Litchfield enquirer., 1876-12-14
"PerfectIy Disgusted."

A sailor who was caught by pirates complained afterwards that they tied him to the main mast and laid on the cat O. nine-tails ''till he was pefectly disgus- ted" The American citizen of Re- publicans proclivities can now thoroughly sympathize with that peaceful mariner. Week before last he spent in valnly stri- wing to reconcile the cheerful telegrams of the Florida Chandler with the facts prov ed in that doleful case, He still hoped that Hayes could get his majority in Louisiana without cheating on the part of it's typical Returning Board. The longer he watched the worse things look ed. There was Republican usurpation :- S--IL n---l:--. Dnr-hlioor frsnds in Florida and vigorous Republican shuf- fling of returns in Louisiana. He began to think it his manifest duty to adminis- ter sting,ng rebuke to Republicanism by voting the democratic ticket "early and often.;'
 Last week, however, the citizen got smart slap on the other side of his face from the Democratic Governor of Oregon. That gentleman has been looking up the law to see if there is no chance for cheat for Tilden. There is such chance -a very poor one-but he improves it.
 In England there have been repeat ed instances of the entire rejection of votes cast for disqualified persons, and the counting in of minority candidates opposed to them The rule in this country however, excludes the candidate who fails of the requisite majority, unless the cleo tors of the majority party know their can didate is disqualified, and nevertheless persist in giving him their votes. In such peals, ''not only must the fact which dis qualities be known, but also the rule or enactment of law which makes the fact thus effectual." This rule has always governed the decision of contested Congressional elections and nearly all the decisions in State Courts. Still, the Demo. cratic Governor of Oregon has had the hardihood to count in minority candi- date. because his opponent was disqual- flied by being postmaster.
 So transparent bit of pettifogging shows exactly how much honesty we may expect from the Democratic politician, and leaves the citizen in the cool position of "A man without party"
 Nor has the week been without it's i'm. portant development in the prostrate ] states. Louisiana has gone Republican; | electors, state ticket, and Legislature. This result has been reached by a pow erful throwing out of precincts that gave Democratic majorities, and ludicious retention of those that went Republican. Moreover the Returning Board has won- derfully favorable report from the "visit. ingstatesmen." Old MT. Wells, whom Sher- | idan denounces as "a political trickster and dishonest man" comes out as nice an old Union planter as we ever read of: and in the pure alabaster of the ''man of intelligence, of excellent character and business habits, not dependent on office seeking for living. nor seeking it, but well-educated citizen, who has long con- ducted a prosperous and respectable bus. mess in the City of New Orleans" we fail to recognize "'the owner of small grog shop with billiard table in the rear," l In Florida there has been a powerful purgation of ballot boxes, and the slight Tilden majority of votes actually cast has been thrown out and several hundred more just enough as it providentially hap 1 pens to elect Governor Stearns as we'll as the Republican presidential electors. 1 In South Carolina the Democratic House has been decided by the Supreme Court to be the legitimate body. and 1t now has majority even of the mem. bers certified by the Returning Board. Nevertheless the Federal officer in command of the troops in Columbia, acting under orders of the President, de clines to allow them to to take possession I of their Chamber in the State House. Chamberlain has at last gone through the ceremony of inauguration. A law had to he passed through his bogus IegisIa- lure to allow & Probate Judge Ia admin ister his oath of office, none of the Justi- ces of the Supreme Court being