The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-12-09
Fact. which All Agree Upon.

Nr. hayes 100.
III. There are three other states where
The declaration of the result was finally
made on Tuesday night last, or Wednes-
day morning, only one day, or even less
than one day before the Electoral Col
leges' are required to meet and cast their
votes. These states are South Carolina
with seven electoral votes, Louisiana
with eight and Florida with four.
III. All Of these three States have
what are called Returning Boards, en-
powered t. canvass, to alter, and to de-
clare the final result of the returns sent
up by the county or parish canvassers.
These Returning Boards were not known
until after the reconstruction of the
Southern States and the establishment OF
csrpet-bag rule there. The first one sp-
pears to have been introduced under
Governor Warmoth in Louisiana for
the alleged purpose OF enabling
HIM to declare himself Reelected,
and to remain in power when his
antagonist should be stronger than he,
and should really obtain majority In
An election. From Louisiana the plan
was introduced elsewhere, but the powers
and purposes of the institution are
everywhere substantially the same. The
Returning Board can always change the
apparent result OF an election, and thus.
wnere the county or parish returns show
n Democratic majority, it can alter this
and declare q Republican ,.majority, or
the contrary.
". 1t is denied that these Boards eI.
ist constitutionslly in any one of these
three States.
V. The first o! these three Returning
Boards 10 act was that Of South Carolina.
1t consists Of five members, all of them
State officers, and four of them candi-
dates for office at this election. On their
face the county returns showed Demo
cratic majority, and the Supreme Court
of the State-the authority which in
every State is regularly invoked in cases
of disputed elections or threatened frauds
in canvsssing-was applied to to secure
fair count OF the votes, and
TO prevent these men from deciding
their own case IN their own favor
by changing the county returns.
The court entertained the application
and issued mandate directing the
Board not to proceed until the matter
should be heard and decided by the
court; but while the case was thus pend
ing before the court, the Board met pri-
vately, and without any formal exam
iuation OF the returns declared the cleo
ton in their own favor, in favor Of the
HAYES candidates for electors, and In
favor of Chamberlain, the Republican
candidate for Governor, and then adj
burned without delay. Then the court
committed them for con tempt of its man
date, but Judge Bond OF the United
States Circuit Court, who was in South
Carolina in adva0ce of his regular time,
released them upon writ of habeds
corpus, putting them into the nominal
custody of the United States Marshal,
Who at once set them at liberty. Alter
hearing the argument upon the question
o. his authority to release these men,
Judge Bond took that question under
adyisement, and has not yet rendered
any decision.
VI In Louisiana the Returning
Board is required by law to have five
members. There was vacancy in 1t,
but this vacancy was not filled. and all
its proceedings have been taken by four
members only, all Republic. The
President Of this Board, j. Madison
Wells, was turned out of office as Gov
ernor Of Louisiana, before reconstruction,
several years ago, by General Sheridan
who denounced him as a dis.
honest man. The other three
members are not so well known
a, Wells. but ore of these is the
keeper of drinking saloon. They pro-
tracted the examination OF the returns
till the very latest moment, and conclud-
ed their fnai canvass of the votes in Sc
cret, none but Republican officials being
admitted to their session. The aggre-
lated returns from the different parishes
of the State showed n msjority for the
highest elector on the Tilden ticket of
over 1000 This the Returning Board
changed By reducing the vote OF
that clector by 1921, thus max
ing him appear to receive nearly
1000 fewer votes than The lowest candi-
date for elector on the Hayes ticket 1t
should also be known to the public that
while these proceedings were gong on
in New Orleans, Mr.. Hewitt, the Chair:
man of the National Democratic Com
mittee, had been approached in this city
BY persons from Louisiana claiming TO
represent the members of the Returning
Board. and offering for money to declare
the Tllden electors elected. Whether
the persons making this proposition
were authorized to make it by
Mr.. Wells and his associates we have
no means of knowing; but it was in keep
ing with the reputation OF the men, with
the secrecy of their action, and with the
tact that they refused to fill the vacancy
in their Board-a refusal perfectly &C
counted for on the theory that they
meant to make money by the declaration
of the election, and wished to divide it
among as small number as possible. In
applvlpC to Mr. Hewitt. however, they
were disappointed. That gentleman in.
refused to purchase Presi-
Dental election.
VII. In Florida the Returning Board
consists Of three persons, two Repubi-
cans and one Democrat. In one OF
these Republicans it would seem that
full cotidcnce was not placed st first, for
Marcalu: l., Stearns, the Governor Of
the state, hims II announced his intention
of sanvaSsing and declarir Z the vote i'll
person. Against this unexpected pc
posal the Democrats invoked the
lnterp osition of the courts, and
the question was solemulv argued
before the proper tribansl of the
State. Gen. Barlow. OF this city, appear
ing rs an advocate 10 defend the claim
nj The Governor 10 make such canvass
and declaration. Previous, however, to
he decision OF the court upon this ques-
ton, satisfactory assurances sppesr to
have been gained from the doubted Re-
publican member of the Board. when
the Governor renowned his declared
intention and left the canvass u that
BODY. Its decision was finally de-
clsred yesterday morning, by the vote
o. the two Republican members
80 -, ,bo e;,,rla Ilannnprat after q DrO.