The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-12-09
THE TRUTH ABOUT LOUISIANA.


RETURNING board, on commencing lis labors
about three weeks ago, admitted six promi-
nent democrats and six prominent repub(i-
cans from the north to witness its work.
This committee of twelve carefully attended
all the s,ttings of the board up 10 Thursday
of last week, saw all the returns opened, took
down exact figures of the vote cast and the
footings, heard all the atiidavi,s read rs TO in
timldatlon in the different parishes, and
heard all the oral evidence that was submit.
ted on both sides, taking ii all carefully down
by a stenographer and writing it out. The
board then announced that they should hear
no more evidence, that the case was closed,
and they should now close their doors against
the committee and all other spectators, and
proceed IN secret session, to make their de
cision on the points that had been raised,
hen foot up the returns and on Tuesday
evening declare the result.
The committee of twelve, thus formally
dismissed, were now in pos esSion of the
same facts and had precisely the same case
before them as the returning board, and be
lug infinitely more intelligent men, were to
that degree more competent TO make a far
an honest decision on the state of the Lou.
islana vote. The democratic members the
therefore proposed TO the republi.
can members that they should get together
and prepare an impartial abstract Of the evi
dence as submitted, and make fair, manly
statement to the country of the result of their
observations and their conclusions. To this
the republicans objected, being willing only
to make up copy of the evidence and trans.
init it to the president for his own private pc.
rusal. AS the democratic members could see
no practical result to be obtained by such Il
course, they decided to submit the evidence
under their own auspices to the country in.
stead of committing it to the waste basket of
President Grant, and meantime submitted
the subjoined to the country as a compact,
candid statement of the result of their inves-
legations in advance of the more elaborate
statement TO be made hereafter. 1t is to be
borne in mind that the gentlemen making
this statement are not, in any fair sense, par.
lisans They acted with the democratic par
Iy in the late contest only from high sense
Of duty, not as democrats but as patriots. If
here is in human nature such thing as real
judicial Impartiallty, men like John NJ. Pal.
ner, Lyman Trumbull, Geo. w. Julian and
7. III. Watson are governed by it IN the pur
st and highest sense IN this statement. Had
he Emperor of Brazil been asked to hear the
whole Louisiana case and submit an honest,
mpartiaI decision on 1t, he would not have
Uttered a hair from this statement
'TATEMENT or THE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE |
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. /, 1S76-To the Peo |
dc of the Unitcd States: Or orr arrival |
lere IN casting about for approaches to the |
officials who control the elections in this |
tate we discovered that they were all Of one
political party; that the governor had ap.
pointed none but republican supervisors of |
lection, and that the returning officers con
litutlng the state board were OF the same DO
iical school. Influenced by these inauspi-
'ious surroundings, our thoughts and hopes
we're turned towards the eminent gentlemen
Who had been selected by the president to be
present and see that the board of Canvassers
Sl,l
nd on The lith of November we invited these
,entlement 10 meet and confer with Us. This
cooperation was declined, but we aeverthe.
eSs have reason to believe that To this CORES
'Ondence may be attributed the invitation TO
IS on 18th uit. by the returning board to attend |
nj he present at It's meetings as spectators
nd witnesses OF It's proceedings. Through
MS courtesy and the services of a competent
we became possessed Of all es
cntial facts delivered on the face of the OFF.
ial papers We have been furnished with a
erihcd copy Of the duplicate statements of
Otcs made by the commissioners OF election
I each place of voting IN the state. From
lcse statements 1t appears that the Tllden
lectors rec ivcd the following votes, viz:
lcEnery, $3.50; Wickltlc, $3.50; ST. Mar
MS, $3.50; Pochc, $500; Drbane, So ,GG7;
ay, S3,S42; Cobb, S3519; Cross, $500
The Hayes electors received he following
otes, to-wit: Kellogg, 77l52; Joseph, a.
50; Burch, 1Llli; sheldon, 1854; Marks, |,
5,22l; Lcvisee, 1880; Brewster 1j,4j,; JET.
arson, 1896 the result of the vote for
residential electors rs disclosed ON the face
f the returns opened by the returning board
n our presence for the rIlden electors was
lie Emery, 81, 223; St Martin, 50 1874; DcBnnc.
2,O65; Cobb, $50; Wlckllle, S2,34G Pochc,
2,O36; Gay, S2,2i2; Cross, S2,lO9. For the
layes electors the returns were: Kellogg, II.
Oh; Joseph, 7i,Gl2; Marks, - 0S7; Brewster,
ego; Burch, 76,9S3; Sheldon, 74,GSS; Lew.
.c, -, l57; Jefferson, 70 800. In most cases
lc returns opened by the returning board
Orresponded precisely with the certified
Dpies of The statements the commissioners of
lection furnished us. The most material
rose from the failure of the supervisors of
ast Baton Rouge, TangipapdhOc and Of Or
ans Ia forward the statements oi votes from ,
Il the vOting-places in their respective par
hes. In 30 out OF the 3S states in the union
lesc figures would be conclusive No one
ould claim that Tllden and Hendricks were |
OF entitled to the electoral vote of the state
ut in Louisiana tribunal has been set up
Inch on former occasions has overthrow
H. will of the people as expressed at the q
OIL :, and for which the power is nov claim |
| in its discretion 10 change the rcsul. of :
lie popular vote at the recent election. In ,
lew, however of the returns and the law
nd the facts which should control the return |