The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-11-18
STILL WAITING
The South Carolina
Board at Work.
The Louisiana Board
Threatened With
Assassination.
No Change in the
Situation.
LOUISIANA.
The Returninx board Thrs tened


trcksters. you and your companions in sin, the
bastard Kenner, the negro thief Casanaye. and
the INSCRIPTIONS villain Anderson, that if you
swindle us again, your lives will pay the for
felt. Listen, villains! We are armed, organ.
lied and sworn to do our duty. The braggart
Sheridan and his paid emissaries cannot save
you, nor the corrupt men at your back. Our
attack will be sudden and decisive. We will
do our work and disappear before the hordes of
the despot Grant can protect you. You are
warned, now beware!
UNITED BROTHERHOOD OF LOUISIANA.
Intimidated Negroes.
A deputation of negroes waited on the
Northern Democrats at their hotel yesterday,
and claimed that they and many others of
their race had been intimidated and prevented
from voting the Democratic ticket. They were
all city negroes, who had been making CAM
paign speeches. Nine of them issue a certif-
cate that they advocated and voted the Demo-
cratic ticket.
The Situation According ito a Tribune
Correspondent.
NEW YORK, Nov. ia New Orleans dis
patch to the Tribune from q. L. W.. one of its
staff correspondents, dated last night, is as fol-
lows:
The latest returns of the election in Louisiana
received in this city show that the Republican
msjorities are in the aggregate smaller than
they were supposed to be. The politicians of
both parties have heretofore conceded in pri-
vate, if not in public, that the result would de-
pend entirely on the decision of the returning
board in regard to the vote of five parishes in
which it is asserted intimidation and fraud
were most resorted to. If these or any three of
them were counted as pOlled, it was supposed
the Democrats would carry the state. If they
were all thrown out the state was almost uni
versally conceded to the Republicans. A grave
doubt now exists IN regard to their being Re-
publican majority in the remaining parishes,
oGsor ~ ,.11s,v xnEA1
West Feiiciana, East Baton Rouge, Ouachita,
and Morehouse parishes. A table prepared by
prominent Republicans of this city who have
excellent opportunities for obtaining correct in
formation makes the state very close without
the vote of the parishes named, with the
chances rather in favor of the Democrats.
1t must not be concluded from this that the
prospect of the Democrats carrying the state
has been improved. Enough of the vote in
bulldozedf counties may be accepted by the re-
turning board 20 give the Republicans major
ity in several of them. 1t is difficult to lore
cast from the returns received what the result
of the count will be. The Republicans are
fully confident that the returning board will
declare that the vote of Louisiana was cast for
Hayes and Packard, and the Democrats seem
almost unanimously to have arrived at the
same conclusion.
The latter at the same time assert that this
result can only be brought about by unfair
means, and unless the evidence of violence and
Intimidation, which is produced, is of more
convincing character than they expect they do
not propose to accept the decision of the return
ing board as final. In other words they do
not intend to allow the vote of Louisiana to be
counted for Hayes Oh the second Wednesday
of next February unless the case made up here
is so plainly against them as to make all as
sault upon it hopeless. When the truth about
the Louisiana election comes to be known, if it
is ever fully revealed, it will be found that the
q n ha riu hut
which has been least to blame.
The Democratic Reioinder.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. II.
To Hons. John Sherman. Stanley Matthews,
j. A. Garfield, w. d. Kelley, John A. Kas-
son, E. W. Stoughton, G. Irvine Dirty, J. 81.
Van Alan, Eugene Hale, M. S. Quay Will
S. Cumback, e. S. Noyes, Job E. Stevenson,
A. McGrew, j. A. Chapman, VIM. R. Smith,
Abner Taylor, L. r. Haven, j. M. Beardsley,
G. B. Farwell, CORTLAND Parker, Sidney
Clark and J. G. Wilson:
Conference.-The are in receipt of your answer
to our letter of the 18th inst, in which YOU in
form us of your determination not to confer
with US for the purpose Of eXerting such infiu-
ence as we may possess in behalf of such can.
vass of the vote actually cast at the election in
Louisiana as by its fairness and impartiality
shall command the acquiescence and respect of
all parties We sincerely regret this failure of
therance of the purpose which as we supposed
had brought them hither at this juncture. We
regret it all the more because your refusal to
confer and cooperate with us appears to be
based upon serious misapprehenslon of the
language, no less than the spirit, of our com.
muncation. 1t can hardly have escaped your
notice that our statement of the result to be
attained by the cooperative action which We
sought to bring about was simple reproduc.
ton of the language of President Grant. at
whose request we understand that you came
here.
