Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1875-01-28
A Plain and Unanswerable Pre-
SentatiOn.

All Careful EGaUGES VI Gu0 mulGluulu-
Gus statements from all sides of the
facts which transpired in Louisiana in
connection with the existing official
muddle in that State must agree on
these points:
l. The official Board of CanYassers
was composed of five gentlemen
three of them Conservative Republi
cans and two of them Democrats-all
heretofore believed to be fair and hon.
orable men.
2. That this Board, after most la
borious and careful examination OF
the returns, gave certificates of elec-
ton to the one hundred and two Rep
resentatives who convened in the Hall
of the House at - o'clock last Mon
day week.
3. That fffty-two of these were Re-
publicans, and fifty-one were Demo
Gratis.
f. That under the laws ofLouisiana
it was the duty of the clerk of the for
mer House to meet with the members
elect, call the roll of the members
holding certificates, and to preside un-
til an organization should be effected.
5. That the fifty Democratic mem
bers, being minority of the total
number present and answering to their
names, disregarded the above named
law, and by force put one of their
number, Mr.. Wilt, in the Chair as
temporary Speaker, in the face of the
open and clamorous protest of the fifty
two Republican members, being a ma
jority of all.
g. That these fifty members without
any election, and in opposition to the
protest of the fifty-two, declared the
organization permanent, and the said
Witt the permanent Speaker.
Z. That the minority of fifty, with
out any examination whatever, de-
clared five other gentlemen, who had
no certificates of election, to be mem.
bers of the body, thus attempting to
exclude five others who held certifi-
Gates in regular form of law, and who
had the unquestioned right to sit at
least until fully heard and a formal
decision could be made against them
s. That this man Wilt and his 49
Democratic associates, were the first
to call for the interposition of the
United States troops
9. That when at the request OF the
majority of the members holding Ger.
tifcates of election, approved by the
Governor of the State, the same Off
Ger appeared on the floor of the House
he did not interfere, or propose to in
terfere, with any enc holding certif
cate G election, nor with the organi
zation of the House by the members
elect, as provided by plain and une
quivocal State law; nor with thu
House when organized in the trial anC
settlement of the right of any mem
Der whose title might be contested.
10. That this interposition was only
intended, and, in fact, only resulted il
enabling members who had orim0 ttaci,
rights to seats to organize withou
outside interference.
| In the face of these admitted facts
it is impossible for any honest man t.
charge the President with any attemp
at usurpation of power had he beer
present and directed the commander
of these troops in person. 1t is clear
however, that he did not, and could
not have given personal directions il
the premises. Nobody pretends that
be participated in any way except b,
giving the general order to the com
mander of the department to sustain
the State authorities, and aid then
when necessary to enforce the Stat
laws; and the troops have, in fact
done nothing more.
Whether the Returning Board acteC
honestly or not in the discharge of it
duty in the canvass of the returns an
in giving certificates of election wa
not question for the President to de
eide, and he has not attempted to de
eide it. That is left for the two House
when organized, under the State Law
to decide for themselves in each cor
tested case. There is, therefore, n,
foundation in fact for any honest cen
sure of the President; and he need no
fear but that the American people wi
sustain him in the premises. Th
clamor which the Democracy hay
raised over these transactions is dii
honest in its inception, and will be I,
membered only to plague the author
II Washington Chronicle