Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-11-20
THE DISPUTED STATES.
Last Nights Dispatches.


sued a call for a meeting of the central COM
mittee and other prominent citizens of tina;
state at Columbus, on Wednesday next. to
take action regarding the situation in Louisi-
ara, South Carolina ard Florida; to denOunce
the attempts at fraudulent action by the re-
publican party in those states in their attempt
to throw out democratic majorities, and 10
appeal TO the people of the country To support
the demand by the democracy for an honest
count of votes in the three states in question.
The invitation is to democrats, liberals and
independents, and all other patriotic citizens.
LOUISIANA
The returning board of Louisiana met on
Saturday. and IL was determined To COM
| mence 20 canvass to-day, and to take up par
ishes alphabetically or by Congressional dis
tricts.
BOTH PARTIES TO WITNESS THE PROCEED
INGS.
resolution was unanimously adopted cor
daily inviting and requesting five gentle
men from each of the two parties now repre-
scented in New Orleans from other States. to
be selected by themselves respectively, to at
tend and he present at the meetings of the
board while engaged in the discharge of its
duties under the law in canvassing and COM
piling the returns and ascertaining and de
claring the result of the election for Presiden-
tial electors, in their capacity as private citi
Zens of eminent reputation and high char
acter. and as spectators of the proceedings in
their behalf of the board. Senator Sherman.
of Ohio. on behalf of the republicans, prompt
~ accepted the invitation.
ME visiting democrats have appointed the
following gentlemen to remain In New Or
leans and be present TO witness the counting
of the votes by the returning board: John NJ.
Palmer of Illinois; Lyman Trumbull, of IL
linois; William Bigler, of Pennsylvania;
George b. Smith, of Wisconsin, and p. Ii.
Watson, of Ohio.
DEMOCRATIC COUNSEL AND PROTEST.
Colonel Zacharie, chairman of the demo-
cratic committee on election and returns, re-
quested to know whether the presence OF
counsel representing the democratic candi-
dates would be allowed during the delibera-
tiOns of the board. The president replied that
only in cases where disputed points arose
would counsel for both parties be called i'm.
He added that counsel would be permitted to
inspect the returns when they were opened,
ii order TO see whether they had been tam
pered with. Colonel Zacharie filed plea
against the cOnstitutiOnality of the board,
and protested against certain action.
THE REPUBLICANS REPLY
to the second letter of the democrats pub
lished in Fridays STAR by stating that the
President requested them TO attend there TO
witness, not to influence, the canvass of the
votes.
1--WE may, therefore, as we think assume
that you will agree with us that it would be
arrogance equally to attempt by our concert
ed action TO influence tire proceedings or re-
suit of courts of justice or OF boards acting
Judicially, and hence we are Sratified at be-
ing able, from the language and tenor of your
letter, to assume that you did not wish to
confer with us for the purpose of influencing
the action of the returning board, but only TO
secure such cooperation on our part as
would enable us Jointly with yourselves to
ference for such a purpose would now seem
TO be unnecessary as we learn from p COM
munication just received from the board
which appears 10 accomplish all that, by
your explanatory note, you desire to attain
by the proposed conference. We will add
| that it is very apparent that if your wish is
10 see a fair and honest expression from the
electoral vote of Louisiana, there is no differ
ence between ourselves and you except as TO
your conduct in reference TO that result. You
have proposed conference and active aSsOci-
ated influence. This We regard as beyond
our duty or our privilege as individuals"
GONE HOME.
| The following named gentlemen have lief
| New Orleans for their homes: Oswald Often
| dorfer, +. II. COudert, New York; G.. w
| Wooley. Connecticut; Gen. j. f. Mcdonald
CarroIi, W. T. Hamilton. Maryland Ie exnG 6S
| A. g. Curtin. Pennsylvania; j. w. Chapman
| Iowa; Chas. Gibson, Missouri; w. r. Morri
son, Illinois, and w. X. Sullivan, Chicago.
| THE RECORD.
The gentlemen in New Orleans, at the re-
| quest of the President, and also those sen
there by republican organizations from
states other than Louisiana have determined
they say, TO secure a full stenographic repor
of all the proceedings and evidence before tn
returning board, so that an important state
ment may be given TO the public and sent to
the President. They have also determined to
change their committee of five from time to
time, SO that all their members may observe
the mode of proceedings, and the appearance
and character OF the witnesses examined.
THE TOTAL VOTE OF LOUISIANA,
made up from duplicate poll-lists, received
| from forty-seven parishes and ten parishes
| estimated by the democrats from registration
| this year and the vote OF 1874 is as follows:
For governor, Nichols, 81 .202 Packard, &c, 1I2.
The increased vote this over the vote of 1874 is
| l2,5l9. Nichols majority of the votes polled
over Packard is 500. OF the Tilden electors
| hve have majority over the highest vote for
| the republicans of 3,249 The other two TIL
| den electors have a majority of 1896 The
discrepancy in the majOrities Is caused by the
| omission of the names of five of the Hayes
electors from the republican ticket in several
| parishes.
| FLORIDA.
| The following seems to be the situation:
Each party claims the state on the Presiden-
| tial ticket. 1t is pretty well conceded that
| the democrats carry their state ticket. There
| Is reasonable ground for believing that Gov
ernor Stearns will assume that the state
| board has no power to canvass the electoral
| vote, but that that power resides in the gov
| ernor. This assumption will permit the gov
ernor TO decide all issues pertaining to the
canvass, and issue his certificate to which
ever set of electors he decides are elected.
| ms assumption is based upon the fact that
| use the word ELECTORS" In giving the list of
| officers whose vote the board shall canvass
The power not being specifically conferred
/ upon the board, he contends the power re-
| sides in him, as he is required by a United
| States law to issue the electors certificates
| and must canvass the vote in order that he
may decide who are entitled To certificates
| The democrats are very much astonished
that this claim should be set up and contend
that the word ''electors" is not used i'm the act
| referred to simply because electors are in
| cluded under the head OF state officers. which
| expression is used in the act. The democratic
committee waited ON the Governor and noti-
| fed him that if he contemplated such a step
| they would ask permission to file protest
DE stated that they should have an Opportu-
| nifty to do this, and informed them by letter
that he should be pleased if they would for
| ward in writing whatever they had to saw
upon the subject. This is considered an init
nation that he intends to movein the matter
| without delay. Elaborate opinions are being
prepared on both sides of thfs question.
AVERY AND MCKEE.-Wm. Mckee, who
| was convicted of completely in the st. Louis
| whisky frauds, was released from Jail on
| saturday on telegraphic order from Attor-
| ney General TAFT, his pardon having been
| signed by the president. A large number of
Mckee's friends called on him and cOngratu-
| iated MN on his restoration to liberty. VIM
u. avery was released from the Missouri
penitentlary on Friday on the arrival Of his
| pardon, and started for Washington.
| THE CHARLESTON ELECTION RIor.-The
inquest at Charleston, s. c., on the BODY OF
r; ID. walter, killed during the riot on the