The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-12-02
LOUISIANA A.
Address of the Visiting Statesmen From
the Nor oh.

New ORLEANS, Dee. 1.-The committee
of visiting Democrats issued the following
address:
To the People of the United States:
On our arrival here, in casting about for
approaches to the officials who control the
elections of this State, we discovered that
they were all of one political party; that
the Governor had appointed none but
Republican Supervisors of Election, and
that the returning officers constituting the
State Board were OF the same political
school. Influenced by these iuauspicious
surroundings our thoughts and hopes were
turned towards the eminent gentlemen who
had been selected by the President to be
present and see that the Board of Canvas
sers made fair count of the votes actu
ally cast, and on the l4th of November
we invited these gentlemen to meet ahd
confer with us, This co operation was
declined, but we nevertheless have reason
10 believe that to this correspondence may
be attributed the invitation to US on the
18th ult., by the Returning Board, to attend
and be present at its meetings as spectators
and witnesses of its proceedings. and
through this courtesy aud the services OF "a
competent stenographer we became pos
sessed OF all essential facts delivered on
the ace of other official papers.
We have been furnished with a certified
copy of the duplicate statements of the
votes made by the Commissioners of Flee
| ton at each place Of voting in the State
From these statements it appears that the
Tilden Electors received $3.50 and the
Hayes Electors 77,l52. The result for
Presidential Electors, as disclosed on the
| g. "a he hu
ing Board in our presence, is: For the
Tilden Electors So 326; for the Hayes
Electors, 1908. In most cases the re-
responded precisely with the certificate
and copies of the statement the Commis.
sioners of Election furnished us. The
most material difference arose from fea
ture Of the Supervisors OF East Batol
Rouge, Taugipahoa, and of Orleans t.
forward statements of the votes from al
voting places in these respective parishes
} In thirty FIVE out of thirty States il
the Union the figures would be conclusive
, No one would claim that Tilden and Hend
ricks were not entitled to the Electora
vote of the State But iu Louisiana
: tribunal has been set up which ou forme
] occasions has overthrown the will Of tn
people as expressed at the polls and TO
] which power is now claimed, in its discre
: ton, to change the result of the popula
S vote at the recent election.
e In view, however, Of the returns an
J the law and facts which should contr1
o the Returning Board, with which we hav
S made ourselves familiar, we have no hes
e tation in saying that the result shown
/ the votes actually cast cannot be change
o without palpable abuse Of the letter an
It spirit of the law governing the retGrn!n
: board and a manifest perversion of th
l. facts before it.
:. Irregularities have been committed i
It some instances by officers conducting th
u elections and making the returns, bJ
]. they are about as much en- one side {
lt the other, and as TO intimidation, violenC
1t or other illegal acts preventing free an
AS fair election, there is evidence on bot
ty sides, but not of such character as to e
le iect the general result. In most instanc,
the acts and violence proceeded fro
mere lawlessness. as In the case of Hem
and Eliza Pinkston, and had no connectiC
with politics. 1t is a significant fact thu
in the parish where it is alleged that vott
Ia were kept from the polls by intimidatio
the total vote of such parishes was
large as at any time heretofore, and {
the whole 1900 above any vote heretofo
s. cast.
An honest and fair canvass of return
even under the Louisiana law, can n
materially reduce Tilden's majority,
tie shown on the face of the returns.
(Signed.)
JOHN NJ PALMER, of Illinois.
LYMAN TRUMBULL, of Illinois.
on WILLIAM BIGLER, of Pennsylvani
ay GEORGE B. SMITH, of Wisconsin.
nd GEORGE w. JULIAN. of Indiana.
he z. III. WATSON, of Ohio.