The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-02-22
THE ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL.

| TUESDAY, Feb. 13-The commission entered
upon the consideration of the Louisiana case,
and listened to the arguments of counsel
assigned to the duty of appearing for the
directors. Senator Mcdonald led on behalf
of the Democrats. He said in the election
of 1872 the vote of Louisis IA had been re-
jected because the Returning Board had not
complied with the law, and they now pro-
posed to show the law had not been COM
piled with in the present case. A popular
majority had been reversed by this
board, through actual fraud. They had
| thrown aside the returns sent them by the
proper officers, and had taken the reports of the
Supervisors of Registration in their place, but
even this they did not follow at all times. The
people of sixty-nine polls had been disfran-
chised. Mr.. Mcdonald maintained that the COM
mission had the right, and it was their duty, to
consider the Information in possession of the
two houses. Their duties were judicial not
merely clerical, and he conjured them
to carefully weigh the evidence in
the possession of the two houses for
| lowed On the same side, and proceeded to
review the election in the several parishes,
| taking as a. basis of facts the testimony be-
fore the House Louisiana investigating COM
mittee, with the incidental claim that this
testimony was proper evidence to be consid-
cred by the COMMISSION. In conclusion he
asked that the moral light of the universe
might be allowed to shine upon this trans
action, and the nation be free from the vile
act of this Returning Board. Mr.. Hurlbut,
for the Republicans, argued that Kellogg
was the legal Governor of Louisiana at the
recent election, and that McEnery had no
shadow of claim to the Office. Hence the
Hayes electors were the only ones that were
properly and legally elected and certified to.
He also argued at length against the admission
of evidence and going behind the returns,
declaring that the Returning Board was legal
body, and its decision final. MIR. Howe next
addressed the commission on behalf of the
directed mainly to showing the legality of the
Kellogg certificates, and the irregularity of
those made up by a man who had no valid
claim to the Office. Senator Carpenter followed
on behalf of the Democratic directors. He
said he did not appear for Samuel j. Tilden,
| gentleman whom he did not know, and with
whom he had no sympathy, but he ''appeared
| for 10000 legal voters of Louisiana who had
been disfranchised by four villains whose Off
cial title is the Returning Board of louisiana ."
! Mr.. Carpenter held that the powers of the
commission were not judicial; that it was
| nothing more than committee of investiga-
| ton, inasmuch as Congress, according to the
| terms of the law creating it, had the power to
| approve or reverse its decision, as it saw fit.
He then went into an analysis of the statute
| law of Louisiana relating to elections, Return
| ing Boards, ETC., and claimed that ihe Election
| law of the State for appointing electors is in
| violation of the constitution of the State and
| of the United States. The commission ad-
| journed before Mr.. Carpenter concluded his