The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-11-20

w D6TeoS, LUIS UUdru recognizes Cne import
aDce which may attend to the result of their
proceedings and that the public mind should
be convinced of its justice by a knowledge of
the facts on which it may be based, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That this board does hereby cor
Gialy invite and request five gentlemen from
each of ths two bodies named, to be selected
by themselves respectively, to attend and be
present at the meetings of this board while
engaged in the discharge of its duties under
the law in canvassing and compiling the re-
turns and ascertaining and declaring the result
of said election for Presidential electors, in
their capacity es private citizens of eminent
reputation and high character and as specta-
tors of the proceedings in their behalf of this
board Respectfully, etc.,
j. MADISON WELLS.
President Board Of Returning Officers.
The following answer was sent:
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 49,
Hon. j. Madison Wells:
Sir,-I received your note of to-day. with a
copy of the resolution of the Board of Return
ing Officers of the State of Louisiana, and
have communicated the Invitation contained in
it to the gentlemen who are here at the re
quest of the President of United States to
witness the canvassiug of the vote at the cleo
ton in this state for Presidential electors, and
am instructed by them to inform you of their
acceptance of the invitation, and they will des-
ignate committee of five of their number to
attend the meeting of the board. L take this
occasion to express my thanks for the courte-
GUS terms of this invitation. Accept my deep
sense of the Importance of your proceedings
and my confident hope that they will be so
concluded as to convince the public mind of the
justice of your finding.
Very respectfully YOUR,
JOHN SHERMAN.
The Bfunder in The l4th Senatorial Dis.
trict.
NEW York, Nov. lathe Times Washing
ton despatch says that the report that five
names of the electors were left off the ballots
in Louisiana arose from the fact that they
were accidentally omitted from a very small
number Of ballots, but not enough to effect
the result in any way and no importance is at
tached to the report.
Democratic Claims.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 19-The total vote of
the state, made up by the Democrats from du
plicate full returns, have been received from
AZ parishes and 10 parishes estimated by reg
istration this year and the vote of 1874, is as
follows:
For Governor-Nchols, 81, 2O2; Packard, 76,
112; total. 16O224. Total vote in 1874 fol
Treasurer, 147,705. Increase this year cvel
1874, ,519. Nichols majority .over Packard
of votes polled, 5000.
OF the Tilden electors, five have a majority
over the highest vote for the Republicans O
9249. The other two Tllden electors have
majority of 1885, The discrepancy in the ma
jorities is caused by the omission of the names
Of the five Hayes electors from the Republican
ticket in several parishes.
Northern Visitors Leaving.
The following gentlemen have left the city
Oswold Ottendoffer. f. r. Coundert New
York; c. M. Wolley, Connecticut; Gen. j. E
Mcdonald, John Colemand, indiana; ex-Gov
John Lee Carroll, W. T. Hamilton. Maryland
Gov. A. G. Curtin, Pennsy lvania; j. w. Chap
| man, Iowa; Charles Gibson, Missouri Hon
| w. r. Morrison. Illinois; j. B. Jeffreys ant
w. K. Sullivan, Chicago.
The gentlemen here at the request of tn,
President, and also those sent here by Repub
| lican organizations from states other thar
Louisiana, have determined that they will sta,
to secure full sten0graphic report of all tn
proceedings and evidence before the returning
board so that an impartial statement may b(
given to the public and sent to the President
They have also determined to change thei
committee of five from time to time SO all thei
members may observe the mode of proceeding
and the appearance and character of the wit
neSses examined.
Reply of the Republicans TO the Las
Democratic Note.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 1S-The following il
the visiting Republicans reply to the letter o
| the Democrats:
GeDtlemen,-We are gratified to learn tina
we have misapprehended the language an,
| spirit of your communication of the 14th inst
and that we were in error in attributing to yol
| purpose to interfere with the legally consti
| tuted authorities of this state in the discharg
| of their duties. Perhaps this misapprebensiOl
was the natural result of the language employ
ed. Your request was to meet and confer witt
you here personally or through committee
| in order that such influence as we possess ma,
be eXerted in behalf of such canvass of tn
votes actually cast as by It's fairness and i'm
partiality shall command the respect and &C
quiescence of the American people. This. a
we understood it, was request to cooperat
with you for the purpose of Influencing the
action of the returning board in the discharg
of its duties. The President has requested a
to attend here TO Witness net influence, sucI
canvass and we know that such request b.
him was not intended to limit US to the wit
Messing the count of the votes actually cast
but the entire proceeding of the board in reach
ing result as to the votes legally to be count
ed. We are gratifed to learn that you concur
with the President and with US in this under
standing.
You allege that you are fully aware that both
the organization and action, whether judicial O
ministerial, of the returning board of Louisi
ana were beyond any authoritative control from
without, and it would be the height of AFRO
gance and folly to attempt to alter the laws O
q state OF which we are not citizens, or to OBJ
trude our Interpretation of the laws upon those
whose duty it is to administer them. w
may, therefore, as we think assume that 70,
will agree with US that 1t would be arroganc
equally to attempt by our concerted action tt
influence the proceedings or results of th,
courts of justice of the board acting judicial
ly and hence we are gratifed at being ahl
from the language and tenor of your letter to
assume that you did not wish to confer will
the purpose of influencing the action of the re
turning board, but only to secure such coopera
tion on our part as would enable us joint,
with yourselves to witness the proceedip.
throughout,
A nnnfa for oh,
seem to be unnecessary. as we learn from
communication just received from the boar(
which appears to us to accomplish all that b,
your explanatory note you desire to attain b.
the proposed conference.
We will add that it is very apparent that i
your wish is to see fair and honest expression
from the electoral vote of Louisiana there is NJ
difference between ourselves and you except a
to your conduct in reference to that result
You have proposed conference and active
associated influence. This we regard as be-
You'd our duty or our privilege as individuals
We shall be happy at all times to confer will
you as individuals, to cooperate in whatever
shall be right, but concerted action for the pur
pose of influencing an official board we hold t,
be beyond our privilege, and we shall hope that
all may come to pass which good citizens car
wish without the use of any such means.
We remain, gentlemen,
Very respectfully yours,
John Sherman, Stanley Matthews, John A
Garfield OF Ohio; E. W. Stoughton, j. II
Van Allen of New York; VIM. D. Kelley o
Eugene Hale of Maine; j. M. Tuttle, j. W
Chapman, VIM. r. Smith, VIM A. Nc.
Grew Of Iowa; Sidney Clark, j. G. Wilson O
Kansas; G B. Fafwell, Abner Taylor, j. M
Beardsley, S. R. Haven of Illinois; j ohm Co
burn, Will Cumback OF Indiana; @. Irvins
Dittey of Maryland.
FLORIDA.
A Democratic View of the Situation
TALLAHAssEE, Nov. IS The following seems
to be the situation in this state: Each party
claims the state on tho Presidential ticket 1t