Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-11-22
WHOLE NO. 1888
From the Springfield Republican,
The Louisiana Record.

it seems to us ofthe very first import
ance that the organs ofpublic opinion
at least should not seize this oppor-
tunity to fan partizan sentiment. 1t
is time when partlsans need to sum
mon their candor, their reason and
their sense of fair play TO aid their dis
cernment, if we are to arrive at an in
telligent opinion and a just moral
sense of events, as they pass. In re-
gard to Louisiana, which is the crucial
point, we fortunately have the mate
rial for a toerably candid opinion of
the disposition Of affairs there. Two
years ago this winter, a Republican
Congress sent strong committee of
investigation to that State TO satisfy
the country as to the real state Of
things which had grown up out oftwo
Governors, two Legislatures and two
State governments contending in
arms. We reprinted, yesterday morn
ing, the impressions brought back by
the Republican members Of that com
mittee, but as the subject is still very
fresh, and The Republican seems to
be one OF the few journals with
memory going back four years, we
beg again to recur to the chief points
of that testimony.
The election Of 1872 in Louisiana
was properly characterized by Pres-
dent Grant in message as "a gigan-
tic fraud" and the electoral vote OF the
State was thrown out by Congress. In
what the fraud consisted Is well
shown by Senator Carpenters speech
in January, 1874. The so-called
Lynch Returning Board" or "Demo-
cratic fusion" board, took the returns
of the local authorities, which gave
McEnery $3.50 and Kellogg 55,97s
votes, and so changed and cooked
them up that they gave Kellogg 72,-
800 votes and McEnery 54,O29. These
returns were thus tampered with by
"the Democratic fusion" board, which
was in itself illegal, which, if 1t had
uo,."V ga. ,o'l, """ ""'.A .-"" ''o
lently usurpcd these powers, without
the evidence of a single riotous act OF
fraud being submitted. This was in
1872, and first elevated Gov. Kellogg
to power.
In 1874, Republican Returning
Board, claiming that the Republicans
throughout the State had been ''intlm-
idated' and kept from the polls, as
they probably had to some extent
though Mr.. Foster rather questions
this--tollowed the same course, chang
ing by wholesale the local vote. The
report signed by w. A. Wheeler now
Republican candidate for Vice-Prefi
dent, as well as by George F. Hoar
and w. P. Frye, of Maine, says that
this Returning Board undoubtedly
kept out OF power the party who were
in the real majority, electing those
who were righttully defeated and de-
feating those who were righttully
elected. With prophetic sense that
does these gentlemen credit, they fore
bode the time when "electors gaining
their Office in like manner shall turn
the scale in the election ola President
of the United States Singular turn
of fortunes wheel, thai William A.
Wheeler, by virtue of his candor on
that occasion, should be nominated for
the Vice Presidency, and should now
stand in danger of just such dishon.
: orable election !
1t is impossible, in view of this tes-
timony of men when they were candid,
not to regard with suspicion the ac-
, ton Of the Louisiana returning board,
: to-day, the same men who in 1874 il
, legally kept the Democratic majority
: OF the State from power. The country
, revoted at the cooked-up returns in
1872, when the voice of the State had
, no weight in the presidential contest /;
| it will revolt from them still more to-
5 day, as giving the casting vote OF the
t presidential contest. Give us the fair
, and undoctored returns of the local
l authorities, where there was peace
1 able and honest election where not,
, throw them out entirely Let the re-
2 turning board confne itself to its min
I is,erial function of counting the prtma
: tacie vote, and one party or the other
p win, as the poll may decide. That is
+ the only course which will satify the
G honor of the country and the better
= impulses of both parties. Any other
course, any compromise with or ac-
ceptance of these fraudulent methods