Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-12-23
WHOLE NO. 9,s66.

no protest or objection appeared amOnl
the papers, and there was no outsidi
protest from any one, the returns werl
sent to a private room TO be tabulates
by the clerks, all Of whom were Re
publicans, who kept their action se.
cret. If any protest was found among
the papers, or from outside parties
the returus were laid aside, 10 be az
terward considered BY the board Ia
secret. In the few cases in which
there were charges Of fraud, intimida
tlon or other illegal acts, the candi-
dates or their attorneys we're permit
ted to take copies of the charges, and
testimony taken on written interroga-
tories was submitted in regard to such
parishes.
December 2, after all the returns
had been opened, the board went into
secret session, and we were not por-
mittod 10 see the compilation Of re-
turns already made nor to know what
rules the board adopted in passing up
on contested cases, nor the process by
which it arrived at results.
We have been furnisheda triplicate,
or certified copy Of the duplicate
statement Of the commissioner Of
election at each voting place ia the
State, from which has been compiled
consolidated statement Of the entire
vote Of the State for Presidential elec-
tors.
From this statement, which we be-
lleve to be accurate, the majority for
the highest Tilden elect0r over the
lowest Hayes elector is S,957, aud the
majority for the lowest Tilden elector
over the highest Hayes elector is s.
300.
The returns in our possession cor
respond precisely in most cases with
those opened by the Returning Board.
The difference in the aggregate arises
mainly from the fact that the board
did not have all the returns before it.
The supervisors, all Of whom were
Republicans, many of them employees
in the Custom-house In New Orleans,
some nop-residents Of tho State, aud
one of them under indictment for mur-
der, withheld the statements of the
commissioners Of election in some in
stances where Democratic maiorities
were given, amounting in the aggregate
to about l,50O votes. The Returning
Board refused to receive certified cop
les of the duplicates of these missing
returns filed 10 the Offices Of the Sec
retary of State aud the clerks Of the
District Courts, or 10 take any eject
i've measures to procure the originals.
The Returning Board, ia proclaim
ing the result of the vote for electors,
makes no statement Of the votes cast
in the several parishes, but simply an
nounces the aggregate vote for each
elector in the State, giving the Hayes
electors Insjorities varying from 4,626
TO 4,712.
To accomplish which they disfran-
chised 1880 Democratic and 2,0l2
Republican voters. This announco-
mentis made in the face of the fact
that the statements made by the COM
missioners of the election showed a
majority ranging from 6,3O0 to S,9j7
for the Tilden electors No attempt
is made to give reason for this arbi-
trary action Of the board, nor is there
any statement to show what votes were
counted and what rejected. As we'll
might the officers canvassing the re-
turns Of the election for presidential
electors in Ohio or Massachusetts de-
clare the Tilden electors in those
States elected, in the face of the fact
that the returns showed majority for
the Hayes electors. We have shown
that il IL questionable whether tho
Legislature of Louisiana has made
provision for the appointment OF cleo
tors at all that If 1t has made such
provision, it has not vested the Re
turning Board with authority 20 can
vass the returns of the votes cast for
such officers and that if it were pos
sible to construe the statute as confer
ring such authority on the Returning
Board, then the same limits the au-
thority of the board 10 the canvass and
of the statements of votes
made by the commissioners Of cleo
tion," without authority 70 reject any
on account of intimidation or other
acts of violence unless the foundation
therefor be first laid as provided in
the statute that the evidence does
not disclose that such foundation was
laid in any instance. There is. how
ever, evidence of attempts surrepti-
tiously TO lay such foundation after
the consolidated returns were compile
ted, and that the supervisors Of cleo
ton in many instances unlawfully
withheld their returns, for that pur-
pose, and interpolated among them eB
Darte affidavits, taken in secret in New
Orleans, before a United States COM
missioner, which the board has no ju-
risdiction to consider.
The evidence taken on both sides,
as far as il has been accessible 10 US,
liscloses a state Of lawlessness in GER
tain parishes, no. in the State gen
orally, about the cause Of which par
lies are not agreed. The Democrats
attribute il TO the ineficiency and in
becility of the State government,
which they allege 10 be a usurpation,
resting wholly for support on the
Federal army, without the confidence
Dr. respect Of the people, aud without
the disposition to prevent or punish
crime which they can pervert 70 politi-
,al uses. Such state Of things, as
night be expected, has led to disorder
and, in some instances, TO the most
shocking barbarities.
The Republicans, on the other hand,
attribute the lawlessness 10 the hos
.ility of the white against the eolOred
race, and as largely due 10 pol itics.
The murders aud outrages which
nave been brought 10 our notice are
frequently committed by persons Of
he same race upon each other, and in
i large majority Of cases have no polit-
cal significance.
Many such cases were brought 10
.he notice Of the board BY en- Pdrte
iffidavits, without regard 10 the time
Of their occurrence and when they did
not nave the slightest c)nnectiOn with
he recent election. Stungely enough,
L is assumed by the Republicans, who
nave had complete control Of the State
for years, that IL they
would show that lawlessness prevailed
70 certain localities, aud crime went
that those facts furnished
, reason why they should bG continued
n power, notwithstanding the large
majority Of ballots cast against them.
Another assumption OF the kcpub-
leans is that all the colored men in
he State are necessarily Republicans.
This il by no means true. We were
fisited " large number Of cOlored
persons from different parts Of the
State. including the alleged disturbed
districts, who made speeches and took
IN active part in the canvass 10 favor
IF the Democratic ticket, aud who
,ave among other reasons for so doing
hat they had been deceived BY Re-
iubliean officials. who lad proved dis