The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-12
DARK DAYS FOR AMERICA.
rs CONSTITUTIONAL LIBERTY TO BE
NOW DENTROIED9

uay Perpctustc ~. Pover-A Nlomrntous
Question Tor the A American People to settle.
.Messrs. John NJ. Palmer Lyman Trum-
bull, W Bigler, c. u. smith. G. W. Julian, and 7.
II. Watson, Democrats aud Independent Repub-
ioins, who visited New Orleans to watch, on
behalf Of tho Iilden and Reform ticket, the can
yassing of tho vote OF Louisiana, have made
report to Mr.. Abrsm 5. Hewitt, Chairman OF tho
National Dsnocra Committee. They q iote
the language Of report made to the United
statce House OF Representatives in 1875 by Geo.
f. Iloar, W. A.. Wheeler, aud william L. Fry, as
follows;
"The so-caci canvass made by the Returning
Board in the interest of kellogg seems to Va to
have no validity, and IL entitled to no respect
whatever" We also ndout the Ian zuarc OF this
same rcuort upon the condition ~ Louisia ma In
1875: liz the State Of Loui lana there " dow
ernor ia once who owes his scat to tho Inter-
ference of the n lticnnl power. which h - rocug-
nized his title to his III g. no; by reason OF any
asccrtaiumen ~ the iacts ~ legal process. tut
has based Its uction solely On the Illegal order OF
" In the same state there IA LEGISLATURE. one
branch OF watch derives Its authority partly
from the same order, the other being organized
by majority VINO have been established Ia
power by another interference 81 the national
Government, and whtCh majority derives its
titc, pot from an l,e asc1rtaiinment Of ne
Hoard. which has misconceived and exceeded
Its legal authority"
They also quote the lava Of Louisiana show
Ing that Canvassinr Boards In most Of the other
States Of the union. simply "to canvass and
compile the Statements OF the Commissioners
OF Election" and proclaim the result; and this
4 the whole duty Of the Returning Board. I'M
icss the Commissioners ~ Election or the SUI
pervi.or ~ some parsh irnnosrs upOn n a FUR
ther duty. as provided IN sections % and 81. In
CONN entiuR upun the powers u the Returning
Board, We avai ourselves ~ the able argument
Of judge (. O1urd m ne before f..
No one has he rignt 10 attack the returns
from any poll. ward. Or parish IN the state on
- tltafl an
other acts ~ viulol CO. unless the tOunuatiOn
therefor be alst ,d cy iae sts'e1nen, Of ne
n the pcts occnrrt Il On election dn, or oi the
Supervisor Of Il sistra.ion of.ihc rish. II they
occurred during registration, As provided IN scc-
tious % an a.. iur hr,rl has no leE4l authOii-
~ to receive OF give eject to statements of out.
side T1fticl TIL the proper Commissioners Of
Election and Supervisor have suDken.
STARTLING ISNoyATIoHs
Nor has the board been invested with the
power to institute coug In,s against aiiv POLL
ex odi 10 or OF its own motion. 1t cannot blot
out Or faii to 'unt s,lit.,, vote returned, un-
Less a legal foundau0 IN has teen iaii Tor ina Try
by the supervisor Of the Iarish where tie vpte
was cast. or bS one uf the commissioners q
election re, ofting through -ucn supervisor; and
oven ihsy-tho sue rvlsor und commit siuner-
eau only lay fUunl tl"n for iuq airy IN the
boaid, ty m ling and furwnrdius IN the pre-
scrlhed manner, their otllc / "statcmeut ." con
terp1ryueu usv with their returns. aul I'm the
very folni 1T form Uy section % Il tie act in
qucs ion. ChHllrugin- the votes 81 whole cities
ard uarilne., 10y uhofGci Al petspns, even though
they are candid ties, Is a startling aud iawloss
No outside protest can be entertained. be-
oau.C ev n superVisus's " statt mtuf en- re-
oeive no consider ton uy the board, but must
be wholly di-reg rded, unless made 1t a time
ana IN a manner "nch NJ outside iafty could
that Of his subordinate commissioner must
form an int -ral part OF his return md official
report u can Ot la made w AT Gif.ren. tine
and place from tho return, to which tho law
quires 1t 70 he attached "bypastc, wax or some
other adhesive suit lance" and duplicate
thereto must DC lodsed 10y nm with the clcr, ~
the court II Ole psrisa It must be made under
nat nm Il All n
oil tue facts AMI of Tue elect produced there
mali l. the only KIND OF statement IN, board can
notice ~ II - "a TO institute an inquiry into m
and udi-putabe, that ell To. supervisors should
he engaged sinluitaucOusly. In ihoir several
ments on th- spot whore the cleo ION Wa held.
without c1mmuulcati n with euCd tncr. or win
obtain information 81 what has teen done In
otherp Fishes or gi the general result.
