The daily gazette., 1876-12-04
Address of the Democratic Committee.

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 republican Supervisors of Elections,
and that the returning officers constitut-
ing the State Board were of the same po-
litical school. Influenced by these inatl-
spicious surroundings 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 co-opera-
tion was declined, but We, nevertheless,
have reason to believe that to this CORE,
spondence may be attributed the invita-
tion to us on the 18th ult., by the Return
ing Board, to attend and be present at its
meetings as spectators and witnesses of
its proceedings. Through this courtesy
and the services of competent steno-
grapher we became possessed of essential
facts developed on the face of the official
papers. We have been furnished with a
certified copy of the duplicate statements
of votes made by the Commissioners of
Election at each place of voting in the
State; and from these statements it ap-
pears that the Tilden electors received
the following votes, to.wit:-
McEnery :. .S3,712 De Blanc. SO ,6G7
Wickliffe. SO, $50 Seay ..S3 3,S42
st. Martin. 3,676 Coleb .S3 SO
Poche. ..... $500 Cross. ..... .S3 ,G52
And the Hayes electors received the
following votes, to-wit =
Kellogg. ......77,152 Marks IL, ,221
Burch. .......77, ,154 Levissee. $40
Joseph. ..... "a, $50 Brewster. Ia, ,457
Sheldon. ....74,sS4 Jefirion. ...75 5,597
The result of the vote for Presidential
electors as disclosed on the face Of the Re-
turning Board in our presence -
FOR THE TILDEN ELECTORS.
McEnery. .S2,223 De Blanc. 81, ,0G5
Wicklifie. .S2,326 Seay. ...... 81, ,242
st. Martin. .S2, ,129 Cobb. ,. -. 81 $50
Poche. ..... .S2,036 Cross. ......S2, 100
FOR HAYES ELECTORS.
Kellogg .7zO23 Marks. .....75,Os7
Burch. .7G,993 Levissee. Z, ,157
Joseph. .T4,642 Brewster. 5,270
Sheldon. ..74,G ,G7S Jeffron. -. rs 800
In most cases the returns opened by
the Returning Board corresponded with
the certified copies of the statements of
Commissioners of Election furnished us.
The most material difference arose from
the failure otthe Supervisors of East Baton
Rogue, Tangipahoa and Orleans to for
ward the statement of votes from voting
places in their respective parishes.
In thirty-ive out of the thirty-eight
States in the Union, these figures would
be conclusive, and no one would claim
that Tilden and Hendricks were not en-
titled to the electoral vote of the State :;
but in Louisiana tribunal has been set
up which on former occasions has over
thrown the will of the people,as expressed
at the polls, and for which the power is
now claimed at its discretion to change
the result of the popular vote of the re-
cent 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 votes actually cast cannot
be changed without palpable abuse Of
the letter and spirit Of the law govern
ing The Returning Board and manifest
perversion of the facts before it. Irregu-
larities have been committed in some in
stances by officers conducting elections
and in making returns, but they are
about as much on one side as the other,
and as to intimidation and violence, or
other illegal acts prevneting a face and
fair election, there is evidence on
both sides, but not of such character as
to affect the general result. In most in
stance sthe acts of violence proceeded
from mere lawlessness, as in the case of
Henry and Eliza Pinkstou, and had no
connection with politics.
1t is significant fact in the paiishes
where it is alleged that voters were kept
from the rolls by intimidation, the total
vote of such parishes was as large as at
any time heretofore, and ia the whole
State is 1900 above any vote heretofore
cast. An honest and fair canvass of the
rerurns, even under the Louisiana law,
cannot moterially reduce Tilden's ma
iority, as shown on the face of the returns.
JOHN NJ. PALMER,
LYMAN TRUMBUL,
WILLIAM BiGLNR,
GEORGE b. SMITH.
GEORGE w. JULIAN,
II. II. WATSON.