New-York tribune., 1876-12-08

THE FRAUDS OF THE B0IDEST CHARACTER
WHERE THE VOTES WERE THROWN our.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
CHARLESTON, S. c., Dec 7.-On Tuesday at Talla-
hassee Immediately after a telegram had been re-
ceived from Louisiana announcing that Gov. Hayes
had the State by about 3,4O0 majority, the wires
were cut about four miles from Tallahassee. The
Democrats did not mean that any more news
of that sort should come until the Florida
hoard had finished. The dispatches sent
by Republicans at 3 o'clock on Wednes-
day morning announcing the result were sent on
horseback so miles to Monticello. The Board of
State Canvassers have acted with conspicuous fair
ness and proprlety in conducting the canvass. No
Democrat will complain that his side was not treated
with great courtesy that there was not the full
est opportunity up to the last possible moment for
them to submit proofs and arguments. At the final
hearing on Monday evening, when the last argu-
mcnts were being read and the Republican final ar
gument ON Monroe County had been heard. the
board allowed the Democrats to introduce the oral
testimony of witnesses to contradict facts COM
mented upon in the argument
No one of the distinguished lawyers OF Northern
Democratic visitors will deny the fairness or hber-
atty Of the modes of procedure adopted by the ke-
publican majority of the board. Even Attorney
General Cooke came to realize the necessity, when
acting officially, of laying aside partisanship and
adherng to wel-settied rules of law in acting upon
returns 1t will be remembered that he sent an
imprudent telegram of Nov. ii, asserting
that he was a member of the Canyassng Board;
that Tilden and Drew had carried the State, and
that the Radicals should not be allowed to cheat
them out of it. This telegram The World of the
29th approves and says: Cooke has done nothing
to dsqualify himself to be an impartial judge" The
truth about the Attorney General is that he is
lawyer of learning and anxious, when not ham,
pered by Democratic party pressure, TO administer
the law as he understands it but he is too easily
induced by the desperate and reckless Democrats
about him to act contrary to his own real and hon.
est convictions. This view of his character is tile
clew to his action in the closing work of the board
lie has no doubt whatever that the honest and legal
vote of Florida was for Gov. Hayes. lie has doubt
whether it is Republican on the State ticket, and he
wants to make it Democratic if h. can for the ben
fit of his party.
The precise action of the board | canrot give. 1t
was about as follows Additions to Democratic
votes-Clay, 90 Baker, 1886; Jefferson, so Leon,
2. Reductions-Hamilton, 173; Jackson, 315
Orange, 7; Franklin. 10 4; fernando, : (; Waldo Pre-
cinct, Aachua, 8 Manatee, 235 Monroe, 342; Cal
houn 1. These changes increase the Hayes majority
to about 90O and elect the Republican State ticket
and both Congressman. The board rejected the Dem
ocraic claim that Archer Precinct in Aachua should
be thrown out. The sworn testimony made at the
time, and overwhelming testimony from the
voters themselves and from credible and con-
sstent election officers, proved conclusively
that 800 Republican votes were cast. The
contrary testimony was from uncOTObOrated and
admitted perurers. That is all there is to the case
of Archer. In Clay they restored % Iilden ma
jOrity which the county canvassers had thrown out
because the inspectors appeared not to have been
sworn il being shown to the board that they had
been in fact sworn. They concluded finally to
count all the precinct votes in Baker County, it not
sufficiently appearing that the county judge, sheriff,
and justice had good reasons for throwing out two'
of them; but in doing this they did not decide in
any way against the validity and formaity OF the
canvass and return showing a Republican majority,
nor recognize the socalled return of Coxe the clerk
They sustained the Republican return in Duyal
County, it appearing that all three officers were
present at the canvass, although the Democratic
county Judge cOntumaciously and improperly re-
fused to sign the return. The precinct returns were
also before them showing the true vote TO be as re-
turned. They allowed reduction OF 80 votes in
Jefferson County as the sole result of an immense
mass of Democratic testimony put in very late, and
claimed as showing 900 fraudulent votes in the
county because the names not on canvass made
by the Democratic Committee, which was OF course
utterly valueless a true guide. In Leon County
also they reduced a large prepOsterous Democratic
claim Of illegal voting to two. They threw out
precinct vote in Hamilton County because of gross
violations of the election laws relative to guarding
the ballOt-box during the election. Tie board here
acted on the advice of Attorney Cooke, who
felt compelled against his party interests to yindi-
cate the requirements of the law.
In Jackson County two precincts were thrown out.
~ I. 4 a hyxvao lnh han
kent ont of sight of the electors They all had to vote
through high windows in one precinct exactly SIX
feet. and in the other several feet high
above the standing place of the voters,
whose ballots were, Of course, at once lost to
their view and went they knew not where.
In fact, at Friendship Church only Al Republican
votes were returned, while it proved by testi-
nonv of all the persons themselves and by others
that 66 actually voted for the Hayes electors. In
Campbellton II Hayes votes were returned. and 1t
ia conelusiyely proved, with no counter-oYIdence,
that 80 Republican votes were actually cast 1he
proof of conspiracy to give fraudulent MAJORITY
not Inv egalities in conducting the election, but by
fonds actualIv committed amply justities the board
in rejecting as they did, the entire precinct Vote
The Jackson County proofs arc ImpregnaDle.
They were prepared under the direction OF Zen.
Lew Wallace who also summed up ana argueu
them defy any Democratic Congressional coii-
mittee to break them no matter how much hgurlng
the Democrats of the county may dare to commit
The county, this year reported at 9S Tilden MAJOR
ity was one Of the strongest Republican counties III
the state giving from 760 Republican down TO not
less than $50, until all the white Republicans were
killed OF driven Off Eighty-one unpunished mur
ders have been committed there, including those of
John L. FnaysOn, a native Southenor, and
surgeon in the Rebel army, and Col. John O. Dckin-
son. n native of Vermont, Dartmouth graduate per-