And TO reason Tor these minute. mandatory,
ard i'm. era .ye provisions Is co Ialiy OBVIOUS. IL
was pr'ci- Is 70 shut cut from consideration by
the Returning Board all sucn * post fact com
plants a. We been tlumped up and illes lily
,nra', 10 aele 81 n 1I NON ut 1y W. kei
some Of the suoerN.sors thcmseIyes.
T4G hw has, H i,. t eeen ee"pIi"6
have put iu complaints have not written
them at the proper time IN H. the prul,r
Ict,,In 80 n,t,d ,n Sent men iy m ii. rnrv
We brouEiis down their returfs to this ca,
~ statements mere a. ~ IMPROPER tine ana IN
All imlTui er lace. They could onl, fulLl ineir
duties according g. law oy nnisntn- tn.lr re-
turns, att cned u tements an all and mailing
thcW, seeded ~ ~ one envelope. ~ one Of tner
parish pUst omces, Niluin the ume req ired -
law.
Ills appalling to thiuk that statements thus
made coltr ry 20 law, after the ie,ilt 81 the
el0 II "a through the site VS. known with hp-
Iroki'nate accuracy. IA de a. an aftcrthuueht
bi dis ~ a!rtod candidates AMI th-lr trleuGH,
with al egldNut VI" - cast drAE net oi suspi-
ci.n Uv.r psli,hhs enough 20 REVERSE tne c.u-
phatic veralc- 81 tue people made, too. al =,
late " dss ana ~ great distance from many Of
tho psrisues struck AZ, mat 1t Il Impossible to
h4yc any i-is iISeaIsatlon should receive con-
alteration
rONLHs OF THE RETURNING BOARD.
Commenting upon the foregoing provisions #
the louisi ma statute. Mt.srs. George 4. HOir
M s sfiiS, sHq s y "a frye !" '1' report
pon us .tule y . are ~ clearly Of opinion
THAI ito H..uiuitg Hp.rG has DO rignt to 90
hntthug Keep 1" canvass ana compile the re-
tuils winch were lawialS made to them ~
local Of 'eIs. except Iu ctses where icy were
accomplished ob TIE c"rtlnchss 81 tue superN ,sOr
orcomui- sioner rpvlded In the mira section In
sar~ N'tlt "a- e2pe,tud that they would otdi.
Marry rstrci-e tNe grave ana deuf 10 duiy OF III
V-.4lYg ca res Il rot, tupcle. bribery, -
corr liLun. an hearing Of the paroles Inter
eslei in the nlcc II neyrl c0nld nave been
nirsut mat 1ni- ppnrd. Il II, own motion, si;-
place ~ \ iinv, ana without notice, could de-
ci1o TIC risn. ~ PERSONS claiming to ne elected
"Ih tei. no m4ic dangerous form Of sei-te-
~ b.. H. that which In iuces men In tigh
I'll 'es = uuric tr.s TO violate law 10 redrcs-
OF grcF ..tN ..ft iurN Geoui publc wrJugs.'
~ Sc zen furnished - trplic tie, VI a GER
ANA ruiA e m" ullcht" II t'meut Of me
mulr-iof ets'f Election ca, h voting place
IA the staic. IRON Witch has been complied a
caused. safe u st.trnionD ~ to entao vote u tue
ot;lc flr FlC-id'nu elect rs
tIvm ,nte stitc neut, wrich No believe to he
aClN t+ tho ana pits Tor the highest Ina n
cltrtor over the lowest Hayes electori 800,
and the u. Juilly for the lowest lllden cGctOI
over tAc At-ucat Hayes oector IL G,yD.
r.. utn5 Ia our T. isses-iOn correspond pra.
ci-cly ~ most cs.eS Win those opened ~ tue
Rctur.iu- Hoard, he difference In the ag-Te.
o. "a hll "s mai iy from the fact that the loo .rd
ala 10, have All tie returns before II. The sd
pcryi.oIs. al Of whom wero liepu leans. man,
OF them employees Ia tho Custom House In New
leans, sou.o nou residents Of the state, aud
one Il tLtiu unuer iudlOtmeut Tor murder
Withheld the statements Of the commits toners
Of election IN some instances where Democratic
majpritles were .iven amounting IN the aggre.
gate "a about 800 votes The returning Board
refused to receive certified copies OF tho dupli-
Gates u these missing returns flied IN the Offices
Of the Secretary Of State ana the clerks Of The
DISTINCT Coul t. or 10 take any effective moas
ures ~ procure inc originals.
THOUSANDS DIsPRANCHIsED.