The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-11-23
A Few Plan Words to Republicans.

The New York Herald in lengthy artI.
Gle reviews the political situation pointing
out the Gross and shameful partizanship of
the carpet bag returning boards. and says,
ut is very grave misfortune and peril to
the country that the presidential election
is to be decided by the votes of the three
disputed southern states The Herald,
after going into details as to Chamberlain,
in South Carolina, and Stearns, in Florida,
for their outrageous disregard of all rules
of decency, closes as follows:
ii. We turn next to Louisiana. There,
too, the Republicans sent troops and au-
thorized Packard, candidate for governor,
and until long after his nomination United
States marshal, to make arbitrary arrests
on the eve Of the election. which was done;
but the election day passed in entire
peace. 1t is charged by the Democrats
that in some Democratic parishes the com
missioners of election were Withdrawn by
Governor Kellogg, so that the voters
could not cast vote according to legal
forms. 1t is notorious that 10 Louisiana,
as in South Carolina, the whole power and
influence of the federal government were
used to favor the Republican party. And
now there, as in South Carolina, while
transcripts Of the county votes are easily
accessible, and have, in fact, been pub
lished, Packard and Kellogg continue to
assert that they have no returns, but that
THE state is all right for Hayes and Pack
ard" The vote is now to be handled by
the returning board. The present mem
bers of this board were condemned by a
Republican house, in 1875, of having
fraudulently manipulated the vote of 1874
The formal words IN which this was official
ly done were these -
WHEREAS said committee has unanimously re
ported that the returning board Of that state, in can
vassing and compiling said returns and promulgat
ing the results, wrongfully applied an erroneous
rnle Of law6y reason whereof persons were awarded
were not entitled, and persons entitled to seats were
deprived OF them;
RESOLVED, That II Is recommended to the house Of
Representatives in Louisiana to take immediate
steps to remedy said injustice and to place the
persons rightfully entitled il their seats,
The unanimous report" finding fraud
was signed by Mr.. Wheeler, now Republi-
can candidate for vice presidenc
Nor is this all OF the members of this
board, so condemned but still holding
Office, one, Wells is now. by President
Grants appointment and a Republican
senate's confirmation, surveyor of the port
of New Orleans. Another, Anderson, was
rewarded by having relative appointed
cadet at West Point. Two others received
their reward from Governor Kellogg in
local sinecures for relatives. The Demo
cratic member resigned. 1t is now pro-
posed to fill the vacancy in the board by
the appointment of Flanders, a federal
of6ceholder, assistant United States
treasurer, the manager for Packard in the
last Louisiana Republican convention, and
who brought about his nomination for gov
ernor.
Can the national Republican party afford
10 3ountenance and to take advantage of
such methods as these, no matter how
strictly they may be according to the letter
Of the law2 Can it afford to be put before
the country as the alder and abettor in such
manifestly unjust, such glaringly indecent
proceedings? And can it afford to declare,
by the help of returning boards so con-
stituted and Of political appliances of such
nature as we have recited. that its can
didate is elected, unless this shall be
shown to the entire satisfaction of both
parties? We believe not. If its readers
hope for political future, if they have
any regard for the esteem of the nation,
they must to-day prefer that Mr.. Tlden
shall be returned. 1t is almost impossible
for them, under the circumstances, to OBJ
tain verdict favorable to their candidate
which shall not bear the fatal faint Of
fraud; and we solemnly warn them that
it is quite impossible in such a case for
them to escape the Indignation of the
north, which will cling to them aud ine-
vltably sweep them out of political life.
Under the circumstances the Democrats
have only to wait. They occupy a posi-
ton of advantage which only their own
folly can deprive them Of But the Re-
publican position is painful in the highest
degree. To satisfy the public mind that
no wrong is done, where so many circum-
stances point to deliberate intention OF
wrong, is very difficult for them. TIC
count their candidate in without 50 salts
tying the public mind and disarming sus
picion is to court disgrace, and at the
next election to meet an irresistible burst
Of popular indignation. But the
Republican leaders will, in the act, dig
deep their own graves, and two years
hence they will be buried without hope of
resurrection.