Wilmington daily commercial., 1876-11-28

SKETCH OF THE MEMBERs-A MAJORITY FOR
HAYES ON THE FACE OF THE RETURNS.
Special Dispatch to the NetO York Times.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla, Nov. 27.-All the re-
turnss being now in, except those from
-Dade County, the 0anvassing Board met at
noon to.day, and after organizing and
adopting rules, adjourned till to morrow.
Before organizing, protest signed by MI.
Pearce, one of the Republican Electors, in
behalf of himself and associates, was sub
mitted, against Attorney General Cooke,
Democrat, acting as canvasser, on the
ground that in dispatch sent North he had
preiudged the result of the returns on
which he is to pass judgment. 1t suggest
ed that some other man be appointed can
vasser in his place. Mr.. Cooke read the
protest. and said that the dispatch alluded
to was sent to private individual, and not
designed for publication. The board de-
cided it inexpedient to take action OH the
protest, leaving it to Cookies sense of pro
priety whether he should continue to act or
not. A resolution was then adopted to ad-
nit as
SPECTATORS TO WITNESS THE CANVASS,
five persons from each party represented
here from the North, the parties to select
their own men, and that Elk tickets of ad-
mission be given to each of the Chairmen
of the Republican and Democratic Commit
tees of this State, to be issued by them to
such persons as they choose, The Secre-
tary of States office, in which the law re-
ouires the canvass to be made, is small, and
will not accommodate more than the num-
ber thus provided for.
As Democratic papers North are in the
habit of heaping indiscrlmlnate abuse upon
Southern Returning Boards, it may be I'M
portant to know something about the Flori-
da Board. All of its members are Southern
men, Mr.. McLin having been born in Ten
nessee, MIR. Cowgirl in Delaware, and Mr..
Cooke in Havana. Mr.. McLin and MIR.
Cowgirl have always borne the highest
CHARACTER FOR INTEGRITY AND HONOR,
here and elsewhere, and not word can be
said against them by any party in any rela-
tion of life. They represent the Republi-
cans on the board. AS to Cooke, this much
is beyond dispute: He was appointed
| to his present position as Attorney
| General by the late Gov. Hart, out of SYM
pathy, he being in reduced circumstances,
and protesting to be Republican. Very
| soon after his appointment, his conduct was
such that Gov. Hart was compelled to re
quest bis resignation. Cooke intimated
that he would comply, if the request was
put in writing. 1t was put in writing, and
| Cooke then asked that the Governor should
give his reasons. These we're given in full,
and Cooke closed the correspondence by re-
| fusing to resign.
Judge White who was brought here from
distant county by the Democrats, to issue
| maudamus against the board and an in
| junction against the Governor, went home
on Saturday and will not be back till to-
morrow. The whole proceeding before
| him was
A RIDICULOUS FARCE,
and it is said that White was convinced by
Gen. Barlow's argument that he had no
Jurisdiction, and even if he had that there
was no occasion for any order from him,
because when he returns the board will al
ready be doing what the mandamus sought
to compel them to do, and the Governor
never had the slightest idea of doing what
the Injunction sought to prohibit him from
doing. 1t will not probably be necessary
for the board to exercise any of it's judicial
functions on the returns for Electors, as
these returns will undoubtedly give
HAYES A MAJORITY,
though perhaps a small one, on their face.
AS to the Governor, the Republicans here
have ample proof that upward Of five thous-
and fraudulent votes were cast by Demo
Gratis, independent of false counting and in
timidation. Orders have been sent from
the Democratic Committee, aud are strictly
carried out, to prevent any one from inves
tigating the records of the election, or get
ting at the frauds in the strong Democratic
counties. No Republican, unless armed with
a Democratic passport, can travel Manatee
Sumter, Polk, and several other southern
counties, except at the risk of his life.