The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-11-18
Press Comments on the Election.


TO the returns and various reports from
the disputed States Of Louisiana, Florida
and South Carolina, and all who dispas
siouately read what the contending par
ties say for their respective causes, must
reach the one conclusion that Samuel j.
Tilden has been honestly and lawfully
elected President When Governor KEEL
logg does not venture to claim Louisiana
in his last dispatch, in the face of the
declaration Of the vote Of the State by the
leading business houses of New Orleans,
it is practical SURRENDERED Louisiana to
the verdict of her own people for Tilden
and when Pinchback comedies defeat, it
would seem reasonable to assume that
louisiana will be returned for Tilden as it
has undoubtedly voted. Ever since We'd
nesday last, Kellogg has been telegraphing
North that the State was largely for
Hayes, but Saturday night, when the
Presidents order had conserved the politi-
cal atmosphere about the bayonet-fashioned
administration, he telegraphs that he can
not venture an estimate of the result, or
even approximate it. In the meantime,
while he has been telegraphipg in general
terms about the positive Hayes victory in
Louisiana, the Tilden men have been in-
dustriously gathering the returns, and the
a full vote of the State, excepting only two
parishes, gives Tilden between nine and ten
thousand majority. That these returns
have been honestly made, as the votes
were cast, is not questioned, and nothing
less than the violent reversal Of the vote
by an irresponsible return board, as was
done in 1872 and again in 1874, can pre-
vent the electoral vote from being cast for
Tilden The fact that this return board
has twice deliberately ialsifed the returns
of Louisiana by thousands, and that it
forced Kellogg into the Gubornatorial chair
and brought the State to actual revolution
two years ago, by seating Legislature
that Republican Congress had to unseat
In the name of justice, naturally creates
the profoundest distrust throughout the
whole country; but We are hopeful that
the action of the President, the presence
of honored men of both parties who cannot
afford TO sanction fraud, and the terrible
consequences which must Inevitably follow
q false return, will restrain the reckless
udventurers who are charged with Sc
sacred duty. We feel increased conf
dence to-day that Louisiana will be count
ed as her people have voted and thus set
tie the election of Tilden without further
anxiety or doubt Florida has also Ger.
tainly voted for Tilden, as the detailed
vote shows. True, Senator Conover still
expresses the opinion that the State has
gone for Hayes, while the State ticket is
in doubt, but the returns from all but
seven counties, in which tile Republicans
are conceded oil the majorites they claim
in their strongholds, show that Tilden's
majority must be from 1900 to 1900.
There is some danger that Florida may be
returned for Hayes in dsfance Of the
vote, but to steal two States in the face Of
palpable majorities, in so huge a contract
that even Cameron and Chandler may re-
coil from it when they haW to face de-
termined nation whose popular majority
of over 100000 calls then to obedience.
South Carolina has pretty certainly voted
for Hampton for Governor by from l 200
to 1900, and the success of Tilden is
barely possible, but not probable. We
class the State in the Hayes column. The
verdict of South Carolipa in favor of
Hampton and giving but nominal ma.
jority, if any, for Hayes, i the key to the
whole revolution in the Southern States.
With two.thirds Of her voters blacks, and
with the election boards the militia and
the army in the hands of Chamberlain,
the blacks have made tho State Demo-
cratic; and when the blacks Of South
Carolina, where they had the fullest pro-
lection and, indeed, com handed the situa-
tion, deserted the Republican cause, the
large Tlden majorities in the South are
fully explained, and the doubts as to
Louisiana and Florida are set at rest in
all candid minds. As the returns stand
now, and as they are reasonably certain to
stand for all time, Tilden has 30S 300 ma.
jority of the popular vote, 20 majority of
the Electoral College, mud is the Presi-
dent-elect of the United States.-Phila.
delphia Times, 18Th instant.
No KUKLUxING THE ELECTIONS
One of the parties in Florida sends a re-
port that the other part has wrecked
train and kukluxed the election returns"
The report is probably untrue, but the
phrase is well used. II reminds us to tell
the politicians of both flrties that the peo-
pie will stand no kukluaing of election re-
turns this time. They mean to have
peace and fair play. IL the Democrats
have carried Louisiana the people will not
allow Governor KellUggand M Packard,
with too convenient rturning board, TO
kuklux the vote The we're allowed to
do it in 1872, so far as the result mad only
local importance; but tie Senate refused
to admit the Senator elected by their fraud
They did it again in 1874, but public opin-
ion forced Republican congress to con-
denim the fraud in the most positive and
conspicuous manner by unseating some of
the members Of the Legislature who were
kukluxed in by the returning board, We
beg the New Orleans republican mana
gers to remember tht their previous
frauds are well known here in the North,
and that as men already detected and ex-
posed in kukluxing Edition returns they
have need to be conSpicl lsly fair and up
right this time. All their acts and pro-
ceedings will be watched with the most
jealous eyes by honorable men Of both
parties in the North, and they should re-
member that the presumption lies fairly
against them, because they have already
been detected in the same trick of which
thew ara now suspected
So, too, in South Carolina, we warn the
adherents of Governor ghsmberlaina against
attempting to kuklux The election returns.
They cannot hope 10 succeed, for they
will be exposed, and their own party in
the North will disOwn item. 1t is very
we'll understood here TIT the South Caro-
lima election lnachiaoiy hts been constitu-
ted in a suspiciously uufir and partisan
manner. Judge Mackay Of the Supreme
Court of the state, himself Hayes Re.
publican, but opposed 70 corruption, has