The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-12-04
a Democratic Manifesto.
MR.. TIlpEN's VISITING COMMITTEE PUBLISH AN
ADDRESS
New ORLEANS, December 1, IS

New ORLEANS, December /, 1876.
TO the People of the United States:
On our arrival here, in casting about for
approaches to the officials who control the
elections in this State, we discovered that
they were all OF one political party; that
the Governor had appointed none but Re-
publican supervisors Of elections, and TINT
the returning officers constituting the State
Board were of the same political school.
Influenced by these inauspicious surround
ings. our thoughts and hopes were turned
toward the eminent gentlemen who
have been selected by the President
to be present and see that the Board
Of Canvassers made fair count Of the votes
actually cast. and on the 14th of November
we invited these gentlemen to meet and
confer with us. This cooperation was de-
clned, but we nevertheless have reason to
believe that to this correspondence may be
attributed the invitation to us on the 18th
ultimo BY the Returning Board to attend
and be present at its meetings as spectators
and witnesses OF its proceedings. Through
this courtesy and the services OF compe-
tent stenographer we became possessed Of
all the essential facts developed on the face
! of the official papers. We have been fur
ni>hcd with certified copy OF the duplicate
statements of votes made by the Commits
Sioners Of Election at each place OF voting
in the State. From these statements it ap-
pears that the T'ilden electors received the
following yotes-to wit: McEnery, SO, 112 !;
Wycklitlc, S3,SS0; st. Martin, S3,G76;
Pocke, $500; DE Blanc, 83,GGI; Seay,
S3,S42; Cobb, S3,j19; Cross, S3,G52;
and the Hayes electors received the follow
ing votes-to wit Kellogg, 77.152; Burch,
77.li4; Joseph, 1889: Sheldon, 1854 !;
Marks, 1927; LcvisSe, 1870; Brewster,
75,451; Jeilrion, 1851. The result Of the
vote for presidential electors, rs disclosed
on the face OF the returns opened by the
Returning Board in our presence: For the
Tildcn electors-McEncry, S2.223; Wyck-
life, S22,326; st. Martin, S2,129; Poche,
S2,036; De Blanc, S2,065; Scay, 81, 242 !;
Cobb, S1,059; Cross. S2.109. For Hayes
electors--kcElogg, 77,023; Burch, 7G,9S3 !;
Joseph, 1862; Sheldon, 74.GIS; Marks,
| 75,0ST; Levissc, 75,l57: Brewster, 1920 !;
.Jciirion, 1890. In most cases the returns
opened by the Returning Board CORE
! Sponded precisely with the certified copies
! OF statements OF commissioners OF election
! furnished us. The most material diff
| ference arose from failure OF the
supervisors OF East Baton Rouge, ran
| giphaon. and OF Orleans to forward state
ments CT votes from all voting-places in
| their respective parishes. In thirty-hVe
out of the thlrty-eight States i'll the Union
| these figures would he conclusive. NO one
would claim that Tilden and Hendricks
were not entitled to the electoral vote OF
the State, but in Louisiana tribunal has
been set up which on former occasions had
overthrown the will of the people as en-
of ha nnI1s nn1 for which the
power is now claimed in its discretion to
change the result OF the popular vote at the
recent election. In view, however, OF the
returns, and the law and facts which should
control the Returning Board, with which
we have made ourselves familiar, we have
no hesitation in saying that the result
shown by votes actually cast cannot be
changed without n palpable abuse OF the
letter and spirit of the law governing the Re
turning Board and a manifest peryersion OF
the facts before it. Irregularities have been
committed in some instances by officers con-
ducting elections and making returns; but
they are about as much on one side as the
other; and as to intimidation and violence
or other illegal acts preventing free ana
fair election, there is evidence on both sides,
but not OF such character as to affect the
general result. In most instances acts OF
violence proceeded from mere lawlessness,
as in the case of Henry and Eliza
Pinkston, and had no connection with
politics. 1t is significant fact that
in parishes where it is alleged that
voters were kept from the polls by intimi-
daton the total vote OF such parishes were
as large as at any time heretofore, and in
the whole State is / 800 above any vote here
tofore cast. An honest and fair canvass OF
returns, even under the Louisiana law, cam
not materially reduce Tilden's majority as
shown on the face of the returns.
! [Signcdl JOHN NJ. PALMER,
| LYMAN TRUMBCLL,
WILLIAM BIGLER,
GEORGE B. SMITH,
GEoRGE w .JUIJAS