Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-03-01
WASHINGTON.
From our own Correspondent.

dent Grant. Since writing you they
have given the electoral vote of Flori-
da to Gov. Hayes and are at this time
considering whether they will go be-
hind the return of the Returning
Board of Louisiana or not. Hon.
Matt. II. Carpenter has greatly disa-
pointed his numerous Republican
friends by appearing before the Joint
Commission as the advocate. Of Gov.
Tilden's election He has given his
opponents the opportunity of calling
attention to their assertion at the time
of his election to the United States
Senate That he never united with the
Republican party until the fall before
he wa. candidate for United States
Senator and that he was not true
and reliable Republican, His ap-
pearing in beh alf of Gov. Tilden will
make every true Republican rejoice
that Senator Cameron was sent az Uni
ted States Senator from Wisconsin in
his stead.
Mr.. Carpenter claiming to still be a
Republican it is we'll to go back and
examine his record upon this same
Louisiana question and see with what
consistency he makes such claim. In
doing this can't do better than to
quote from the Albany Journal.
'.In 1873 Mr.. Carpenter made his
famous report to the Senate on the
Louisiana question. He held, as will
be remembered, that McEnery, the
Democratic candidate had a majority
of the votes for Governor. At the
same time he and his associates said in
their report: ga careful consideration
of the testimony convinces US that,
had the election of November last been
fairly conducted and returned, Kellogg
and his associates, and a Legislature
composed of the same political party,
would have been elected" Quite
right Mr.. Carp enter! You thus show
how well you understand that fraud
ulent majority in the ballot box may
reverse and falsify the honest will of
the people The present case in Loui-
siana is exactly parallel to the one you
thus describe. taking your own view
of it. Through fraud and violence a
Democratic majority was manufactur-
ed in the State. But you, Mr.. Car
penter, have conclusively shown in
your Louisiana report how such u re-
suit may be entirely different from that
which would have followed had the
election been fairly conducted.
But Mr.. Carpenter went farther,
He proceeded to show how, assuming
McEnery's election in 1872, the real
will of the people was defeated and
overthrow. "The testimony" con-
tinues his report, "sho'cs q systematic
purpose on the part Of those conducting
the election TO thro,c every possible diff
ficulty IN the ray Of the coIored pot-
ers in the matter Of registration.
Thus it was in 1876 over again, except
that last November "every possible
difficulty" was thrown liz the way of
the colored voters not so much in the
registration as in the election itself
But the tactics were the same the
tactics of carrying the State against
the sentiment of its honest majority
by obstructing and preventing the col
ored vote. After thus showing how
the attempt was made to carry the
election for McEnery in 1872, Mr..
Carpenter cannot deny or scout the
similar attempt in 1876. But even
this is not all. Mr.. Carpenter touch
ed on another point quite as vital in
the present case. He co,,tended that
McEnery had been rightfully declar-
ed elected, and thus explained one OF
the processes: "In the canvass OF
Uotes ,Uhich determined the McEnery
gouernnment to be elected, the potes Of
several Republican parishes scere re-
jected.
Mr.. Carpenter saw no wrong in that
act. He recognized no lllegality or
unconstitutionality IN it. As the paid
attorney of Mr.. Tilden, he now makes
loud cutlery because the palpably
false and fraudulent votes of some par
ishes were rejected; but when the
same thing was done in the interest OF
the McEnery government four years
ago, he held it was legal and binding.
We thus assay Mr.. Carpenter against
Mr.. Carpenter. As counsel he says
that Gov. Tilden carried Louisiana and
pronounces this the will OF tho people
but al Senator he contended that Nc
Emery had carried the State and pro-
nounced it In defiance of the will of
the people. As counsel he scouts the