The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-11-18
Dem. ma

At the election In 1874 these parishes
gave q Republican majority for State
Treasurer of 1861. They now give
Democratic majority of 4,4l1, which en-
ceeds the Democratic vote cast in 1874
The Dem rcrats admit that, had the Re
publican vote been polled, the Republi
cans would have had q large majority.
Now the controversy stands: On the
one hand the Democrats insist on the
vote being counted in exact accordance
with the number of tickets cast; on the
other hand there are two proportions:
!. That the vote of these parishes be
wholly disregarded and thrown out, on
the grounds of intimidation, by the Cal-
wasting Board. 2. That the vote polled
Ia counted, but that the Canvasslng
Board reckon also as polled the votes OF
p. <-sevsvrsArur suru CoHul-
tion OF things rs this. In the first place,
deadly intimidation Is not known ut the
North, and IN the next place II wiU be
difficult for Northern man Of any party
10 understand hon 1000 UOterS Of any one
party IN country can be so successfully
''intimidated" By 1000 as TO be unable 10
approach the polls, though the latter
Dere protected, or supposed 10 be by
the United States Supervisors. II
,o,lL be difficult to persuade til psopie OF
any Northern country that the minority,
numbering 800 U0tcrS, c0uJG l.timidGte
The majority in East FcJ,'.,.s, nonbering
1900, that none ofthe tatter care ShOlo
themselves at the polls. Nevcrthe-
less, it is cerlian that the negroes
did not vote fer some reason.
We assume that those soho dtd rote
more legal rioters, and kno0 OF no
right recognized By any LaW Of any State
where tie uot.s of legal Uoters, taiCtUtLy
po,led, can be rejected and they diJraa-
Chased. We do not 6sLiere, therefore, that
the moral sense of the american people
V,L consent 10 or tolerate that the cleo.
tion of President OF the United States
shall Undetermined and decided by thro oing
out the rotes of several thousands OF legal
psters, legally poILed, IN any State Of the
Union. We take ii, therefore, that tie
soses actually poLled IN these fire "jwH-
dossd' parishes Of Louisiana mil be
counted, no matter Dhat may be the result
produced upon the election by so doing.
Ii the facts be rs stated, and we have
tried to colate them fairly from the
statements of both sides, the Republicans
of Louisiana and OF the country have to
bear the consequences of the panic which
seems TO have so stricken the colOred
voters in these five districts We look !
upon it as calamity, because !
we know Of no legal remedy. There is |
no precedent knoWn to any election taio |
that zoe euer heard Of iCherc the roteS OF |
persons not rottng, ana Offering TO cote, |
can not be counted, no matter how |
strong may be the presumption that if |
such votes had been polled they would |
have changed the result. In 1874 the ,
Democrats elected at least fifty members /
of Congress i'll Republican districts,
because Republicans stayed away and |
did not vote. For the same reason the
Democrats elected the Governors of
several States and majority of the Leg
stature IN several States in 1874 No
such thing as ctfsetting the vote actually
polled by that not polied has ever been
recognized at any election in any State
in this country. Even in the desperate
conflict in Louisiana four years ago both
parties claimed the election, but both
parties assumed the vote counted to have
been pOlIed
1t Is claimed by the Democrats that
their party will have majority of the
whole vote OF the State, over and above
their vote in these parishes; but, while
this ought to settle the matter, il may
not do so ifthe counting of the non-poi-
ed vote be insisted upon by the other
tide. II, ho,oerer, the Democrats do not
hare majority ereept BY counting the !
'otes IN these fire parishes. and the result
n the State depend on their beng counted I
IT not counted, then the issue riU be
tireet one and on upon trhich the coun.
ry ,citt promptly reach judgment. and
10 Cdnpassing Board ro,lL dare attempt'
0 PIT the judgment OF the nation at def
nee; ana THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL ,
lever ENGAGE IN A CIVIL WAR To UP
IoLD THE COUNTING OF VOTES NEVER
Asst OR OFFERED To BE CAST, OR TO RE-
ECT LAWFUL VOTES LEGALLY CAST
Nd RECORDED ON THE POLL. LISTS