The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1876-11-29
Address bv Hos. "a. ID. fclacuTJ
40 the Courthouse. Nov. 3isf
1876. After His RcIUrn
From Louisiana.

Mn. MCllEYRy spoke in general
terms of the political contest in which
the two parties have been engaged.
Ii WAS the grandcst canvass known 10
political parties in our national history.
The contest was especially exciting in
the North Western States, and in the
States Of New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut, and at the election an
asperity and bitterness Of partisan had
been cngendered to a degree not here
tofore known in those states. In the
South the excitement was not so in
tense, but the feeling was as deter
mined. The election day however
passed as quietly as ever before known
and the patriotic hope of every lover
ofhis country vas that thepolitical con-
troversy was at an end, for the time
it seemed however that the election
had brought about state of affairs
tha: was likely either TO bring on great
change in our institutions or to bring
on, perhaps another great civil war.
1t was a conceded fact that Mr..
TLDEN had carried 1874 electoral votes
and 1S5 was necessary for an election.
1t seemed now that the,,doubtful states
of California, Wisconsin and Oregon
had gone for Mr.. HAYES. South
Carolina lad given $50 majority for
the lowest candidate for election on
the Republican ticket. Great frauds
were claimed TO have been perpctratcd
by the Republicans, and the result is
not yet officially announced in Flor
ida the result is yet in doubt and the
Democrats claim that State if they
can get fair count, but Mr.. MCHES-
RY said he had no confidence in the
officials of either of those states as
they were in the hands Of carpet bag
adventures who would scruple at no
means to obtain the end, and he look
ed for the count in both of these states
to be against us. He referred TO the
disqualified and incompetent electors
in Vermont and Wisconsin and
said the question there presented was
one in which there was difference in
among lawyers and he thought it not
unlikely that the question would be
ruled against the Democrats.
Then he said the question would be
brought to Louisiana. That state was
in the hands of the carpet baggers who
had attempted to perretuate their
power by the enactment of an elec-
ton law which was disgrace TO the
name of free government a law by
which the intelligence of the State
had twice been swindled out of ma
jorities from 10000 to $1,000 votes,
and by which there is deliberate eff
fort now being made to defeat the
people of the United States out Of
their choice for President.
He then explained the powers as
claimed and exercised by the Return
ng Board of Louisiana, referred to
their determination TO throw out
the vote of entire Parishes and
precincts when there were large ma
jorities for Mr.. TILDEN and in that
way TO count out a majority of 5000
which the Democrats won in a peacea-
bic and fair election. He spoke par
ticularly of several of the Parishes
and gave the evidence Of the fairness
ofthe election as be had it from TIE cit.
liens of Louisiana.
He then spoke of the men compos.
ing the Returning Board, Wells the
chairman was an officer in the U. S.
Custom House, receiving large sala.
ry and another member who was q
candidate for the Senate. These men
were thus the Judges of their own
election. The other two members OF
the Board were negroes, one of them
honest so far as known, but ignorant
and could not read or write and the
other negro had recently been q waiter
in gambling house, and dismissed fol
stealing, and was now the keeper of 8
low-down negro groggery. These foul
men now apparently hold the destiny
of 100000 of people.
Mr.. McHENRY referred to the com
mittee who were requested by the
President to 60 to Louisiana and ex
ercise their influence TO get a fair coun
and expressed his surprise that the
President had only selected Republi
cans for that mission.
The chairman of the Democratic
National Committee had also request
Ell that a committee Of that party
should go and he was one of those Sc
lected and he had gone to New Orlean,