The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-01-07

the following calm and impartial review of til
political troubles in Louisiana
On the "a OF November a general election
was held III the State of Louisiana and tn
State returning officers charged with the dut
OF compiling and promulgatng the return
convened and organized nine days after, O,
| the llth and entered upon the discharge O
| their duties. For the delay in the pronnlga
ton OF the result the board in question Ia
been severely censured, but q reference to ths
provisions OF the law creating the body and tt
the circumstances surrounding them will show
that the delay, SO far from suggesting OF furtll
errnS FRAUD was necessity under the law. anf
has been in the interest of fair play and justice
to both political parties The second section
OF act ninety-eight, Of 1874, defines the duty
CT the board as follows:
Within ten days after the closing Of the
election. said returning officers shall meet in
New Orleans to canvass and compile the state
ments OF votes made by the commissioners OF
OF election, and make returns OF the election
to the Secretary e. the State, They shall CON
tlnue In session until such returns have been
compiled. The presiding officer shall at such
meeting open, iii the presence Of the said re-
turning officers, the statement of the commits
4 sloneis OF eeetson. and tile said returning of
hcars Shall, from said statements, canvass and
compile the returns OF the election in dupl-
cate I; one copy of such etilrns they shall file
IN the Office OF the Secretary Of State and one
| copy they shall make public proclamation By
printing IN the official joflrF.al and s.,ci other
newspapers as they may deem proper, declar-
ing the names of all persons and officers voted
Tor, the number OF votes for each person, and
the names OF the persons who have been duly
and lawfully elected''
1 The third section prescribes the order in
which the canvass Shall be made and the duty
OF tile board III cases of irregularities. 1t reads:
''Ihat Ill sllch canvass and comuilation the, re-
turning officers shall observe tile following or
1 der:
'They shall compile first the statement
| from all polls or voting places at which there
snail nave been fair, free, and peaceabe reg,
lstratlon and election. Whenever from any
poll OF voting place there shall be received the
statement Of any supervisor Of registration Or
commissioner Of election, il form as required
by section t'venty-six Of this act, on affidavit
OF three or more citizens, of any riot. tHmult,
| acts OF violence, Intimidation. armed disturb
ance, bribery OF corrupt influences, which pre-
vented, or tended to prevent. a fair, free and
peaceabe vote-of all qualified electors entitled
to vote at such poll or voting place, such re-
turning officers shall not canvass, count OF COM
pile the statement of votes from such poll or
voting place until the statements from all 9TH
er polls or voting places shall have been can
vassed and compiled. The returning officers
shall then proceed to Investigate the state
ments OF riot, tumult, acts Of Violence intmi- |
dation, armed disturbance, bribery, or corrupt
liilaices at any such poll or voting place, aud
II, from the evidence OF such statement, they
shall be convinced that such riot, tlinnt, acts
OF violence, intimidation, armed disturbance,
bribery or corrupt influences did not material |
y interfere with the purity and freedom OF the
election at such poll voting place. or did not
prevent a sufficient humber of qualified voters
thereat from registering Or voting to material
~ Change the result CT the election. then and
notsotharwise, said returning officers shall cam
vass and compile the vote OF such poll or vo-
ting place with those previously canvassed and
compiled; but if 81 id returning officers Shall
not BE- fully, satisfied thereof it shall
o. BE- ~ their tal+,.uo duty to canine fl-
and TO- this end they shall have power to send
for persons and papers; If, after such eSami-
nation. the said returning officer shall be con-
WINGED that said riot, tumult acts Of violence.
bribery or corrupt influences did not material
y Interfere with the purity and freedom of
the election at such poll Or voting place, or
did prevent sufficient number OF the qllai- |
fled cleo ors thereat froDl registering and vo-
ting and voting to materially change the r.
suit OF the election, then the said returning Of
cers shall not canvass or compile the state
me1lt OF the votes of such poll Or voting place.
but shall exclude it from their returns: Pro
vaded, That any person interested IN said cleo
ton by reason OF being a candidate for such
office shall be allowed hearing before said re-
turning Officers uEon making application with
III the time allowed for forwarding Of the re-
turns OF said electicn.''
It will appear by reference 10 these sections
OF the law that in amy parish in which a ques-
tlonable return is made. whether Oh the score
OF fraud CT intimidation Or other specified
cause, that the board must hold the canvass of
SAID parish in allegiance until all the other par
shes and precincts i'll which no alleged irlegu-
larfties have occurred, haze been canvassed
and passed upon. It will appear flirt,,er. TN
der the sections referred to, that the board in
case the alleged frauds, illtimid;ttions, &c, !
we're or sufficient force to have materially af- |
fected Il 9 result of the election, then in that
event, the board were authorized to.throw out
SAID poll or precinct, and instructed to refuse
to count the same. 1t will further appear by
reference to the third section Of the law that /
the board in reaching q satisfactory conclusion,
and especially at the Instance Of interested
cahdidates. was empowered to call for testno /
ny and to examine persons and papers. This |
method, pursued IN the instance of sixty Or a !
hundred parishes, would make the proceedings |
OF the board extended and slow in REACHING !
results. especially in case the contests were |
multiplied and llliinsrous. 55' /
10 add further to the delays necessary I'M
der the provisions Of this act, for the first time
in the action Of the returning boards of Lonisi-
ana, counsel, Republican and Democratic, rep-;
resenting not only individual claimants, but
party interest, were permitted to appear before |
the board, and as q matter of fact two thirds |
Of the parishes i'll the State furnished cases Of |
contest, and by one or the other party protests !
were entered relative to the reception OF one
or more OF the polls in each OF These parishes. /
The board permitting c,unSsl received pro-
tests. the validity of WHICH depended in many |
instances upon the testinio!Yef witnesses who i
were not present, and whose convenience had
to be consulted, acting unfltr the sanctties OF |
their oaths (''to make true return of the votes |
cast ')-all the circumstances coIla'1ered under |
which the board exercised a senii-i judicial func-
ton, delay was necessary, not only i'll carrying |
out the purposes of the law, but for the ends |
Of individual Justice For tie first time i'll the
operations of the returning board in Louisiana |
counsel from the several contestants AID tie |
respective parties have been permitted to APP |
pear and this departure from ordinary meth |
DDS Of canvass was made not only in response
to the public opinion OF the STATE. but that no
injustice might be done to the Oppostion.-
Not only have counsel been heard OH either.
side. protests received, testimony admitted, /
Investigation conceded. but lengthy briefs and
arguments have been submitted and patiently |
considered by the board. that Justice might be
secured to ALL In reviewing this question it |
appears the State returning board have not |