The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-11-17
LOUISIANA.
Tie RepuBIioda Reply.

Tie reply OF the nepuDlleaAs - Dht
communication from the Democrats in
Wiling a conference;
New Orleans, &OY. 16-GeHtlemen:
"A majority Of the undersigned 10
whom your note Of the l4th inst. was
addressed, only arrived in this city yes-
terday evening. We have Therefore
been unable TO reply until this morning,
and can only regret that your eommu-
nication should have been given to the
press Immediately upon its delivery and
without the possibility of an answer
accompanying it. You remark that
you are informed that we came at the
request of the President to see that the
board of c~anyasser5 made a fair count
of the votes actually east, and to ask
that we meet and confer in order that
such influence as we possess may be
exerted on behalf of such a canvass of
votes actually cast, as by its fairness and
impartiality shall command the respect
and acquiescence of the American peo-
pie of all parties. We join heartily
with you in councils of peace and in
the expression of an earnest desire for
a perfectly honest and just declaration
of results of the recent election in
Louisiana by its lawfully constituted
authorities, and We may add that we
know of no reason to doubt that such
declaration will be made, but we do not
see the propriety or utility of a confer
ence on this basis, and subject to the
limitations you propose, for we have no
such duty imposed on US, and as sug-
gested by the clause of your note first
quoted, we are simply requested to be
witnesses of what shall occur in the
canvass of votes without power or legal
influence over the result Or means by
which under the laws of Louisiana the
result is to be determined. We cannot
doubt that you, upon reelection, will
concur with us that we are here as pri-
vate citizens, with no official power and
we therefore cannot supercede or mod
ify any laws of that State, nor have we
any right to control or influence any of
its officers as to the n in which
they snail perform the ministerial or
judicial duties imposed upon them by
its law; and should we, being strangers,
and without official functions, attempt
this, we should be condemned by the
people of every state in the Union for
an improper interference with the local
administration.
The following extract from the laws
of Louisiana shows that the canvassing
board is expressly required in certain
cases to exercise judicial as well as
ministerial functions.
Section 3.-That in such canvass and
compilation the returning officers shall
observe the following order:-They
shall compile first, statements from all
polls or voting places at which there
shall have been a fair, free and reason
able registration and election, and
wherever, from any poll or voting place,
there shall be received the statement OF
any supervisor of registration or COM
missioner of election, in form, as re-
quired by section 26 of this act, an
affidavit of three or more citizens of
any riot, tumult, acts of violence, in
timidation, armed disturbance, bribery
or corrupt influences which prevented
or tended to prevent a fair, free and
peaceable vote of all qualified electors
entitled to vote at such polls or voting
place, such returning officers shall not
canvass, count or compile statements
from such poll or voting place until the
statements from all other polls or vot-
ing places shall have been canvassed or
compiled. The returning officers shall
then proceed to investigate the state
ments of riots, tumults, acts of vio-
lence, intimidation, armed disturban-
ces, bribery or corrupt influence at any
SUM- POAA Va WINS PAhNN, a. "
the evidence of such statement they
shall be convinced that such riot, tu-
multi, acts of violence, intimidation,
armed disturbance, bribery or corrupt
influence did not materially interfere
with the purity and freedom of the
election at such poll or voting place,
or did not prevent a sufficient
number of qualified voters thereat from
registering or voting to materially
change the result of the election, then,
and not otherwise, said returning otfi-
GERS shall canvass and compile the vote
of such poll or voting place with those
previously canvassed and compiled; but
if said returning officers shall not be
fully satisfied thel eof, it shall be their
duty to examine further testimony in
regard thereto, and to this end shall
have power to send for persons and pa
pers; and if, after such examination,
said returning officers shall be convinced
that said riot, tumult, intimidation,
acts of violence, bribery or corrupt in
fluences did materially interfere with
the purity and freedom of election at
such poll or voting place, or did prevent
a sufficient number of qualified electors
thereat from registering and voting to
materially change the result of the cleo
ton, then the said returning officers
shall not canvass or compile the state
ment of votes of such poll or voting
place, but shall exclude them from
these returns; provided that any person
interested in said election, by reason of
being a candidate for Office, shall be
allowed a hearing before said returning
officers, upon making application with
in the time allowed for the forwarding
of the returns of said election.
Hence, if there be any facts re-
quiring the Judgment Of the board
upon the validity of any cleo
ton or returning as affected
by such frauds or violence, it would be
a manifest interference with state rights
and local self-government for persons
like ourselves, without official right, to
attempt to influence or contest its jul
dicial election.
Had a corresponding board in the
state of New York, in 1868. been au-
thorized to pass upon fraudulent re-
turns of votes of the city of New York,
and that a delegation Of citizens Of
Louisiana, however respectable, at