The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-11-18

the States of the Union; The
the trial oil all causes involving pub
lie interests at least ought to be public
and that all the proceedings resorted
for the purpose OF determining the issue
in the. present electoral contest ought, b
their manifest impsrtislity, to dissrm th
suspicion that the forms of law hav
been perverted into instruments for th
violation of its spirit. In this connec
tion we may be permittedto observe tina
while undoubtedly, as you say, sedu
lous incubation and cultivation of tn
habits of obedience to the forms of law i
necessary to the preservation Of consti
tutional liberty, it is no les
important that u refusal to yielC
such obedience be not provoked BY
using these forms as means for subserv
Ing the very ends for which they were
designed. Without undertaking 10 ques
tion the sincerity the belief which yor
arc at pains to express, that you know o.
no reason to doubt that the Louisiana re
turning board will make perfectly hon.
est and Just declaration OF the result OF
the recent election in Louisiana, we
deem it not improper to remind you that
the presence in this city OF so many cit
izens from all parts OF the Union, at thi:
moment, seems to be evidence of wide
| ly prevalent distrust of the action of TIL:
| board, and that such distrust has this
| foundation, at least: that the constitution
| of the board has not been changed since
its returns were set aside by Congress
sional committee OF which the Republi-
can candidate for the Vice Presidency
was member; and this dlstrust is not
unatural, in view Of the fact that, Al
we understand It, one OF the members of
the Returning Board is candidate
voted for at the recent election, another
the holder OF an office OF profit and trust
by the appointment of the present Exec
utive of the National Government, while
all the members of the board are
believed to be IN attiliatiOn with
but one of the parties to
the present political contest. In
view of all this it is hardly necessary
to add that the terms of our letter were
not designed to PREJUDICE the question
whether The fuuctions Of the Returning
Board were judicial or ministerial or
both, but simply to invite you to see with
Us that whatever may be the character
o thess functions they are openly, fairly
and hon nest'y discharged; and while we
thus RETAINED from any attempt at
stating or conStruelHg tie laws of Lousl-
ana we deem it equally irrelevant to the
subject of our correspondence with you
to attend to the duties devolvins upon
officers other than the constituents OF the
Louisiana Returning Board under
the laws and Constitution Of the
United Estates, whether as you observe
BY way of illustration, under the cOnsti
tuition, the President OF the Senate both
counts and declares the votes of the
electors of the several States, his duty be-
ing purely ministerial and not subject to
eight ycuio--. f,'--- =
men some of whom had been among the
trainers Of the constitution-the votes arc
to be counted under the direction and
control of the Senate and House OF Rep-
resentatives, is question upon the dis
cussion of which we deem it q part OF our
duty to enter. In conclusion, permit US to
say that, Notwithstanding your refusal to
,-operate, we still cherish the hope that
the returning board, warned by the
history of the past and conscious that Its
actions are being observed by the whole
nation, will discharge its delicate duty
with such circumspection, fairness and
impartiallty as will give satisfaction to
the American people, and to this end we
will continue To labor. Should a differ
ent result follow the action OF the board
we shall have the satisfaction OF knowing
that while you have taken the response
bIity of declining TO act with US, we
have done all in our power to avert the
consequences which may follow.
Very respectfully,
JOHN NJ PALMER, OF ILLINOIS.
LYMAN TRUMBULL,
W. X. MORRISON,
SAMUEL J. RANDALL, ofPennsylvanla.
A. q. CUETIN,
WM. BIGLER.
J.R. DooLITTLE, of Wisconsin.
GEO Is. SMITH,
j Z. McDoNALD, of Indiana.
GEO. w. JULIAN,
NJ. d. MANsAN,
JOHN Love,
HENRY WATTEssoN, OF Kentucky.
j. w. STEVENSON,
II. B. MCHENRY,
OSWALD OTTENDoRFER, OF New York.
j. r. CoNDERT,
j. B. STALLS, of Ohio.
p. Ii. WATSON. "
LEWIS V. BUGY, of Missouri.
JAS. r. BsoADEEAD,
g. GIBSON,
JonN LEE CARROLL, OF Maryland.
WILLIAM T. HAMILTON.
w. G. SUMNER, Of Connecticut.
Ineligible Republican Electors.
New ORLEANS, Nov. 1.-THE Even
,nr Democrat SAYS two of the RepuoIl-
can electors of Louisiana held ohces OF
proft and trust under the United States
Government al the time they were voted
for, and are therefore ineligible. y.
Brewster was U S Surveyor General for
Louisiana, and official documents signed
bv him during the canvass are IN exls-
tcnce. The day after the election he sent
on his resignation and 1t IS now believed
out.dated /. TO cure his ineligi biIlty. Judge
Levisee, another Hayes elector IS, We
are informed, United States Commis.
sioner. an office of profit and trust and
be is therefore ineligible. The five Rad
zeal electors will run farther behind IN
the Fourteenth Senatorial district than
was a, first expected. Almost sll OF the
ticket, of lhe Wakefield Radicical fac
ton we've printed with the names OF only
three electors, the two at large
Kellogg and Burch, and the eIector fof
tbst district, Jvtiricon. The consequence
is that the other five electors are behind
695 in West Baton Ryuge, 400 in loer'
vile. and considerably behind also IN st
Martin and Iberia. Il is impossible Il
saw lust now how great this de iciehcy ,
blt !, Is certainly over 1000 and may De
as grea. as 1900.
mocrst!e Evidence.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 1.-The Demo
cratic Committe have received severs
hundred affidavits from negroes and som
from Republican officials in Onacbita snC