The New York herald., 1876-11-26
Tho Political situation.

/ ii IL Hau not Deen LOT the presence nI mlnu
of Mr.. L. w. Stoughton, of New York, the
proceedings of the Louisiana Returning
Board yesterday might have degenerated
into melancholy farce. The Board began
work by opening the sealed package con-
tanning the returns of De Soto parish.
| The visiting statesmen" were for
mally asked to notice the condition
Of the package. 1t appeared to have been
sent in the registered letter mail, was post
marked November IA and marked as re-
ceived in the New Orleans Post Office
November Is. When it was opened it was
found to contain an affidavit of intimi-
dation sworn TO in New Orleans Noyem-
Der 20. The HERALD correspondent re-
lates that at this untoward discovery
deep shade Of annoyance covered the face
of Mr.. Wells, the President of the Board;
Mr.. Tom Anderson became suddenly and
intensely interested in long document,
and the few profane who had incautiously
been admitted began to laugh; but ut
this moment Mr.. Stoughton, to his
immortal glory, firmly faced the crisis. He
gravely remarked that "there was here APP
parently clerical error" and under cover
of this ingenious diversion the Board passed
on to scrutiny Of other papers 1t may be
added that President Grant wrote, only a
few days ago, ''No man worthy the Office of
counted in or placed there by any fraud."
Later in the day it became the turn of
Colonel Zacharie to step into the gap, but in
different manner. He called the attention
of the Board to the fact that the returns of
Franklin, democratic parish, had been
sent down by express and had been lying in
the express Office for several days uncalled for,
the State officer to whom they were directed
refusing to take them out on the ground
that the express charges, amounting to
seventy-fve cents, were not paid, and the
last Legislature had made no appropriation
for this purpose. Mr.. Wells replied that
the Board could not afford to pay such
and that he would not take them out
whereupon Colonel Zacharie pulled three
quarters of dollar out Of his pocket and
offered them to the clerk, who was thereupon
directed to reclaim the vote Of Franklin
parish. We may add that what the country
is anxiously waiting for is fair, honest
count of the votes in the disputed States.
which shall be untainted by the suspicion
of trickery or fraud.
1t is now asserted by the democrats that
in several cases where parish returns were
accompanied with affidavits Of intimidation
the clerks of courts who by law make up
these returns are ready to make oath that
no such affidavits were with them
when sent Meantime Mr.. Sydney Clarke,
who appears to be a republican visiting
statesman" from Kansas, told our CORE
spondent that he had SO far seen no violation
of the State law on the part of the Board.
He was very well pleased with the proceed
ings, and gave the information that the final
session of the Board, when it will add up
the vote and make out the returns,
will be entirely secret, not even the ten
Northern gentlemen being allowed to see
this important operation. President Grant
wrote, the other day:-'.The country cannot
afford to have the result tainted by the sus-
picion of illegal or false returns"
in Jail for contempt. Their contempt con-
sists in exercising judicial functions, con-
trary to the temporary injunction of the
Court, the offensive act being the throwing
out, on ''merely &C pdrte testimony" as one
of the members said in his written protest.
two democratic counties. Yesterday after
noon the democratic counsel asked the Court
to do itself what the Returning Board had
refused to do on the Courts order-give
certificates of election to the eight demo-
cratic members flung out by the Board.
The Court refused with great and
proper dignity, saying that this
would degrade it into political machine.
The Chief Justice, however, permitted coun-
sci to get certified copies of the Courts or
der to the Board, which will be presented
by the democratic members when the Legisla-
ture meets on the 2Sth It is now clear
that the sudden action of the Returning
Board had for its object to enable the re-
publicans to secure by a trick the organiza-
ton of the lower house. The Court was also
asked to order the Returning Board to COM
pare the county managers returns with
those of the precincts, which also are in its
hands. The democrats claim that such COM
parison will establish frauds and miscounts to
an extent which they hope would show some
of the Tilden electors to be chosen. To un-
derstand why there might be such frauds
and miscounts, it should be remembered
that of the seventy-six managers of elee-
tions, sixty are republicans and forty
are office-holders depending on Gov
ernor Chamberlain for their places
This will remind everybody that President
Grant wrote, only few days ago, 1.-The
country cannot afford to have the result
tainted by the suspicion of illegal or false