The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-02-25
THEL0UISIANA CASE.

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AGO and decidedly adverse to Grant, kel'
logg and company, The sub committee
consisted of two Republicans and one
Democrat, but they agreed on their re-
port. This was Il severe blow to the
Louisiana ring and to the Grant Admins
tration, and accordingly another com
mittee, of whom was &, F. Hoar the
chairman, were sent down to New Orleans
to Investigate. On their return the entire
committee, consisting of seven members
had to compare notes and see as to which
report they preferred. 1t seems the frs
report that of Foster, Phelps and Potter
is endorsed by majority of the commit
tee, while that of Hoar is made to the
House as the minority report.
tits worthy of note in this connection
that the leading journals of the country
approve of the Foster report and regard
it as the true ard honest one, free from
partisan bias, The smaller party jour
mails stand by Grant and take all the con-
sequences.
The sturdy official patriots stand by
the military usurpation and endorse II
ALL These officials and their organs
stick by the dispenser Of patronage what
ever that worthy may do. The RepuDli'
can Central Committee of New York
ately Resolved, That the course OF
President Grant in his whole treatment
of the difficulties of the South has been
marked by wisdom, observance OF the
constitution, and due regard for the
rights at once of the States and of the
citizens of the United States"
An exchange says: "Wisdom and due
regard for herights of States and citizens!
1t would be waste of 'reath of course to
show the New York Republican State
Committee that the President has
forcibly installed over Louisiana Gov
ernor who was rejected by the people at
the polls, and who never had any re-
turns which even pretended to give him
the election or that the Presidents SOL
diers have altered the political complex
ion of the Legislature by arbitrarily eX-
pelling some of its members; or that the
Presidents Governors illegal and swind-
ling Returning Board has deprived some
thirty legislators of their seats by bare
faced fraud. Little offenses such us these
seem to make no impression upon po-
liticians of the type represented in the
Committee. But we should like to ask
them if it is the part of wisdom and a
due regard for the rights of the state and
her citizens to rob Louisiana of any Leg
islature at all? Since the 4th Of January
the State has been practically deprived
of one of the three branches of its Gov
ernment; for when the Conservatives fol-
lowed Speaker Witt out of the State
House after the Federal soldiers under
took to control the organization OF the
chamber, the existence of the General
Assembly was so to speak suspended.
The Conservatives are not allowed to
constitute House of Representatives,
and the Republicans have not the power.
The body which meets, and we suppose
passes laws, under the mallet of Speaker
Hahn, lacks all the elements of legality.
The Constitution of Louisiana provides
that not less than Il majority of the inem-
bers of each house shall constitute a quo
rum to transact business. The number
of representatives elected last November
was Ill. A quorum is therefore 56.
When Wilt was elected permanent
Speaker there were 5S votes. After the
military interference, when the Con
servatiyes retired and the Kellogg men
came in, there were only 50 persons pres
ent, That is the number of votes cast
when Hahn was chosen, as Mr.. Hahn
and Clerk Vigers both testified before the
Subj Committee of Congress. That was
four less than quorum. Mr.. Vigers did
indeed include in his roll call two Con-
servatives who are said to have ans
wered by mistake, but they both make
affidavit that they were not present, and
even if they were counted, there would
still lack two OF quorum.
That original and fatal defect sticks to
the Hahn House of Representatives still.
The subsequent admission Of four mem
bers from the parishes referred by the
Returning Board to the Judgment of the
House does not alter the situation; for
without quorum the House could not
act upon the cases of these four mem-
bers-could do nothing whatever except
meet, adjourn, and take measures to com
pei the attendance Of absentees Admit"
ting, therefore, everything that the kel-
logg party alleges as to illegalities in the
organization of the Conservatives, adj
mitting Though we don't that the Wilt
House of Representatives is merely a
"mob" of "rebels" and "White Leaguers,"
it is nevertheless too clear for dispute
that the other assemblage has no legis-
lative character, and that its acts have no
binding force. A very pretty mess the
Presidents wisdom and due regard for
State and personal rights is likely to
make before the affair is settled.
In a late speech in the House at Wash
ington Hon. Fernando Wood, of New
York, advocated reducing the expendi-
lures rather than increasing taxation.