New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-17

Reply of Distinguished National
Republicans to the DEM
ocratic Proposition.
They Refuse to Infringe State RigAts,
or to Dictate to Judicial
Tribunals.
An Illustration from the Past His.
tory Of New York.

tory Of New York.
Yesterday, the distinguished represents.
tves of the Republican party. from tie
North, East and West, now visiting tkis
city, in consequence of the national pror1i-
Dence which the recent election in this
State has assumed, indited and forwarded
to the gentlemen also visiting this city by
request of the National Democratic Com.
mittee, the subjoined reply to the fermal
proposal of these national Democrats that
outside strap gers should form Q committee
and take upon themselves the duties con-
ferred by the laws of the State upon the
Returning Board of the State of Louisiana.
The influential array Of signatures ap-
pended to this reply gives additional
weight to the arguments advanced, though
even from strict Democratic standpoint
these arguments are in themselves conclu.
eive.
New ORLEANS, November l6 1876.
To Hon. John NJ. Palmer, 'Lewie ". Bogy,
Lyman Trumbnll, James' Q. Brodhead. W. Il.
Morrison and others. pres Mt at the request Of
mittee
GENILEMEN-The majority Of the under
signed, to whom your note Of the fourteenth
instant was addressed, only arrived in this
city yesterday evening. We have there
fore been unable to reply until this mora
ing, and can only regret that your comma
nicstiou should have been given to the
press immediately upoc its delivery and
without the possibility Of an answer &C.
companying it.
You remark that you are informed that
We come at the request Of the President,
''to see that the Board of. Csnvsssers make
. fair count of the votes actually cast"
and ask that we meet aCd confer, "in order
that such influence as We possess may be
exerted on behalf of sech canvass Of the
votes actually cast as by it's fairness and
impartiality shall command the respect and
,acquiescenoe of the American people of all
parties"
We join heartily with you in councils of
peace and in the expression of an earnest
desire for perfectly honest and Just de-
elaration Of the results of the recent elec-
tion in Louisiana by its lawfully constituted
authorities; and We may add that we know
of no reason to doubt that such declara-
tion will be made. But We do not Gee the
propriety or utility of conference on the
basis and subject to the limitations you
propose, for we have 20 such duty imposed
on us as suggested by the clause OF your
noto first quoted. We are at most re-
quested to be witnesses of what
nhon in fha ho
votes, without power or legal influence
over the result, or over the means by
which, under the laws of louisiana, the re-
suit is to be determined. We can net doubt
that in this you, upon reflection. will con-
cur with US. We are here as private citi
zens, with no official powers. We, there
fore, een not supersede or modify any law
Of that State, nor have we any right to con-
troll or influence any Of its officers az to the
manner in which they shall perform minis
terial or judicial dutiee imposed upon them
by its Laws; and should we, being strangers
and without official fuHctions, attempt this
We should be condemned by the people of
every State in the Union for an improper
interference with local administration.
The following extracts from the laws of
Louisiana, show that the canvassing board
is expressly required in certain cases to ex.
ercise judicial as we'll Gs min isterial func.
tons:
"That in such canvass and compilation
the returning officers shall observe the fol-
lowing order: They shall compile GFEt the
statements from all polls or voting places
ct which there shall have been fair. free
and peaceable registration and election.
Whenever, from any poll or voting place,
there shall be received the statement Of any
ar pervisor of registration or commissioner |
OF election, in form as rec uired by section
twonty-six Of this act, on affidavit OF three
OrinOre citizens, of any riot, tumult, acts of |
violence, intmidation, arEed disturbance, |
bribery or corrupt influences which pre-
vented, or tended to prevent. fair, free and !
peaceable vote Of all qualified electors en-
titIek- TO vote at such poll or voting plaoe,
such returning officers shall not canvass,
count or compile the statements OF votes from
such coil or voting place until the statements
from all other polls or voting places shall
have iaen canvsssed and compiled. The re-
turnip~ officers shaE then proceed to investi
gate tha statements of riot, tuEult, acts of
violence, intimidation, armed disturbance.
bribery or corrupt Influences at any such poi
or voting place; and if, from the evidence OF
such statement, they shall be convinced that
auch riot, tumult, aefp of viOleLce, lntlml-
dation, armed distufSance, bribery or cor
rupt iDfuA1ces did not materially interfere
1ith the purity and Freedom of the election
at such poll or voting plGee, or did not pre-
vent sufficient number Of qualified voters
thS-eat froM registering s< voting te mate.
riaLy change the result Of the election, then
aud not othe. wise, said returning officers
shall canvase and conpile the vote
Of s1ch poll or votisg place with
those previously canvassed sand COM
L;led; but if the said returning officers
sLall not be fully satisfied thereof it shall
b their duty to examine further testimony
in regard thereto, and to this end they shall
have power to send .Or persons and papers.
If after such examination the said returning
,tfcers shall be convinced that said riot,
;umult, acts of violence, intimidation, armed
bribery or corrupt influenced
lid materially interfere with the purity and
reednm of the election at such poll or v0-
ing place, or did prevent sufficient num- !
yer OF the qualified electors thereat from {
egistering and voting ts m materially change
he result of the election, then the said re-
uning officers shall not canvass or COM
,ile the statement of the rotes of such pell
+ voting place, but shall exclude it from q
heir returns; provided, thet any person in 7
crested in said election, by reason of being I
candidate for office, shalt be allowed q
esring before said returning officers upon I