, 1876-11-18
Counting a President En.


Up TO the day of election no repub-
lican newspaper, party organ, or other
spokesman yf the party pretended a
hope Of carrying Louisiana or Florida
for Mr.. HAYES. In all the estimates
of the probable result of Mr.. Hayes
par .isans, these States have uniformly
been conceded TO the democrats. 1t
Is clear that it was never contemplated
that the situation would become 80
desperate as 10 require the votes OF
these States TO secure the election OF
the republican candidate but this is
precisely what has happened, and the
purpose is clearly evinced of a design
TO carry these States by the instrumen'
talities of the infamous returning board
and of United States soldiers.
II is notorious that at the last elec-
tiou in Louisiana the democratic can.
dldate was elected By clear ma jor-
ity. The report of the recent election
show uniform democratic gains over
this vote This decisive expression ol
the popular will is answered with a
batch of "outrages.' Tne outrage
mill il set 10 grinding, that pretexl
NAV be forthcoming for a repetition
o. tie frauds that have disgraced the
nation and made republican govern
ment in Louisiana a by word and re-
proich. IL is not necessary to repeat
the story OF the infamous returning
board lis frauds have been held up
TO be execrated by all men for the pas'
four years, and this returning board !:
To be one Of the instruments of NJ
HtyeS, election. Ijs methods may DC
understood from the dispatches. |; i,
pretended that the returns from = large
number of parishes have been destroy
! ep by the democrats, but fortunately
adds the telegraph, accurate lists o
the woes o: copies of The returns art
preserved
IL is apparent that these informal
nnverItird. and partisan lists are to bs
substituted for the legal returns o
elections in enough cases to effect The
desired result. From other localities
stories of intimidation AMI blODi,hed
are coming up. This is to Justify the
total exclusion from the coant of re
turns showing large democratic major
tiles. These are the familiar means o
republican triumph i'll The Sonth. Tn,
country has long been familiar viii
them in Louisiana.
In Florida, the largest Republican
mnjority last year was a little abur,
600 votes. Large democratic gam.
over this vote are how reported iii al
! quarters, and, as this fact woull
| JUS iiy, the democrats now claim III,
| State. But the Governor of thar State
| telegraphs his fears that the democrat.
will wreck the railroad trains carrying
election returns and forthwith III,
Secre ary OF war orders the cnncentra
ton of United States soldiers il
Florida to count the yo;es Of tha
State.
In the long procession of di>gracefn
events which has followed republican
admins ration, this is the first ap
pearance Of the army in snch clpaci
ty. The army is ordered INTO FIo;itIa
to preside over the counting in tina
Stale, and Is the vote of Florida vii
decide the general result, it follow,
tha; the " army has the floor " in tn,
United States, in the decision of III
Presidential question.
by these means the popular candi
date may be defeated and Mr.. Haye,
made President. In the momentar,
| qualification Of success the republican
party may overlook the train of ILL
which this conduct Will bring upur
the country; bnt surely no man capa
be Of placing his country above hi
party, can help but regard with alarm
a precedent which deties the voice 0
the people and deliberately robs the
majority of its right 20 control. Ii
instead of popular government, thu
is to be henceforih a government o
fraud and violence, the calamity vii
fall alike upon all classes and parties
-P0rtIdjl2 Stn21IyyT.