The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-11-21
FLORIDA.

EhUh1DAs
Charges of Intimidation 10 be Invesii-
gated.
TALLAHASSEE, Nov. 20.-A company of
troops leave Monday for jackson county,where
an investigation of charges of violence and
intimidation is to be made
Ia statu Quo.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Nov. 20.-There is
nothing new in the situation in Florida.
Everything awaits the coming OF the returns.
The official returns are received SO far from al
but nine counties. The count will hardly be
commenced this week.
Why the Republicans Refuse 10 Give Fig
New YORK, Nov. 20-The Times publishes
TALLAHASSEE, Nov 20.
To the Hon. Zachariah Chandler, Chairman of
the Republican National Comnittee, Wash
iDgton, d. G:
We have been frequently asked to give the
figures of the electaral vote of the state as
claimed by the Republicans. We have declin-
ed to do SO for the following reasons solely:
The official returns have been received from
80 out of the 80 counties and until all are in
we are unwilling and think it unwiSe to give
our understanding Of the figures, because of
the possibility of the figures in the Democratic
counties still believed being sufficiently chang.
ed to alter the result. We do not necessarily
impute to any one design to commit fraud,
and not unknown here or elsewhere, as in the
case OF the election frauds in the city of New
York at the Presidential election of 1868 and
the well known Tweed circular in furtherance
thereof.
In 1872 in this state the raising of the county
returns in favor of the Democratic state ticket
nearly 1000 votes, was discovered at the last
moment and was only counteracted by the ex.
traordinary efforts which were made to obtain
the original precinct returns We feel entirely
iucf cd in, ft1oin 10 niv info nafi
which shall even in the remotest degree render
any such fraud possible or desirable.
The Delay i'm the Canvass.
The delay in beginning the canvass arises
from three causes:
First, an uncertainty as to whether the Gov
ernor alone or the general board of state can
vasserS are the legal canvassing officers of the
Presidential vote. The Democrats have asked
to be heard on this question and it is now I'M
der consideration.
Second.-All the returns are not in. which,
it is claimed by many, is legol prerequisite to
otherwise, YET for the reasons above stated it
would be unwise to begin it until the returns
are received. Not unfrequently the returns
from the remoter counties do not reach Talla-
hassee for three or four weeks, and the law
allows the general board thirty-fve days for
them. In some counties the county canvass
even is not required to be made till twenty days
from election.
Third.-Frauds or Irregularities in certain
precincts are charged by each side against the
other, and it is desirable and proper if it shall
appear that such questions should be gone
into, that both parties should have ample time
If they desire it to procure proofs. By
the law the general canvassing board
fraud and Irregularities in the several
polls, provision of law eminently wise and
needful in thinly settled country where cleo
lions are sometimes not conducted with that
order and regularity SO generally observed in
this state would have been given to the
Democratic state ticket had not the gen.
eral board of canvassers under its judi
cal powers corrected the fraud by which
the jackson county canvass was made to
by the original precinct returns. Thomas
Bloxhowe, the Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor, received 939 votes, but the returns were
made to show that he had received 1889,
duced from 1109 to 700. Walls, the Republican
candidaee for Congress, received HOS votes,
which altered to 108. This is the county in
which Republican majority of 1859 at the last
election is claimed to be converted into DEM
ocratic majority of 50 votes this year.
In view of this Democratic fraud SO lately at
tempted and SO nearly successful, and of we'll
known frauds elsewhere by that party, we
think that the Democratic assertions that fraud
is contemplated by the Republican members of
the state board of canvassers is absurd. The
power of this board to correct frauds and
wrongs is undisputed by any one. They will
act openly and will be subject to the scrutiny
of the whole country, and no one can ask any
thing but that their decision shall be based on
such facts as will carry conviction to impartial
men, and upon the well settled rules of law and
evidence applicable to such cases and such we
believe will be the action of the canvassers.
(Signed,)
Francis c. BaIlow of New York, j. M. Thorn
hJrcv Of v1uov, 10 Y Hhon of
New Hampshire, Edward e. Noyes of Ohio,
W. 81. Robinson and d. G. Rollins of New
York, J. p G. Emmons of Florida, Lew
Wallace of Indiana