Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-02-24
For the Register.
Electoral Returning Hoard.
By A VOTER.

The tripartite returning board, set in
motion by the two Houses OF Congress
aud the President, is playing It's well
concocted farce, 10 the great satisfaction
of the conspirators TO its creation.
South Carolina, Florida and Louisi-
ana minorities (mostly black by their
friends OF the Supreme Bench, elecling
a President by false returns Grant,
Morton, Garfield, happy. The prc-con-
certed opposition Of the red-moulhed
| Morton IL Co, most admirable gusc
TO procure democratic votes for its pas-
sage.
How sadly unfortunate for The wed
tare of the people and the government,
that the Democratic representatives.
were over-reached by the siren song of
the mealy y-mouthed abolltionists, who
start with smile and plot with a gift.
But what is more grossly culpable than
all beside, the partizan Justices come To
the rescue of their Jacobin allies, 10 de
eide that certified fraud is above inyos.
l
cred TO reverse, too pure TO disturb. In
it We are taught that sending soldiers
to over see elections is not Intimidation,
but that for Southern planters to advise
negro voters to support the Democratic
! ticket is mOnstrous intimidation, and
sufficient cause to justify the returning
/ boards to throw out thousands of Dem
oelatic votes, or change them ID the
Hayes columns. And the late law sus-
tains them in it. Yet it was especially
passed TO enable Congress 10 go behind
the corrupt and fraudulent action of re-
turning boards, Notwithstanding three
| judicial tunctionaries acting under the
law, coustrne it in direct conflict with
its chief objects, aud use it TO sanction
frauds that would tarnish any court.
But Judge who will legllizc the dis
memberment of a sovereign State, can
easily sanction an act 10 perpetuate tho
power from which he holds his trust.
1t has always been thought that "A Su-
preme Justice could rise above mcrY
party measures; but henceiorth let that
idea be dissi pated acts saturated win
tiaud from head to foot are CLOSED over
with reasonless verbage, in service of
party prejudice and in obedience 10 the
party leaders lash. In future no man
will respec. the decision of Strong Mil
Ter or Bradley. They, with the other
five aboliIionists, have carried out tho
instructions OF their party leaders, given
to the returning boards. What a lu-
initiating state of vassalage the voters
of this country arc in, when their high
est act OF sovereignty is set at naught
by corruptly constituted board of
count, now precedent for the future.
In contrast with this deed, whiskey
frauds and safe burglaries rise in sub
lime grandeur, and assume aB excel
leuce OF mofaI purity, commeDdablc
even in the totally deprayed.
The decisions Of the eight electoral
returning board, in the Florida case,
may justly be illustrated by the follow
iug example a and B have a legal
dispute, which they agree to arbitrate
each one o! the parties select two of
their sons az arbitratOrs, and the arbi-
traitors select As umpire the nephew Of
B, said nephew having rvertionary
interest in the subject matter TO be de.
cided. The commission 20 into hear
ing Of the case after making ruling in
the interests of u, by the concurrence
OF the sons of y, with the umpire, their
nephew. What show OF Justice has At
No matter if he has all the winning
facts on his side. What will posterity
and the present generation think Of the
action OF the majority Of this coniemp-
tible hotcb- -potch Of a returning board
in deciding their own cause. a cause
made up from the niost nnblushing
frauds ever practiced upon the ballot
box.
The acts Of the Bonapartists in
France, IN lS4S, have been closely fol
lowed. In parallel also may be regard
ed the Tribuni PisbD OF Rome, when
at Mons Sacer the uefo was rstab-
lished. IL too was fifteen headed
BODY, which in time absorbed all pow
er, and 10 whose acts Of appreciation
was affixed the letter 7. so 20 our
board, .S'naius consnifn, may be affixed
the letter L, but with different sigpif-
canoe. The Julius Cesar who slimula-
ted the cxcesses Of our Tribunes will
soon be followed by an Augustus, who
will have conferred upon him all power
as dictator, 10 be again followed by
some ambitious Constantine, in robes Of
imperial purple. 30 we go os a s'quei
10 our hae na,, marching on, like the
soul of John Brown, TO the land Of the
fallen angels.
CharIestown, February, 1877.