New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-24

What are the practical lessons taught by these facts
First. that party, like the Republican, Visby reced
Ing has nothing Ia risk 10 take false step; IL
waste no chances; and, second that party like the
DemOcfatlc, whose sails are sweed by aYDrng gales
may come into port grandly and await its time. Never
theess in the face Of these warnings the Republican
party, of its leaders for II, contends that the
leader aud representative OF the opposition Mr. TlJen
is not elected It Is admitted that he has the
requisite number OF votes but good rs they
ere In quantity, they not good quality.
why in L9uisana-not TO go beyond that state for want
OF tme-they possess the monopoly 0f "A machine which
grinds the contents Of the boxes anew. and carefully
separating the chat from the grist produces loaf Of
THE LOUISIANA RETURNING BOARD.
This Board born, rather. like Macduf. was
ripped from the womb, during the commissions 1872,
when the Warmoth factions and che Custom )use fac
tons made Louisiana into seethng puddle Of filth and
froh. Two canvassing boards then in existence
but Of them had but of five ON II who
to handle atdayts and slips Of newspapers GOV.
warmoth superseded them both, BY taking ont an act,
which had slumbcred for six months in his p%eOn-hoes
and making 10 law by his pOsthuniOus signature. That
act created third board which was the parent OF the
present board SycOraN was OF Callban. The whole
object OF the law was in sense Ia further the public
interest but to secure the control oil the election ma.
tie ballot and without appeal 30 that YOU perceive, II
born in sill and Brought forth In iniquity.
Two kinds Of objection are made 10 IT, the hrst special
wthwhch you familiar object to the very substance
OF power 1t assumes to the whole theory when it is
built inconsistent alike with the Constitution OF the
United States, and the very first principles OF republican
The Constitution authorizes each estate to appoint
its quota OF electors in suc manner as the Legislature
may direct Language which simply inilcates two
things the author OF the action and the mode
Of It's action IL must be the state which ppUlnS e. the
State OF It's regular and organic agencies.
STATE say having made All election by tht PEG
pie the manner OF lis choice cannot institute second
agency TO revise and oyerturn the verdict given by the
people. But this brings to second and monstrOus
anomaly the Constitution and practice or tn Return
boards, which Is, that they virtually reyOlutlonLe the
fundamental prOct OF our elective system In all the
States and from the beginning. have had caEvdssnG
boards. whose function u Was to ascertain mnseraily
the actual number Of votes ~ election. Now,
the laws creating these tribunals which are courts
and not courts depart entirely from THIS settled proceed
urC. They not only allow the investigation To take
wide range beyond the contents Of the boxes but they
authorize parte testimony, and decision III secret
On the p!etext W ch be may he false, That
part of community il disp Osed Ia exercise an I'M
asked to not the votes but the motives OF
the voters.
HOW To GET OUT OF THE DIFFICULTY.
But II will be asked, not b0pe in tone somewhat IA
miliar TO OF NewYork. "WLat are you going TO do
about 1t T. but, in better spirit, How are we To extri
cate ourselves from tie difficulties created by law, that
are bad but still extant One thing has been already set
tied that the yice.Presidcnt-the depositary
and custodian OF the electoral yOtcs-lldS no UthUr
function in the premises. IL Is also settled, /
thin K, by the Constitution by a line OF piecedentS ul
broken for nearly hundred years, and by the spcechs
and the OF every prominent Republican senator,
at all the power that any has over the subject III"
houses possess What the too houses VIII DO snl
venture TO predict; special law, To DE PASSED ny
election April 1.-THE VcePrsident holding over IN cas-
vacancy, would perhaps best meet and turn ne dh
f,ren ties In the absence Of that the plan proposed by
the committee Of conference Is better tan usuIat0h
by the president; better than cOup ded by III
Government and though not unolJectlOnabe, would at
least bring us release.