New-York tribune., 1876-11-21
LOUISIANA.
THE RETURNING BOARD AT WORK.
from Fort Riley

THE RETURNING BOARD AT WORK.
DISSATISFACTION AT EXCLUDING COUNSEL FOR THE
CANDIDATEs-THE BOARD, HOWEVER, EVIDENTLY
TRYING TO BE FAIR.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUsEI
NEw-ORLEANs Nov. .20-Whe the proceedings
of the Louisiana Returning Board were i'll the main
beyond criticism it disappointed in or two par
tculars to-day those who are desrous not only that
the vote of this State shall be.counted honestly and
fairly but that the whole country shall be convinced
of it, and that when the result is declared it shall
carry with it such moral weight to prevent il ever
being questioned. The decision to the vote
in secret session, and especially to exclude from the
room while the count is made the counsel for the
Democratic candidates is unsatisfactory to the Demo-
Gratis To be sure, five representative men of each
party from the North were present, and each commit
tee had its shorthand reporters. that complete
record of all the transactions of the board will be pre-
served but this does not enable the press of the
country to obtain Immediately that sort of report
which the importance of the proceedings and the
intense interest which all feel in them make de-
sirable.
The exclusion of the Democratic counsel ca-scd
even greater dissatisfaction, and the presence OF
Democratic visiting committees from the North does
not wholly repair it, The argument is that the two
or three gentlemen who are employed by the Demo
cratic candidates are familiar with all the facts as
no stranger can be. They have obtained from the
clerk of every parish court III the State certified
COPY of the official returns filed in that court
within 24 hours after the closing of the
polls. The Congressional Committee of 1879
found that of the returns of the election of
1874 were changed after they filed by the cleo
ton officers and before they reached the Returning
Board. Nobody has asserted that any such changes
have been made this year. but if the Democratic
counsel were allowed to be present and to compare
the returns they are read with the certified copies
they have the possibility of suspicion even would
be removed. As it was, the gentlemen representing
the Democratic candidates retired from the room
when ordered to do So declaring that nothing
cept dishonest purpose could have caused the
Board to exclude them They are to be admitted
whenever any question arises in regard to the legal
ity Of the election in any parish but what they de-
manded was the privilege of witnessing the whole
count
The rule governing the disposition of the cases of
contested parishes is also criticised by the Demo
Gratis OF course it was necessary TO devise some
means of facilitating the business of the board and
preventing too much time from being consumed in
hearing testimony and 1t is impossible to say till it
is tried whether not the system adopted will Sc
cure the evidence in each sufficiently full to
make an intelligent judgment on it possible. But
the wisdom OF p0StpOnng decision Ill ali contested
cases until the evidence in regard to all Of them is
in and then passing upon them all in secret session.
is doubted If the board gave its decision regard
to each parish publicly the evidence
touching 1t was all n there would be less oppor-
tunity to charge that the result had been cooked
up"
Some surprise was expressed that the board pro-
ceeded with its work of canvassing the vote before
eecting any one to fill the vacancy which exists in
its ranks. The Democratic party has no representa-
tive on the board. The chief advantage of having
such a representative is that when witnesses are
examined the members Of the board may put oral
questions. while the counsel can only ask those
which they have in advance submitted in writing.
Three parishes were canvassed to-day, and all
parties are satisfied not only that the returns
correct but that they were properly counted. Aside
from enforcing the features of the rules already
ferred TO- there was an evident desire the part of
the hoard to prove their desire to proceed honestly
and fairly, and il is believed tonight
that the rules will shortly be far
amended as TO permit counsel for the Democratic
candidates to witness the entire count The excite
ment over the election which has prevailed here for
two weeks seems nearly all to have disappeared.
Al least tyo-lrds of the Northern visitors have re-
turned 30 that the crowds about the hotels are much
smaller. The Returning Board will count the vote
of the undsputed parishes in one or two days more,
and until they take up the returns from bull
dozedn parishes nothing further OF special interest
is likely to occur here.