The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-11-17
time allowed Tor the forwarding Of Che re
turing OF and election. =, sf 55

i Hence, If there were any facts Requiring
i the Judgment OF the Board llpon the valid
lily Of any election, or returns as affected by
such frauds or yiolenca, 1t would be mani.
fest interference with State rights and local
/ seH-goyernmentf for persons Hike ourselves,
without official rights, to attempt to iEfu-
ence or control its judicial action. lf:iB =
Had corresponding board in the State
OF New York in 1868 been authorized to
pass upon the fraudulent return Of the
votes OF the city Of New York that year,
and delegation OF citizens OF Louisiana,
however respectable, attempted to influence
| to it under the laws Of that State, such at
tempt would have been universally con-
demned.
If the duties OF the Canvassing Board OF
Louisiana were merely ministerial or cleri-
cal, as in the case Of any officer charged by
law with the duty Of verifying and declar-
/ ing, the result of any election or investiga-
I tion with no discretion, as when the presi-
Edent OF the Senate counts and declares the
votes of the electors OF the several States in
the election Of President and Vice President
| under the Constitution; OF the United States,
| different case would be presented. It Is
in our Judgment vital to the preservation
OF constitutional liberty that the habit Of
obedience to forms of law should be sedu-.
louisly, inculcated and cultivated, and that
! the resort to extra constitutional modes Of
redress for even actual grievances should be
avoided ana condemned as revolutionary,
disorganizing, and tending to disorder and
anarchy. = to- e! - = ".,:'. sZr,,-, -
! To reduce the whole question, therefore,
to the mere clerical duty OF counting the
votes actually cast, as proposed by you, In
distinctly from votes legally cast aud re-
turned, irrespective OF the question whether
they are. fraudulently or violently cast or
otherwise Yltiated, involves notification OF
the laws OF Louisiana which have already
been adiudicated as valid by the Supreme
Court, and would be wholly unjustlfiable
here as we'll as in any other State OF the Union
which had provided laws to protect the
rights OF voters and the purity OF the bal
lot. we cannot, therefore, concur in your
proposition for conference on that basis.
Very respectfully, John Sherman, J. A.
Garfield, John A. Kasson, c. Irving Ditty,
Eugene Hale, William Cumback, j. E. Ste
venson, Lew Wallace, w. A. McGraw, w.
r. Smith, S. r. Haven, c. B. Farwell, Stan
ley Matthews, William D.. Kelly, E. w.
Stoughton. j. r., Won Allen, NJ. S. Quay,
E. F. Noyes, John Coburn, J. NJ. Tuttle, j..
w. Chapman, Abner Taylor, j. NJ. Boards
ley, Sidney Clark, j. c. Hilson. 4
To the Hons. John NJ. Palmer, Lewis v.
Bogy, Lyman Trumbull, James Q, Brod-
head, w. R. Morrison, and others, pres
ent at the request OF, the chairman Of the
National Democratic Committee.
..,~, SWEARING IN. TILE CANyAssERs. -, =
| NEW ORLEANS, November 16.-Ex-Gov-
ernor j. NJ. Wells, General Thomas c.. An
| derson, G. Casanova, and Louis NJ. Kennor
to-day took the oath of Office, filed the ne
cessary papers with the Secretary OF State,
and went into executive session in a room
assigned them in the !State-House. Nothing
has transpired regarding their proceedings.
Governor Kellogg stated this afternoon
that the vacancy in the Board had not yet
been filled. i The Board adjourned to meet
Saturday ut noon. '
| Governor Wells, in answer to an inquiry
whether reporters and spectators would be
admitted, said that>it was the wish, and he
evidently expressed the sentiments Of allthe
members, that tile Board should sit with
closed doors during the canYassing and conf.
piling OF returns, except when information
was wanted concerning a particular poll or
matter connected with the election, or when
some point was to be argued before the
| Board. He said neither the Governor nor
any other State officer, if his wish was re-
garded, would have free access to the room
during the sessions Of the Board. II the
Board wanted, legal advice they would call
on the Attorney General, but at no other
time would that be admitted.
Both Mr.. Wells and Mr.. Anderson said
that the Board was an entirely independent
body, and would not be controlled in its ac-
tions in either way by the Executive or by
Eother parties. .i.,....
FLORIDA. ~ ....ysr :
WASHINGTON, November 16.-The Herald
has dispatch from J. j. Daniel, chairman
of the Democratic Executive Committee OF
the Second district of Florida, saying: !" /
send you below the vote OF the State by
counties. The returns are all in except
from Brevard." ....e ...,as .;4,t,r..
Here follows details by congressional dis
tricts. In the First district the Democratic
majority in eighteen counties Is Gill; Re
publican majority in four counties, 1850
In the Second district the Democratic ma
iority in eleven counties is 2, 791; Republic
can majority in five counties, 1850. Total
Democratic majority in the State, 103s,
The dispatch concludes: 9. This 1nsures
the election OF the State and national tickets,
the Democratic congressman from both dis
tricts,, and Democratic majority in both
houses of the Legislature"
The Heratds dispatch from Tallahassee
SAYS: sit is impossible that DreW's ma
jority can be cut down below 500 or Til
denis below 400"
= HURRAH FOR FLORIDA. ,,r
l. WASHINGTON, November 16.-The New
York Herald's Tallahassee dispatch says:
=; g." Ex-Governor Joe Brown, who has abb
stained from any positive statement until he
had thoroughly oVerhauled all the returns
and the facts, now declares he is prepared
to say that Mr.. .Tilden has carried this State
fairly and honestly. His majority is, posi-
tive and ample. We shall be able to sus-
tain it before any fair or just tribunal. Ii
it should be oyerthrown by an authority
determined to trample over everything, we
shall be able to present the matter TO the
American, people in. such shape that 1t
could not be sustained q single month.
General Pierce Young has Just returned
from an authorized tour through the con-
tested counties, and endorses what. GOV
ernor Brown has to say" 4as ~, .e:t.a.t .
..4 OREGON. - ..-a.t ~
!! SAN FRANCISCO, November 49, The Sec
retarry OF State of Oregon will count the
vote and issue commission to Postmaster
Watts, unless restrained by the Supreme
Court OF the State. The necessary writ will
besasked for. =. ~.
CALIFORNIA.