The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-27
Repeating the Old Game.

There is nothing new in the recent
frauds of the Returning Board Of LOUISE
ana. WELLS and his coufederatcs have only
repeated their practices of lS1i almost eX-
nctly. The report Of the special commit
tee Of which Mr.. Foster OF Ohio was
Chairman. when read by the light Of the
present developments, discloses a c0ndi-
ton of things nearly similar TO that now
witnessed; showing that IN the face of all
the exposures and the reputation OF their
lniquities 10y the WHEELER compromise,
this Board had tho hardhood, in defiance
II public opinion. 10 revive the Old game,
and to play II without any fear Of conse-
puences.
The Board has rejected more than seven
ty-nve polls IN the state, and counted out
over thirteen thousand votes which their
own partisan Commissioners aud Super
vsors had returned for Mr. TILDEN. The
preteXt for this INDUSTRIOUS outrage was al
legged intimidation and violence and to
support il "A mass of affidavits, signed with
cross marks by negroes who cannot read
or write, and nne-tenths Of whom did
not know the nature Of the testimony, was
fabricated at the Custom House. These
negroes were brought 10 New Orleans by
summons from a Commissioner Of the
United states, so that they received mile
nge ana per diem at the cost OF the public
Treasury, Tor adngin this work.
To understand the value of the charge
Of intimidation it is only necessary - take
single example from Mr.. FosTEns re-
port, because il briuE- directly before the
eye the character and the conduct Of j. NJ.
WELLS. then as now the President and
the directing spirit Of this Returning
Board. The parish of Rapidos was one OF
those selected for investigation, as belong
ing 10 general class, in Il certain quarter
of the state. Here is what the committee
say IN regard to il;
The pgr-h Of Rapldoa chose three members
9trc se cd LesGe wben e Se rS sfstGd S
the only paper ned with the Returning Board
WIS the an iaVit OF the United states Superyisor
that the election was Ia all respects full, fair,
and free.
test existed against tLcse members. Ihey left
their homes aui proceeded T. New Orleans % he
pres nj AZ the opening OF the legislature no IN
tImatinu Of COntcsting their seats or ohi ecfi on
t. their election hiyins been given hy their ou-
ponents. At one Of their last sessions the Re
turning BOARD declared all the Republican mem-
ber- elect, d from that parish
LIT US see how this extraordinary result
was brought about. The committee de-
scribe the process in plain terms;
"whcn the papers Of the Returning Board
were produced before your committee, there
W found fnyng ihem an nmdayit ~ VI. " Gus,
N, IJtNtitnt Of m, BOlTi. declaring that nut mi
daiou had existed at certain polls In that parish,
aud mt the returns from those polls should
thrrein re- be eJHCted, Tho counsel for the
democratic committee testified that they had
no Out oriuuify 70 contradict the statements Of
this paper; tuat they never had seen or known
~ II tefote, and that upon an examination Of
tlnNd, Uds not among them. he counsel for
the ltrpu licln committee reserved tho right to
make eApdnalion upon ms point tM ogufd
HNut. pc hihlaNlt was dated the - day Of Do
ttmhrr LA. II appeared mat GOr. was lDds not
hWstU ul the I.I an ON me- dIyof ne tection.
iuurtninfniI ice are there re- constrained to
declare that tine actl 90 Of the Returning board
IN rejecting These returns ia tue parish Of Ka-
uldes, ana GIVING the seat, tpr that parish 10 the
Hrnunlirhn clnildhte-, ttfs drbUfITu uufitr,
dHd UhJW WuIIdut " du.'
BY this sort OF proceeding they trans
formed Democratic Legislature INTO a
Republican one and cheated state Treas
uror out Of his election, Just rs thoy have
now stolen the votes cast for TLDEN and
given them TO HAYES. Tho same men ngur-
td IN both eases, ana these scoundrels who
ought to be in tho penltouliary cracking
stone, are held up by JOHN SHERMAN and
other Christian statesmen OF his stripe, as
the equals Of the highest ana best Sem
htors, ana their decisions ms entitled to the
same respect with those Of the supreme
Court Of the United States!
WELLS ana his associates had an exam.
Die IN the LYNCH Board of 1872. which