The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1876-12-08
TuEsTo or ELIZA plNKsTON.

Governor Palmer, OF Illinois, was
right when he said, before the Return
ing Board in New Orleans on Tuesday,
that the story of Eliza Pinkston con-
corning the murder of her husband and
the brutal barbarity with which She
herself was treated, must be Investigate
ed. In fact, wego further and ask why
was it not before investigated Villa,
have the local authorities of Louisiana
been about that such II piece Of brutal
ity, committed on the 4th of Novem-
Der, has attracted no attention has
caused no efforts of the officers OF justice
to investigate it and TO arrest the per
petrators, and only now, twenty -four
days after its commission,is made pub
lie, and then, not by the officers Of JUS
tice, not beforea court, but for Ioiiti-
cal effect, before the Returning Board:
Louisiana has n OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
with powers, under the State constitu
| ton, as great and comprehensive as
| those of the third Napoleon in France.
Almost every county in Louisiana
has Republican Sheriff and Dis!ric,
Attorney, and where one of these Off
| GERS fails of his duty Governor kellogg
has authority to remove him and put
| another man in his place. The Cover
| nor has power to appoint and pay 81
special local police in every county Il,
| mis- own will, and in AS great numbe,
IS he sees fit; he has authority to SEM
:. brigade of metropolitan police into
| any county at his own will, and has /:
| steamboat at his command to move
| them. 1t is his sworn duty to main
| tain the peace of the State, and no Gov
ernor of any State has, under its con-
stitution and laws, such great, and, in
| fact, unlimited powers. Why, then,
| the public will reasonably ask, has this
| savage atrOcity, for which even In.
lians would blush, been concealed st.
long? Why have not the republican,
officers Of justice done their duty?
The attempt to impress and disgust
the North by Il dramatic presentations
IF this gross and inexcus;tbie outrage il
certainly unworthy. The assassina-
ton Of Eliza Pinkston's husband and
the brut;tlities prstctised on her and
her child have but an incidental rel,-
ton to the question which the country
is waiting to have decided by the Re
turning Board. That body is to make
!, fair and honest count of the Stat,
| vote, to examine ilnpartially into char
res of intimidation and to throw on,
precincts where the evidence shows
there was intimidation or other action
ny either party sufficient to prevent q,
fair election. 1t is bound to hear tn.
evidence of Eliza Pinkston and all
others who come before it but the fac,
that such an atrocity has been commit
ted in one Louisiana parish does MOI,
decide the State election, except so ia,
as that may be influenced by th,
throwing out of Il vote TO telegraph
wildly about it, therefore, and attempt
to use this case to intlame and prcju
dice the Northern mind is pure dcma-
,Oginy. Ascruel atrocities as this have
! been committed in Pennsylvania with.
in the year. Let the affair be investi.
gated; but let the Governor sec to it,
too, that the murtlerers are brought t.
Justice. Else it will be thought tina!
this murder il of interest to him ONLY
"A Il means to affect Northern opinion.
". Y Herald, 2Sth.