The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-12-06

and Willard, willing tools for their
purpose-one {Moses) having a deep
personal enmity to Chamberlain, be-
cause the latter had thrown bis cor
rupt son cut OF Office, and both being
active supporters of Hampton, the
Democratic candidate for Governor.
These Judges at cnee lent themselves
to a most Infamous defiance Of the
law, with q view to ousting the Re-
turning Board and usurping its power
for themselves. Their first step was
an order that the Board should ag-
gregaie The face Of the returns for
Electors, and report the result to the
Court. Outrageous as the order was,
the Board complied, and reported to
the Court showing all the Hayes
Electors 10 be chosen.
But the Democrats, dissatisfied
with this result, now changed their
base, and demanded an order from
the Court that the Board should 80
behind the face of The returns and
throw out certain Republican major
tiles, thus counting In the Tilden
Electors The Court took this under
consideration.
In the meantime the Court, con-
viLced that the Democrats bad at
least carried the Legislature on the
face of the returns, issued another
order that the Board should count
the full vote returned, and issue Ger.
ti6cates of election to such members
of the Legislature as they showed to
have a majority. 10 this instance,
be 1t noticed. they do not want 10 60
behind the face Of the returns. be-
cause they think the Democrats have
fixed things up without it.
But, pending the Courts delibera'
ton over this last order, important
events had transpired. The law
limited the existence of the Board to
ten days, exclusive of Sunday's-iD
that time they must finish their work
after its expiration they would
have no legal powers. This limita.
ton was close at hand, and there
was no order of the Court before
them restricting their action in any
wise. They therefore proceeded to
canvass the vote for members of the
Legislature, threw out Laurens and
Edgarield Counties, issued their GER
~tiicates of election, and adjourned.
When the new order of the Court
above mentioned. issued, the Board
was no longer in existence. Usurp
ing, therefore, as the course of the
Court was, the Board had not, in a
single instance, disobeyed it.
We pause, here, briefly to note the
reasons which impelled the Board to
thro~ out Edgeield and Laurens
Counties. They were border coun.
ties, the scenes of outrageous VIC
lence by the White-L Liners. OF the
three canvassers in each county two
were Republicans and one a Demo.
crat. The counties had always been
Republican by very heavy maiorities,
The White-L Liners compelled two Of
the Republican to fee for
their lives. They then stuffed the
ballot-boxes to suit themselves, and
compelled the remaining canvassers,
under peril of their lives, to sign re.
returns showing Democratic MAORI
ties. But the Republican canvassers,
faithful to their trust. sent to the
Board afidsvits Of these facts, aud
of course, no choice was left but tc
throw out the counties. The subse'
quent proceedings of the usurping
Court are fresh in mind. The mem
bers of the Returning Board were
arrested for contempt, and imprisoned
They were taken out on application
for . writ of habeas corpus to q
United States Court, and the case i:
yet undecided.
This brings Us up to the assembling
of the Legislature on Tuesday O
last week. The boodtbirsty anG
armed White Liners, from 5000 tC
10, 900 strong, were gathered at tbs
capitol to carry things by force
Governor Chamberlain, who is The
Governor of the State now (what
ever the result Of the election), ani
remains SO, under the Constitution
until his successor is inaqgurated, ap
piled to the United etates Govern
ment for assistance to msintais th,
peace. The President with his usua
wisdom and 6rmness, at once issued
thu required order. and the 500 Fed
erai troops ct Columbia were place.
at the disposal Of The Governor o
South Carolina. Their asposs
about the Capitol has undoubted!,
prevented scenes of the greatest Dor
roF and bloodshed.
The throwing opt of Lau-ens ant
Edge6eld Counties lennIsS to nint
Representatives. left lis members IL
the lower House, of whom the Re
pubtcans have 60 and the Democrat,
80. Finding themselves in the mi
nority, and thus .ansh,e to counl
Hampton in lthe Republicans haye :
majority in the Senate even if the
two counties were sdmitted,) The