Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-12-23
Il

the complications that have arisen III
to the presidential election than
The blind partisanism of the republican
party. All that the democrats ask Is
that there shall be \ fair count OF the
legally cast, but still we lind
that republican papers recklessly make
such assertions as this from theRegister:
We are told by democrats that tor . returning
board to refuse to count the voters of y precinct
because the election WAS not fairly or Legally
10 TO do violence to the fundamental
principles of the gove1nment-that such violence
10 ssiobbing the people of their rights ana
putting over them officers they did not elect. ana
upon them policies they do not ap-
prove.
What democrat has ever made such a
~ this? If any. we have
never seen it. But democrats do say.
and all men who are sincerely DESTROYS
that tho purity of the ballot box shall
preserved, must agree with them,
that to throw out the whole vote OF a
precinct or parish because there may
have been fraud or other ~irregularity
in q portion only OF the votes, Is an in
EQUITY and Il fraud. That innocent men
should be made to suffer. by wrong acts
of others, tho loss OF the dearest right
of an American citizen, is an enormity
which we are glad to say has never
been advocated by any but the rsDubli-
can party. That there have been cases
of intimidation of colored voters in the
south is true; but that the southern
whites have been more guilty OF intimi-
dating republican blacks. than the re-
publicans. black and white, have been
guilty of intimidatins democratic blacks,
10 exceedingly questionable. And no
fair minded man will deny that the sto-
ries of outrases heralded to the country
by republicans have been grossly and
shamefully exaggerated. Even repub-
licans should be willing to acknowledge
this in view of the Francis Thompson
case, which was made 20 much of, and
which is fresh in the minds of all. But.
We would like to ask. what have events
which occurred some years aSo to do
with the recent election unless they e1-
tend into lt,as does the tenure of office of
the members of the returning board VINO
have been doubly damned by men Of
their own political faith? We have dis
cussed this returning board pretty thor
oughly, and have taken pains to support
everything that we have said Of them,
by republican testimony, as, of course.
being stronger evidence against repub-
licans than any that could be offered
by democrats. What the democrats
object to is, cot that there are returning
boards, but: first. that these boards,
contrary to the spirit of American insti-
t%utions. are invested with powers which
should always be separate. ministerial
and judicial, AZ they not only have the
right to count the votes but to determine
what votes shall be rejected even though
cast under the forms OF law; second.
that this particular board is partisan and
corrupt. We have given ample proof
of both these propositions. but probably
can not better illustrate than by Civ
ing the following letter, which speaks for
itself:
Drsoro PARISH. Lou1s1ANA,1
December 18th, 1875. \
Hon. J.. Madtson Wells. Presfdsnt Lsuis-
tano Returning Beard.
have learned that your honorable BODY has
returned me ~ elected to the lower house OF the
legislature from the parish of Desoto. Permit
me to return my thanks fol the honor conferred,
but at the same time permit me to say that am
unwilling to accept the position. 1 aa Il repub-
lican from the irm conviction that the princi-
pies Of that party are best for the whole country.
itis slse trus tnns ! was Tue f .sinan"" ans
did NOR. than any member of the party in that
parish TO organize it and advance its interests;
but. sir. knowing as 1 do that was i.lrly defeat
e..n ur.c pr,. NV n. onnosi.e par,v a. apy pre-.
einct IN the parish, so far as 1 have been able
to ascertain, after a thorough investigation. my
seii.sespeet wiz no. PERM PERI n.r Me ~. eos ta.,ns
+. ,t.p that, At arst glance, may be thought cal.
culated to cast some d;scredit upon the part,
with which l have allied myself, gu. l am :
psre hut cir. sannot believe The good Of tn,
state Or The national republican party can II
promoted by returning as elected = candidate AS
Ct cary ,s.. u,.b Of III,
di,rurb.pce that has prevailed throughout III,
STATE ior several years past1s justly attributable
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