Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-12-23

1 ClCS III tAC E1CCbOl al COAlCkCs u4u 1t L
understood that two of the electora
candidates on the Republican ticke
held Offices of trust or profit under tn
| United States at the time of the elec
ton, and could not therefore be ap
pointed electors.
Other objections were made to tn,
jurisdiction of the Returning Board
| That it was anti-republican shat it wal
In conflict with the constitution of tn,
State, in that it undertook to exercist
| judicial functions, and in that witt
only four members it was not lie
gally constituted.
The election law declares: "Tha
five persons, to be elected by the Sen
ate from all political parties, shall b.
the returning officers for all elections
In the State, majority of whom shall
constitute quorum, and have power
to make the returns of all elections
In case of any vacancy by death, resig.
nation or otherwise, by either of the
board. then the vacancy SHALL be
filled by the residue of the Board oi
Returning Officers"
The present board consists of only
four members, to-wit: L. Madison
Wells, Z. G. Anderson, G. Casanave
Louis Kenner, one of whom, L. q,
Anderson, was a candidate for the
State Senate at the recent election on
the Republican ticket. All are mem
bers of the Republican party. They
are the same persons who constituted
the Returning Board in 1874, and can
vassed the election returns that year,
and of whom a committee of the
House of Representatives Of the United
States, composed of Messrs. Hoar,
Wheeler, Fry, Foster, Phelps, Mar
shall and Potter, after careful investi-
CATION of its action. said; I'VE are
constrained to declare that the ac-
tion of the Returning Board, on the
whole, was arbitrary, unjust, and in
our opinion illegal" +"
The vacancy in the board, occasion
ed by the resignation of Oscar Arroyo,
in December, 1874, has never been
filled, although repeated applications
by the representatives of the Demo
cratic Conservative party of the State
and its candidates have been made to
the board to fill the same. The fore
going committee of the House of
Representatives commenting on the
failure of the board to fill the vacan-
cy in 1874, when it occurred, said :
:" Your committee think the law as to
the constitution of the board was not
complied with" If this view be COR
rect, the board is not so constituted as
to have authority to act at all.
The entire clerical force appointed
by the board at its present session to
compile the votes cast is also Republi-
can, and the board refused an applica-
ton to app oint any clerk or to allow
any person of the opposite party to be
even excluded the United States su-
pervisors of election under the act of
Congress.
The laws of Louisiana require reg
istration of voters every two years by
officers appointed by the governor of
the State, the registration to commence
the last Monday of August preceding
the general election in November.
The election law of the State contains
the following provisions for conduct
ing the election, making returns, etc.,
to-wit:
'SEC. 26. Be it further enacted, &C.,
That In any parish. precinct, ward, city
or town in which, during the time of
or revision of registra-
ton, or any day of election, there
shall be any riot, tumult, acts of vio-
lence, intimidation and disturbance,
bribery or corrupt influences at any
place within said parish, or at or near
any poll or yeting-piace, or place of
or revision ofregistration,
which riot, tumult, acts of violence,
and disturbance, bribery,
or corrupt influence shall prevent
or tend to prevent fair, free, peaeea-
BILE and full vote of the qualified elec-
tors of said parish, precinct, ward, city
Or town, it shall be the duty of the
commissioners of election, ifsuch riot,
tumult, acts of violence, intimidation
and disturbance, bribery or corrupt in
huences occur on the day of election,
or of the supervisor of registration of
the parish, if they occur during time of
or revision of registration,
to make in duplicate under oath, clear
and full statement Of all the facts re-
lating thereto, and of the effect pro-
duced by such riot. tumult, acts of
intimidation and disturb
auce, bribery or corrupt influences in
fair, free. peaceable and
full registration or election, and of the
number of qualified electors deferred
by such riots, tumult, acts of violence,
and disturbance, bribery
or corrupt influences, from registering
or voting which statement shall also
be corroborated under oath by three
citizens, qualified electors
Of the parish. When such statement
is made by commissioner ofelection.
or supervisor of registration, he shall
forward it in duplicate to the super.
visior of registration of the parish; if
in the city of New Orleans to the Sec
retary of State, one copy of which, if
made to the supervision of registration,
shall be forwarded by him to the re-
turning officers provided for in section
two of this act. when he makes the re-
turns of election in his parish. His
copy of said statement shall be so an
nexed to his returns of election by
paste, wax or some adhesive substance,
that the same can be kept together,
and the other copy the supervisors of
shall deliver to the clerk
of the court of his parish for the use
Of the district attorney
"SEC. 13. Be it further enacted, &c.,
That it shall be the duty of the com
missioners of elections at each poll or
voting place to keep list of the names
of the persons voting at such poll or
voting place, which list shall be num-
bered from one to the end; and said list
Of voters, with their names and num-
bers as aforesaid, shall be signed and
sworn to as correct by the commission
ers Immediately on closing of the polls,
and before leaving the place, and be-
fore opening the box. If no judge or
Justice of the peace, or other person
to administer such oath be
present to do so it may be administered
by any voter The votes shall be
counted by the commissioner at each
voting place Immediately after closing
the election, and without moving the
boxes from the place where the votes
were received, and the counting must
be done in the presence ofany bystand-
er or citizen who may be present. Tai
ly lists shall be kept of the count, and
after the count the ballots counted
shall be put back into the box and
until after the next term of
the Criminal OF District Court, as the
case may be; and in the parishes, ex-
cept Orleans, the commissioners of
election, or any one of them selected