The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-11-25
GAM THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AFFORD 1T

counted H. or p!aCeu tueio Wy h"""' A
or can afford to be disappointed in the result
The country cannot afford TO have the res I'LL
tainted by suspicion of illegal or false re-
turusn All the facts, circumstances ana sur
roundings of the late elections In South caro-
lima Florida and Louisiana, and the manner
in which the returns are being manipulated
are stuffed tull not only of suspicion, bu'
positive proof of fraud. Yet 1t Is evident
that the managers in the three contested
states are fully bent on counting In MI
Hayes in the faces of these suspicious ano
proofs, and that the republican leaders and
managers at Washington are determined &c
accent and make valid and elective suct
count by the inauguration OF MIR. Hayes
The assembling OF the army at Washington
is more than abundant proof on that point.
Can the Republican party afford to do this
thing? Consider a moment the facts.
In South Carolina, in the first place, Gov
Chamberlain, himself candidate for re-e!ec
ton, had so managed the appointment OF the
90 election commissioners in the different
counties, whom the law required TO consist OF
both parties, that 70 were his own open partl
sans, many were actually candidates for the
legislature and 40 of them oflice-holders who
held their places by Chamberlain's appoint
ment. After the election, when these com
mlssioners were required by law promptly 10
4. If
ties to the Secretary of State, at Columbia, il
Is proved number of them, candidates them
selves, failed to deliver Them but kept them
in their private possession for days until fin
ally compelled to hand them over.
The state returning board, to whom these
returns, under such circumstances. so preg
nant with suspicion of having been doctored
were finally delivered, consists of five persons,
all republicans, four of whom are themselves
candidates and thus sit IN judgment on their
own cases.
Although the claw" under which this re,
turning board is constituted makes them the
Judges of the validity of the returns, the con
stItutlon of South Carolina makes them mere
ly ministerial officers, to rectify and foot up
the returns and certify the Iesultto the Secre'
tary of State. Accordingly when the board
met, at the instance of the democrats the
Supreme Court, consisting OF three judges
all of whom are republicans and Chamber,
lain's partsans and friends, made an order
that the board should only rectlty and foot
I'D the returns, and report the result to the
court. The board commenced this work.
On opening the returns Of parish or county
and comparing the footings of the county
commissioners with the precinct returns, it
was found that In nearly every case the coun-
ty foo,ings gave a larger republican vote
than was horne out by the precinct poll lists
and tally sheets. Accordingly the county
fooungs we've rectifed. In this way the re-
turns of six counties were gone over, when II
was found that the republican ticket, by these
corrections and alterations had already lost
some QUO votes and at the same rate in all
the other counties, the footings would show
the election not only of the democratic state
ticket, but of the Tilden electors, by a decisive
majority The board therefore, in disregard
of the order of the Court, stopped making
these corrections, and simply took the coun-
ty footiDgs, and by these showed the election
of Hampton by about 1900 majority and a
democratic majority In the Legislature, but a
majority against Ti,den of about 600. The
democrats again appealed to the Court and
insisted on peremptory order that the
board should first rectiiy the returns county by
county, and then report the result. The
Court granted the order, but before it could
be enforced the Board showed their hand"
They set the Court and all its orders at def.
ance, hastily took the imperfect and "docter-
ed return as they had already footed them,
threw out the democratic counties of Edge
field and Laurens, then certified to Governor
Chamberlain not only his own election, but
the election OF the Hayes electors and of a re.
publican majority in the legislature, and
then they adjourned sine de, and hastily seiz'
ing their carpet-bags fled to Washington for
safety in the bosom of Grant and Chandler
Thus all pretense of fairness was cast aside,
The board confessed their inability to elect
either Hayes or any part of the republican
state ticket by an honest count, and defying
both the Court and public opinion, consum.
mated confessed and impudent fraud, and
fled to parts unknown to avoid the conse.
quences of their crime,
Can the Republican party afford to accept
the Hayes electors of South Carolina under
such a count?
In Louisiana the case is, if possible still
worse. The returning board, which the law
says shall consist of five men taken from
both political parties, consists really of but
four men, all republlcans-two of them white
men, one Of whom is a candidate and thus
sits on his own case, and the other a notori
ously corrupt and INSCRIPTIONS politician
and two OF them negroes, ole of whom is an
.,.,s. I'D 81.