New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-15
TIE SLrr1TLON TO.D1Y.

The situation l. clearing. Even ny DtIlo-
cratic dispatches it is admitted that the vote
for Mr.. Tidcn falls so far behind the vote for
Hampton in South Carolina, and for Drew III
Florida. that Hayes may have fairly carried
both States. I'm South Carolina, Democratic
dispatches claim only 1,311 majority for lamp
ton. but admit that the electoral ticket runs
nearly 500 behind in the counties heard
from. In Florida the latest Democratic dls-
patches on Monday reduced the majority
claimed for Drew to 1,O21, but admit that III
only seven COMMITTEES the electoral ticket Is 2oo
votes behind and that " the same ratio through
80 he remaining counties would throw Iildcn
"hchind even the highest majority claimed
" for Drew" Whether the same ratio, u
greater or n less, has prevailed III the
remaining counties, we shall Lan only from
the official count but it Is also plain that the
Democratic majority claimed for Drew, being
based i'm part upon estimates, Is likely 10
shrink still further, rs those estimates hayo
been shrinking every day since the election
The probability now is that south Carolina
and Florida will both be found To have voted
for HAYES, even with the admission OF returns
from all counties IN which force or fraud are
claimed to have swcllcd Democratic malOricN.
I'm that case the controversy Il, Ia the Judicial
powers Of the Returning Boards will only affect
the election of local officers and the certificates
will bc given to Republican electors on indls-
putablc grounds.
Respecting Louisiana, il is well 10 remember
that the Democratic leaders have been in the
habit for years Of sending North Wild claims
after every election, based upon private inior-
nation which they doubtless believed trust
worthy. but which subsequently, proved to he III
correct even upon their own final count. In THIS
ease. leading Democrats have been forwarding
statement, of maioritcs by parishes, which
only need To hc contrastcd with each other 70
show that they are Wild guc,scs. kilograms
from two leading Democrats, sent from Ne"
Orleans on the same day, include, among ma
icritics "o'iicially asccItaucd,' statements
differing 800 votes as To single parish. Snch
Republican statements rs have appeared also
differ widely, in many eases, from any Demo
c;aiic estimate. II i, still probable, but not
certain, that the result in the State viii turn
upon the vote in the FIVE parishes in which,
according to complaints formally made, II
would seem 10 LEGAL election was acid.
1t is important to distinguish tim, case from
that considered 10y the Congressional Commit
tee which investigated the election Of 1871.
Then the Refining Board assumed the power
To throw out returns which were not accom-
panied 10y the formal complaint or information
of Illegally or violence. which the Inv r.
quircs, and upon which only !, WAS held that
tho board could 20 behind the returns. Ia
tins cas" GOV. Kellogg states that formal COM
plant, have been made 10y he proper officials,
and il his statement rs to the nature al those
complaints is sustained. the board viii lee not
only permitted but under the law required
to invest ate. Moreover, in 1871 -
was held 10y tho committee that the
evidence presented did not justify the
action of The board. In this ease public opin-
ion will surely condemn Any attempt to inter
fcrc with returns excepting in strict conformity
with law, aad then only upon such proof ~
shall convince fair men tiat the returns 30
not represent the actual will of the people.
TclcgraIns now slow that in tn" five disputed
parishes the nuplbcr OF white voters registered
this year was j,0Ti, and Of colorcd voters,
1l,S9l, aud yet the Democrats claim 1,ii2
majority, scarcely any Republican votes hay
ing been returned ~ east. Obviously there j.
strong presumption again>I the legality Of
such returns. But the question must bc de-
cdcd, not by presumption, but by proof