The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-12-06
Leading Republican .sO0rma:
HbenOHnCes the I4UEisiana Esc-
turning Board and DE.
mands "a Fair Count,

I
DenOunces the Louisiana Ese-
turning Board and De-
mHnds "a Fair Count.
philadelphia Evening Telegram, rep.
| Nov. Il.
! THE SITUATION.
! The news which we have to Offer from
| Louisiana to our readers to-day is not
pleasant news. The Returning Board,
upon which the eyes Of the whole nation
are now so intently fixed, has determined
to exercise It's functions in secret, aud
! there is very little reason to doubt that it
has been encouraged to do so by the
prominent Northern members Of the Re-
publican party, who are now in New
Orleans for the ostensibie purpose OF
supervising the proceedings in connection
with the count Of the vote in the interest
of fair play, and for the obtaining OF
evidence with regard to the manner OF the
count that may be Of use in the event of
Congress being called upon to decide with
regard to the legality or iIlegality of the re-
turns as certified. The letter which these
representative Republicans have address
ed to the Democrats in reply to request
for Joint action in exercising an extra
judicial supervision Of the proceedings of
the Returning Board is most disInge-
nous document, and it leaves the impress
sion that the signers are now visiting in
New Orleans for the single purpose of
serving a purely partisan purpose, and
not in the character of patriotic citizens
who want to see justice done at all
hazards The plea that SO long as the
mere forms Of law are observed 1t is the
duty of good citizens to submit to injustice
without Il murmur, does not come with Il
good grace from men majority of whom
for the last sixteen years have been
Jealous in insisting that the spirit of the
law shall not be sacrificed to the form,
and in its whole tenor the letter is a
direct encouragement for the members of
the Returning Board to go ahead and
count in Mr.. Hayes, whether a majority
of the legal votes have been cast for him
or not and it is as distinct a pledge rs
it is possible for the signers TO make,
that il the Board does count in Mr.
Hayes, no matter whether the count is
rightfully or wrongfuly made, all their
influence and all the influence of the
Republican party organization will be
welded in their support.
From the hour Of his nomination up
to the day of the election we gave a con-
sstent and Jealous support to Mr..
Hayes, for the reasons that we believed
that, simply on personal grounds, he
would make a better President than Mr..
Tilden; that, beyond all personal con-
siderations, we believed him to be the
representative or sound and wholesome
political principles, and that if he became
President of the United States he would
be enabled to perform the duties of his
office under far better influences than
would be possible in the case of Mr..
Tildeu We desired before the election
to see Mr.. Hayes made the choice of the
nation for the position of Chief Magis
trate, and We sincerely hope now that a
fair canvass of the votes will show that
he has been elected We do not, how
ever, desire to see Mr.. Hayes become
President through any jugglery, and we
feel satisfied that if he Is put into the
White House by any dubious actions in
either Louisiana, South Carolina, or
Florida, death blow will be given to
the Republican party. The Republican
made President by any other than per
fectly fair means, and if the verdict OF
this Louisiana Returning Board, decided
on in secret session, makes him Presl-
dent, it will be impossible for fair
minded people not to believe that, al
though the forms of law may be obeved,
that its spirit has been most outrageously
violated.
This Returning Board, it should be
remembered, is discredited body, and
it enters upon its present task of count
ing the votes of Louisiana, for PTesiden
tial electors with good reasons for suspic
ions of its fairness. A Republican
House of Representatives condemned the
same Board In 1875, and the report of
the Special Committee which investiga-
ted its doings in the way Of manipulating
the returns of 1874 was unanimous
one, Mr.. Wheeler, 8ho is now the Re
publican candidate for the Nice-PFesl-
dency, being one of its signers. The
following conclusions of this Committee
are interesting reading just now:
WHEREAS, Said committee has unan-
imously reported that the Returning
Board of that State, in canvasSing and
compiling said returns and promulgatIng
the results, wrongfully applied an erro-
neous rule of law, by reason whereof per
sons were awarded seats in the House of
Representatives to which they were not
entitled, and persons entitled to seats
were deprived of them;
Resolred, That it is recommended to
the House of Representatives in Louis
lana TO take immediate steps to remedy
said injustice and to place the persons
riphtfully entitled in their seats.
Can the Republican candidates afford to
he declared the ,eianers IA the great contest
,ohich has lust closed on the strength Of a
catrass made bg ibis same Board sitting IN
secret session. We DO NOT THINK 1T
CAN.