The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-12-13

new Orleans ehsfksps intimidation and
other. Illegal sces q distant parishes,
we're the1 put in>D the envelopes
enclosInE the supervisor's CONSOLE
dated suturns. which had been brought
to the city of New Orleans and kept open
for the purpose. This was done to sup
port statements Of intimidation or other
illegal aqte interpolateds by supervisors,
long after their consolidated returns had
been made out and sworn tooas correct
and been fled with the proper district
clerk without any. protest or allegation Of
intimidation or other acts OF violence.
The proceedings OF the board In exec.
utive session, to which we were ad-
mitted, consisted In opening the returns
from each parish and examining the votes
for presidential electors, II no protestor
objection appeared among the papers,
and there was no outside protest from
any one, the returns were sent to pri-
vate room to be taoulated by the clerks,
all of whom were Republicans, who
KEPT THEIR ACTION SECRET.
II any protest was found among the pa
pers, or from outside parties, the returns
were laid aside, to be afterwards consih-
cred by the board in secret. In the
few cases in which there were charges Of
fraud, intimidation, or other illegal acts,
the candidates or their attorneys were
permitted TO take copies Of the charges,
and testimony taken on written interro-
gatories was submitted, IN regard 10 such
parishes. IN
o,, arc o., sv ..: ..', ns nav o W.
sion. and we were NOT pcrmitted TO see
the compilation of returns already made.
nor TO know, what rules the board
adopted i'm passing upon contested cases.
nor the processes by which it arrived at
results.
We have been furnished a triplicate, or
certified COPY OF the duplicate statement
of the commissioners of election at each
voting place lin the state, from which
has been compiled consolidated state.
ment of the entire vote of the state for
presidential electors.
From this statement, which we believe
to be accurate, the majority for the
highest Tilden elector over the lowest
Hayes elector Is S,657 and the majority
for the lowest Tilden elector over the
highest Hayes elector IL 1900.
The returns ia our possession cores
pond precisely in most cases with those
openedby the returning board. The dif.
ference in the aggregate arises mainly
from the tact that the board did not have
all the returns before 1t. The superyi.
sors, all of whom were Republicans.
many of them employees in the custom
house in New Orleans, some non-resi.
dents OF the state, and one of them
UNDER INDICTMENT FOR MrRnrp
w;,hhold tho s,,,onon,s ~ ,ho .o,n,,
s;onar ~ a,ac,;o" In snnaa ;us,a .no o' ,,ha"o
Democrat;c maio,;t;as ,.,ore s I.e.e
a,nn,nt;nn :, En-. anm.e.. s.er'
bOO votes. The returning hoard rafi,sa,,
to receive certified copies of the dupli.
Gates of these missing returns filed in the
offices OF the secretary of state and the
clerks Of the district courts, or to take
any effective measures to procure the
originals.
The returning board, in proclaiming
the result Of the vote tor electors, makes
no statement OF the votes cast in the sew.
eral parishes, but simply announces the
aggregate vote for each elector in the
state giving the Hayes electors majorities
varying from 4,626 to 4,7l2.
10 accomplish this they disfranchise
IL $50 Democratic and 2,042 Republican
voters. This announcement is made Ii
the face OF the tact that the statements
made by the commissioners of election
showed majority ranging from
$500 to 1886 for the Tildeu
electors. No attempt Is made te
give reason for this arbitrary
action Of the hoard, nor is there any state.
ment to show what votes were counted
and what rejected. AS we'll might thu
officers canvassing the returns OF the cleo
ton for presidential electors In Ohio OF
Massachusetts, declare the Tilden elector,
In those states elected,
IN urp.cp M Yppr.cr
That tho return. show.d . n.,..,. -,
The ua .o e1an,ns S"V W. 80 nnaJorny 10,
!. :. s,Ss.; o hare SHOWN tna
nf1 d "ss;aUnh n ms Wilt Tue LEGISLATURE
on ~ ,rEs,ana mas nnaue PROVISION ior tne
hpas $500 o,,o,. sis a. aii .lat IL !,
tha ratm saun prov,sion, !. mas nor yestec
.no iu.. .I poafu wilh authorlty tt
sanh ass nS, e,e .eaulnn y, the votes cast ioi
suon onaces anu tnat II II were possible
suthor;tv en- ,' th sa,ue as eoh,errlag sncL
autnorIly on Tue returning board, ther
the same satute limits the authority Of
tne Doarc 20 the canvass and compilation
Oh ~tne statements OF votes made BY the
commissioners OF elecuon," without au'
unorIty 70 reject any on account OF intim
luatIon or other acts OF violence unless thu
Io9haation there!or De nrst LAID a. pre-
yiueu III tne statute, mat the evidence
uoes no; oisciose tnat suGn foundation
WAS iaio "a any instance. Ihere H. how
Eyer, etiuehce VI attenpts, surrepti
.,ousIy, " iay such Iounuatioh aiter the
eousohuateu returns were completed, anC
;na. .ne s"peLvisors vi eiectl0n' ~ many
INSTANCES, uhiawiuuy Withneid their re
.mnna ,V 'ha INA. purp1se: anu intefpolafet