The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-07-19
LOUISIANA RETURNIEG BOARD.

q
The action Of the New Orleans Grand
Jury, which indicted the Returning
Board of the Crescent State for forgery
and perjury in the counting and declar-
ing of the vote for State officers and
Presidential electors last fall, has been
the subject of comment throughout the
United States for. the past two weeks,
and the independent press Of both politi--
cal parties agree that4he matter should
not be hushed up by anything short of a
full legal investigation, which will for
ever settle the charges that have been
made about the vote Of this State as true
or false. The Democratic party believes
that this vote was cast for its candidates,
while a large mass of Republicans are
equally confident that the State went Re-
publican by a fair majority. A verdict
from judicial tribunal is necessary to
put this ugly question forever at rest, by
either vindicating the integrity of the
members of the Returning Board or by
iinaicting upon them the punishment
their alleged acts deserve, thereby max
ing a public example Of them to check
the perpetration Of such crimes in the
future.
It has been claimed by Judge Law
renee, member of the commission sent
by Grant to New Orleans, that Governor
Nichols promised that there should be
no prosecutions for political offences, and
Tat this Indictment is violation of the
agreement. tits more than possible that
Gov. Nichols made this promise, but it
clearly has: not the significance which
the Republicans wish to attach to it, un-
less it contained more than the promise
mentioned, for neither perjury nor
forgery are political ofences-they are
crimes against the common and statute
laws of the land, and cannot be condoned
nor compounded by anything short Of the
punishment prescribed for all criminals
who perpetrate them. The fact that
officials Of State have committed these
heinous offences does not alter the state
of the case one particle, unless it is to
make it grayer and more dangerous as a
public example. The fact that Governor
Nichols opposes the Indictment does not
amount to anything. He has no more
right to interfere than private citizen
until a conviction and sentence is rem
dered, and then he can only do SO by
granting pardon, which it is alleged by
some persons he will assuredly do if the
members of this board are convicted
We cannot believe he has ever author
lied such a statement, for he must know
that such course on, his part would
probably cause his impeachment, and
would certainly render him. an object o1
|Idetestation to all honest men. If Wells
and Anderson are guilty, he has no right
to say that the laws shall not be executed
against them, for all law-abiding citizens
of both parties would prefer to have such
crimes punished for the security of oul
government in future.
The trial of this interesting case will
come off this fall, and its result will be o.
the greatest importance to Presiden1
Hayes. If conviction is had he can
not afford longer, to occupy the Presi
dency, for although the verdict Of the in
famous eight to seven commission may
| in law give him q title to the Office capa
tble.. of being sustained before a ceur1
reckless enough to have made the de-
Icision, yet he could not for one instan
maintain the confidence or respect O
any considerable portion Of either party
| This tffal will in many respects eths
! most remarkable one ever had il
lsAmetica, and no doubt sit will uneartf
1.-THE full details Of the Louisiana business
from the casting of the vote on the vt
Of November downsto theabeginning s
the trial e1