanctity and
purity OF which should remain inyiolste
and sacred. And in the absence of such
documents, the next step to arrive at that
desired conclusion 10 to compare the dupli-
cate original election returns, filed by the
commissioners Of election at the different
polls Of said parish through the supervisor
Of registration, with the clerk of the district
court for said parish and now in this city
and offered to be canv sssed and compiled.
.. Because the action of the board in this
case is reversal Of its decision in the case
Of the tenth ward Of this city. where, in
the absence of the regular returns, this
board has sent foe the ballot box in the
possession Of the clerk of the court, and
the same was adopted by the board.
2. Because the duplicate originals cen
dered to the board are equal in authenticity
and dignity I" tho duplicate in the hands
of the supervisor Of registratiOn; that they
are legal records Of the court, deposited BY
virtue Of law for the sole purpose Of being
hn<r nt hnA ANA
any other legal triOunal, and only differ
from the rtturns Of the supervisor in that
they lack :he manua! Transmission by that
~tfices. ~hOse knactiOns ere Uply ministerial
in this regard.
4 Beexnse if the failure of the supervisor
of registration 20 make his statement to the
board proven the board from examining
the original duplicate seturns or certified
copies thereof, then the entire result OF an
election depeads. net on the vote of the
people. legally cast, but ON tho unrestrained
will Of Che supervisor.
S. Because the supervisor Of registration.
bsing an appoint tee of the executive, would
hold in his hands the result of an election,
thereby giving to the executive complete,
absolute control Of tho entire vote of che
State, ope mug the door to frauds in favOY
of the political party to which the executive
may happen &C. belong.
OSCAR ARROYO.
At the request Of Mr.. Schving. tho board
to take up and consider to-day
tho protest made against the returns from
the parish Of iberia
By seques: of counsel. the board also
consented to take up today the contests
made against she returns Of Carroll and
Terrebonne parishes.
the returns Of the following parishes are
subject to protests, and will have to undergo
a trial and Judgment Of tho board before
they can be finally disposed of:
Ascension. Assumption, Carroll. Terfe.
bonne. Avcyelies, Bienyille, Bossier, Clddo,
Claiborne, Concord Grant.
Iberia. jackson. Lsfourche. Line In, Match
itoches. EApiaes, Red River, Sabine, St.
Helena, 81. Martha, st. Tsmmapy. Vernon,
W;uD.
Evidence is 70 &c :iied in case Of each Of
these parishes. except Carroll and Terre
bOnne.
Democratic counsel expressed themselves
ready to 2voys what had been said in regard
TO the returns from St. James parish and
Mr.. Buvee. il the presence Of that individual
could he Lad before the board. The board
did not promise. SO far - we know, to have
hr. Bovee brough: before it, but there was
) genera! feeling among members that If
parties had been engaged in any conspiracy
agains: tho viii G! tho people Of st. James
expressed through the ballot box, all should
% visited w;th e. heaviest penalties ore.
'cribed by law.
On motion the BOARD adjourned until
eleven o'clock tiis morning.