The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-11-30
GAN HONEST COUNT
A Democratic Cry which Mesps Count
Ing Tiidsn I'm by the Aid OF vioience
and Fraud.

A Democrstic Cry which Means Count
Ing Tiidsn I'm by the Aid OF Violence
[From tho New York Timcs.l
The Democrats pretend TO desire can
honest COUNT The sense In which they
use the phrase is, however, peculiar. IL
means . count that shall sustain the claims
and satisfy the requirements Of their case.
only smother term for q unit that elects TIL
three disputed States, Is 'fraudulent,O
''despotic," Revolutionary and ''not
to be endured" To carry out this view,
and small, have gone to Columbia, Talla-
hassee, and New Orleans, TO watch the pro-
ceedings OF the Returning Boards. Their
guiding purpose ts TO prevent any scrutiny
by the State Board Of the returns received
from the County Cavassers. This has been
made plain enough at Columbia, where the
lawyers retained In behalf Of Tilden and
Hampton contest the right Of the State
Board TO act In any other than q clerical ca
pactty; Its authority to investigate facts
underlying the returns is denied, and
q rule has been obtained from the
Supreme Court Of the State requir-
ing the Board to show why 1t
should not be restrained from the exercise
Of Judicial functions. 1t is to be compelled
be honest or fraudulent. We have, there.
fore. the spectacle Of the Democratic party,
shouting itself hoarse at tee North In favor
OF san honest COUNT threatening to rise
In rebellion on the ground that "'an honest
COUNT Is endangered, and sending its cmis-
saries to the South TO Illustrate the essential
conditions OF honesty and to secure the sue |
cess Of frauds that would render the elec-
tion worthless as an expression Of popular
opinion.
What was at first partially disguised is
now openly avowed. The principal Demo-
cratic journal In this city, defining ''the
meaning OF an honest COUNT so interprets
the duties Of the Returning Boards as TO
render them agencies for registering re-
turns transmitted from the counties, ire
spectiye OF the character OF the returns
themselves. by what possible rule Of
determination IL the verify of
the returns to be triedf' asks
the Sun. SIS there any rule that can be
applied, excepting that which assumes the
actual verify Of the certificates sent up in
the form OF law by the local oficersg' Our
contemporary answers Its own queries.
a honest count, ,, II says 'ymeans simply
4 an enumeration OF the votes Shat are certi-
ned in the manner in which the law requires
them to he certified; and II our Democratic
friends who have gone to New Orleans con-
sent 10 any 0tner meaning, or lend their
eountenance TO any Investigations going be-
hinu the local ceruhcates, they might better
nave stayed al nome MT. Illden's Al
Dany ~mouthplece, the argus, propounds
tue same doctrine, though In more frantic
fashion. Popular government perishes
from me earth, , IL exciaims, III the ke-
turning Boaras or state Sanvassers under
take TO set aside the verdict OF the ballot
box AS II this were not sufficiently eX-
Piieit, the argus further declares that II
STATE Boards disregard tine certificates OF
the local canyassers, free institutions perish
from the earth.
n more preposterous assumptlon, or one
more iatai 10 an hohesi count, IN south
SaroIlha, Louislana' anu florlda, we can
not imnsihe. Inc law enacted IN each OF
these states clearly implies the possession
D! lhe returning BOARD OF more IMAM ordi-
nury m,iisteria, functions. me Car
oilha law ProNiues that the members OF the
state BOARD .'shail haVe, power, ana II Is
maae tnelr duty, TO decide az cases under
protest or contest, lhat may arise, when the
power 10 40 SO does not, by, the Constitu-
non, reside IN some other Inc
}arrsa,ca,on OF rhG board oyer ,he election 81
Of the Cons,itu,ion, section actir,a4, 4, vests As' control iti
over returns relating to the Governor in the
House of Representative, Beyond this,
there seems to be no exception to the iuris.
diction of the Roard, whose power and duty.
as defined in the passage we have cited from
the Revised Statutes OF the State, would be
meaningless on any other hypothesis than
that which imputes to them judicial func-
tions. The Florida law leaves no room for
doubt as to its intent upon this point, II
provides, among other things, that IL any
of the returns brought before the Board
..shall be shown, or shall appear, TO be so
irregular, false. or fraudulent that the
Board shall be unable to determine the true
VOTE - '.they shall so certify, and shall not
include such return i'm their determination
and declaration. - What does this mean
IL not the discharge of duties which the Sun
and argus unite in saving do not and can
not pertain to a State Board of Canvassers;
The members of the Board are required TO
entertain any protest or COMPLAINT affecting
tho validity of Il return, and to subject such
return to all possible scrutiny. They NAV.
and must, 'spo behind IT., in any manner
that NAV be necessary to determine whether
the votes counted were honestly cast,
whether any irrppularity impaired their lie.
gality, and generally, whether the return
is yitiated by fraud or irregularity in any
essential particular. The Louisiana law,
again, invests the Returning Board of that
state with authority which ful.
u, - ri.'uuu emeigen-
~. lhe poaru Is Douhu 10 receive
the stateihehls OF conpeteh partles re-
spectinS my riot, tulnulii' acts or Vio-
lenSe, 'htlmluatlon, armed disturbance,
pIioery, OF corrupt influences, which pre-
nuh'eu OF tenueu 10 prevent, q lair' Tree,
unu Peacoaule Note OF All Iuailneu electors
emtltieu 10 vote. Inc Board must then
ah,estlsaoe these statements, ana II salts
heu thdt they are true, IL Is bound TO eX-
eiHue from me canvass the specltic returns
Mnich nave peeh thus lhvalidated. Clearly,
tnen' IN eacn OF THESE States, the law gov
eIning Tue action OF the Returning Board
eNacls Irsm It's members much or more than
tne mere enumeration or the votes that
are certiied,' as prescribed by the Sun.
me Wioie question comes up before the
Doaru, whlch may INQUIRE lntO all the facts
PurPortlhS 10 oe covered by the county GER
llncdtes. ana may set those certificates
aside, u on inquiry, the returns shall not set
Iortn the honest vote, or II, from causes we
heeu not enumerate,, the vote In the county
pc huiIihed ny iraud, intimidation, or vio-
fence In connection with the election.
~ no other way can Justice be done. We
OF the Nortn give to the proceedings OF Re,
turning Boards narrower scope. suppose,
however, that by fraud and force the legiti-
mate votes OF certain counties in this State
were overcome. Suppose that certain OF
our counties, with registered Republicans
numbering many thousands, were returned
hy local officers without a sinUle Repuhlic.n