The Portland daily press., 1876-11-28
The Louisiana Canvass.

AuO AUulSldu6 Nduv8SSs
That the Louisiana returning board will,
in the discharge of its duty, be compelled to
throw out the returns from some voting
places, there is no question. The evidence of
fraud and intimidation is so strong and con-
elusive that no other course will be left open
to it, and reasonable men in all parts of the
country will, when the evidence is made pub
lie, justify its action. The censure passed up.
on the board two years ago by the congress
sional investigating committee will have no
application to the present case. Then the
board threw out the votes of the intimidated
parishes without the formality of receiving
the sworn testimony of the officers in charge
OF the polling booths that there had been in
timidation. For this omission alone it was
condemned by the committee, the report pre-
sented to Congress expressly stating that had
such sworn statement been furnished, the
board would have been right in rejecting the
returns. This year evidence will be present
ed that will satisfy the country as well as the
returning board that gross intimidation has
been practiced by the White League. The
Democrats foresee~ this and readily acknowl-
edge that the returns from places where a
fair vote was prevented will be rejected. Still
they claim the state.
The ground for their confidence is this.
They believe that even if the vote of the
five "bulldozed' parishes is thrown out there
will still be a small Democratic majority in
the remaining parishes of the state. They as
sumo that this majority can only be overcome
by unfair means, and that the state can be
given to Hayes only by counting as actually
cast votes which would have been cast for
the Republican electors had it not been for
intimidation. And, proceeding on this as.
sumption, they say that the country will not
endorse so preposterous proceeding. That
is very true, and there is no probability that
the board will attempt so absurd and unjus-
tifiable an action. If it did it would GER
tainly lose the support of the country. We
do not believe that sagacious Democrats ap-
prehend any proceeding Of that nature. The
mistaken basis of their confidence is this:
they assume that if there has been intimida-
tion within the bounds of parish the whole
VVeO Va tudt pdhlSu, nOuCob ouu ulSuOuCSty
will have to be thrown out. Because In
some of the remote country places of parish
the white leaguers raided the ballot boxes,
they assume that not only must those returns
be rejected, but that the board must also
throw out the returns from all the large
towns in the same parish where the election
was fair and peaceable. Here is just where
the Democrats make their mistake. The law
of Louisiana, which constitutes the returning
board does not speak of parishes at all, but
of voting places Of which there are many in a
parish. The board is not required to accept
or reject the vote of parish as whole. 1t
concerns itself with the returns from the poll
ing places. Where there is indubitable eyi-
dence that sufficient fraud or intimidation has
been exercised to defeat a fair ballot
in any polling place the returns from
the place will be thrown out, and where
there is evidence that the election was fair
and peaceable the returns will be admitted.
This course Of procedure is not only in ac-
cordance with the statute but is eminently
just and reasonable. The other method
WOoa w 6hOoSiy unJQots 0uppOoC3 iOA
example, that at our State election there had
been gross frauds perpetrated at the polls in
the town of Gray, and that irreiutable evil
dence Of it had been brought forward. 1t
would be manifestly absurd to throw out the
vote of the entire county of Cumberland be-
cause there had been an unjust election in
Gray; because in that case the people of Gray
could at any election defeat the willof the
people Of the county. The Democratic ma
jority there could perpetrate frauds which
would render it necessary to throw out the
large Republican towns of the county. :.
1t is upon this confidence that only the
honest vote of Louisiana will be counted that
the Republicans base their claim to the State.
Their wish is to ascertain, not to defeat the
will of the people. They resort to no tricks
nor evasions, but purpose to conduct the
count in strict accordance with the law and
the principles Of justice. On fair vote they
believe that Louisiana is Republican.
The statement which comes by the way Of
| the associated press from Louisiana does not
| affect the question OF intimidation when
there is conclusive evidence of intimidation |;
but it does seriously affect the question of the
honesty of the secretary of the board.
II the facts be correctly stated (for a
statement which comes from the
agents of the associated press in the
South must be taken with allowances), the
returning board must discharge its Secretary
and take good care that justice be done in the
case, no matter who has to suffer. Unless il
does this it will subject itself to just suspic-
ion. The affair seems to be disgraceful
piece of jugglery which honest men of all
parties will uusparingly condemn. The Re-
publican party has no desire to retain power
by fraud. While in hopes that Louisiana is a
Republican State it will never consent to re-
tain it by trckery.