The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-12-14

e finally determine The number Of vot'
q legally cast for Electors of PresideI
. and Vice-Pfesident Of the Unite
: States. But in the discharge {
= that duty, il acts exclusivel
[ under the authority of th
4 laws Of that State. The Constitutio
/. Of the United States having declAre
T that leach State shall appoint il
I such manner Is the Legislature there
e Of mey direct, a number OF Electors
} equal 10 the whole number Of Sens
J tors and Representatives, to wbic
. the State may be entitled in the Con
) gress." Not only is the action c
! this Board Independent of State Q
E NStionaI laws, other than those Q
E Louisiana, but its determination as {
| The votes cast and the candidate
3 elected is final Rnd substantially con
elusive, as appears from q decision
Of the Supreme Court Of that State
: reported in the tWenty-fifth volume G
! louisiana annual reports, where tn
} Court, at page 268, says:
mo statute comforting upon thI
; courts the power to try cases Of con
tested elections or q title TO ottice
authorizes them to revise the actloI
of the Returning Board. II We werI
to assume the prerogative, We shouli
have to go still further and revise tn
returns Of the Supervisors Of Elec
tions, examine the right OF voters Z
vote, and, in short, the Court woult
become, in regard to such cases, mer'
officers for counting, compilation, ant
reporting election returns. The Leg
islature has seen proper to lodge tn
power to decide who has aid who has
not been elected in the Returning
Board. It might have conferred tba
power on the Courts, but it did not
Whether the law be good or bad, IL i
our duty to obey Its provisions AND
not to Iegislate.
sit became our duty, Immediately
on ARRIVING in NeR Orleans, to thor.
oughly understand the Constitution
powers, and duties Of this Board, and
to examine with care the statutes un-
der which 1t was brought to act, and
enough has been written to show that
a tribunal, charged with such duties
and Invested with such powers, tbs
members of which were originally ap'
pointed by the Senate, Is entitled tc
the respect Of all citizens, until Il
shall be forfeited by violation Of ii
judicial or ministerial obligations
The great National importance of the
duties to be performed by the Board
invested each member with much In
terest, and as many reports bad been
circulated concerning them, we were
requested to make some inquiry a. tc
their individual history.
Two of them, the Hon. James
Madison Wells, President OF the
Board, and Gen. Thos. @. Anderson,
next senior member, are Southern
born and Of old and highly respecta-
bic families. The father of the for
mer was the Hon. Levi Wells Of the
parish Of Rapides, VINO in 1872 repre-
scented II in the Convention called to
frame the Constitution of the State oi
Louisiana. The son received liberal
education and was early engaged In
the care Of planting and other inter
ests of his father. He was q Union
man from the time the war broke
out, and although he suffered greatly
by it in loss of property, he never
fAltered in his devotion 70 the Union
cause. Under Mr.. Banks' reconstruc-
tien scheme he was chosen Lleuten-
ant Governor, on q ticket with the
Hon. Michael Hahn, who was elected
Governor, and upon the election oi
the latter to the Senate, q year after,
Mr.. Wells became Governor OF the
State, to which Office he was almost
unanimously reelected under the re-
construction plan OF President John
son. His experience In public life has
been great and varied, and bis cSpacl'
ty to discharge the duties assumed
can not be questioned.
Gen. Anderson was horn In Vir'
gInis, and has resided In the parish oi
st. Landry for a period of some forty
years. He is q cousin Of Gen. Ander-
son, who commanded Fort Sumptel
at the outbreak of the war, was edu.
Gated 8 lawyer, is the owner Of and
carries on several plantations, and Is
widely known and highly respected
throughout the State. de has beer
intimately associated In the promo
ton Of the social and Industrial In
terests Of his parish, and has repre-
sented it in both branches of the Leg
| islature more than twenty years.
Mr.. Cssanave, the third member OF
the Board, is q man of intelligence, Oi
excellent character and business
habits, not dependent upon office fol
= living, and not seeking it, but well
educated citizen, who has long con
Quoted q prosperous and respectable
business in the city OF New Orleans
Mr.. Ke1ner, Jr., member Of tht
Board, is q young man, born and
reared in the city Of New Orleans, In
telligent, and active, who was fol
some time in charge Of the Street
Commissioner Bureau in the De
partment Of improvements.
We will now present such an out
line OF proofs es disclose not only
such violence and intimidation a.
prevented a fair election in seyera
parishes and at many polls, but dis
close also that these grave oftenseI
were committed in pursuance Of 6
preconcerted aDd settled plan, formed
by the Democratic leaders to prevent
the Republican voters from attending
the polls, and that such unlawful pur'
pose was so efectually accomplished
as not only to interfere with the
purity and freedom Of the election
but materially to change its result.
To illustrate how carefully the DO
| lit ical campaign was considered, and
the plan mentioned coutrived by the
leaders of the Democratic party, It /.
instructive to refer to q circular issued
from the rooms of the Democratic
| Conservative State Central Commit.
tee at New Orleans marked "Confi-
Dental" J" and signed by J. w. Patton,
President, and P. j. Sullivan, 5ecre-
tary, intended for circulation in each
parish, and recommending the forms.
ton of ward clubs therein. The cir.
culars urged that in conversation nc
gloomy forebodings should be indulg-
ed in and that the result OF the elec-
ton should be spoken OF as = foregone
conclusion, as we have the means oI
carrying the election and intend to do
so, but be careful to say and do moth
ing that can be construed into threat
or intimition of any character.
The circular also recommended that
there should be frequent meetings oi
all the clubs to be formed, aud that
they occasionally form at their sever
al places Of meeting, and proceed
thence on horseback to central rem
devious" stating that proceedings al
/ this character will impress the ne.
gro with q sense Of your united
strength, and it is further recommend.
ed, that on the day Of election, al
each polling place, there should be
affidsVits prepared to the effect that
shere has been no intimidation and
no disturbance on account Of any ef
| forts Dy the Democratic Conservative
party to prevent any one from voting
On account Of race, colnr, or pravinus
condition of servitude.n
Thus carefully guided from the Cen
trail Democratic authority, by this Sc.
eret and confidential circular, urgeC
to impress on the timId blacks, By
horseback professions, the sense o
the united strength OF their forme
masters, and warned to prepare blanl
affidavits in advance, that no terror
ism had been exercised, the next, ant
not least, important part Of tn,
scheme of these leaders was to selec
the parishes where, having the mean
to carry the election and intending
to use them, stated in circular, the,
could do so with most effect. Their
were in the State Of Louisiana, on tn
day OF the election, 29, 996 white, regis
tered voters, and 1880 colOred,
majority Of the latter OF p, SIS. i
was well known that If left free 3
vote, uninhuenced by violence or in
timidatioB, the blacks would be al
mont unanimously Republican, an,