In his recent order to Gen. Sherman ttat
language was undoubtedly used, no doubt in
view of the fact about which, as we conceive,
there can be no dispute that the first and most
essential prerequisite to an honest and just
declaration of the results of the recent election
in Louisiana is a fair and impartial canvass of
the votes actually cast, and it seems to us that
you do the President great injustice in snppos
ing that in speaking of the votes actually cast,
as you certainly do US injustice, by the imputa-
ton OF desire to insist upon such narrow
and vicious, Interpretation. In our judgment
the expression "votes actually cast" of a neces-
secure fair and impartial canvass. We beg
leave to say, therefore, that you are mistaken
in the belief that we sought unduly to narrow
The basis on which we invited your cooperative
action, and you are no less in error in attribut-
ing to US a purpose to interfere with the legal
their duties, to claim rights and to arrOgate to
ourselves powers which we do not possess.
In writing eur letter we were fully aware
hat both the organization and action, whether
judicial or ministerial, of the returning board of
were beyond any authoritative con-
5ro' from without, and that it would be the
height of arrogance and folly to attempt to al
;er the laws of state of which we are not cti-
zens, or to obtrude our Interpretation of these
avs upon those whose duty it is to administer
hem. but We had supposed nevertheless that
here was an influence which might be right
ully exercised, even by the citizens of this re-
public who are strangers in this state. and we
lad taken it for granted that your presence
lere in response to the suggestion of the Pres;- |
lent was recognition of this fact.
We had supposed that it was not improper to
emind the authorities of this state by our mere
presence at least, that there are certain rules of
airness and justice which underlie all institu- |
ions and laws, and upon whose observance
must depend the acquiescence of the people of |
ii parties in the result of the Louisiana cleo |
ion. Rules such as these; that no one ought |
o be Judge 10 his own case; that the decision |
q any contest ought not to depend upon the !
mere arbitramept of one of the parties thereto: |
hat before such a decision is made, both par |
les ought to be fully and fairly heard; all |
uestions of the law ought to be decided in |
with its established general princi- |
les, and all questions of fact upon evidence |
uly presented and weighed under the rules |
7hich are of universal recognition in all of the |
tates of this Union; that the trial of all the |
auses involving public interests, at least ought |
D be public; that all the proceedings resorted to |
Or the purposeiofld determining the contest ought |
y their manifest impartiality to disarm the |
uspicion that the forms of law have been per.
erted into instruments for the violation of its
plrlt. In this connection we may be permit
ID to observe that while undoubtedly, as Won |
ny, sedulons incubation and cultivation of
be habits of obedience to the forms of law, is
ital to the preservation OF constitutional liber-
7, it is no less important that refusal to
ield such obedience be not provoked by using
Iese forms as means for subverting the
cry ends for which they were designed With
at undertaking to question the sincerity of the
elef which you are at pains to express that
OH know of no reason to doubt that the Lou.
isna returning board will make perfectly |
Onest and just declaration of the result of the
cent election in Louisiana, we deem it NOT |
improper to remind you that the presence i'm
lis city of so many citizens from all parts of |
Re Union at this moment seems to be evidence |
widely prevalent distrust of the action of
lis board, and that such distrust has the foun-
alton at least that the constitution of the
BARD has not been changed since its returns
ere set aside by congressional committee.
which the Republican candidate for the Wee |
was member, and this distrust is
oJ unnatural in view of the fact that as we |
one of the members of TIE return
G board is candidate voted for at the recent
ection, another the holder of an Office OF !
oft and trust by appointment of the present