The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1877-03-14

there theN were Olehcu Win It's CONSENT
aud original papers distracted and false
ones substituted in their stead. When
the returns were opened. the board, with
an appearance of fairness, permitted per.
SONS representing both parties to he pres
cnt. but when decision was made as to
what should be counted secret SESSIONS
were held. from which every Democrat
was excluded, although the law consti-
,uting the board required that it should
be composed OF representatives Of both
political parties. In counting the votes
il exercised powers not conferred by the
statutes, and in the most flagrant disre-
gard OF truth and justice, the members Of
the board changed the pnllhUohs no that
Republican officers appeared TO he chosen
when their opponents had in fact been
elected. They forged the names OF Of
ficers to certificates of election.
They threw out the votes Of precincts
upon afiidavits which they knew had
been fraudulently obtained, Indeed, they
themselves ordered false afiidsvits to he
made hundreds Of miles fro the places
at which they were purported to have
been taken, in order that the decision
might appear justified which they had in
advance determined TO make They arr
bitrarily threw out votes when there was
no preliminary statement from the com>
missioners OF election to give them juris-
diction. They.corrurtly, in order to elect
their favoritcs and to correct the mistakes
Of certain Republicans in voting for cleo
tors, added to the lists votes which had
never been cast While considering the
case, the members of the board endeav>
ored to enter into negotiations with both
Republicod and Democratic National
Con-nttees to sell their decision. A half
enillion dollars was the price sske,l. Not
obtaining it, they tried to bargain with
leading Democratic Of Louisians to elect
the STATE ticket Of their party. J. Mali
con Wells, with the approval of Thos. c
Anderson, offered to elect the Nichols
State ticket for $2OO,OO0 cash in hand
The money was not paid. Negotiations
were renewed, if ever broken off. with the
leaders of the Republican party. The re-
sult was declared in its favor The chief
conspirator, J. Madison Wells. admitted
that he had been paid by that organiza-
ton for his decision -
In Florida, the same frauds character
izei the returns and action Of the Re-
turning Board. Votes were thrown out
with the same disregard Of justice Be-
sides, in that State. il refused to regard
the orders of courts OF competent juris-
diction. and proceeded in most defiant
contempt ofjudicial authority
In this manner more than 1000 Tillen
votes were thrown ont in Florida The
votes of these States. in consequence
of the conspiracy, which in fac, had been
cast for Tilden, were given to Hayes.
The only excuse for this outrageous
reveraal of the Judgment Of the people ia
that intimidation had been practiced by
the whites against the votes where the
votes were thrown ont. Whether this in
umidation compelled some persons to vote
against their will, or prevented some
from attending the polls, it afforded in
,;,l,ar oaea No modification c. tha Ial;h
crate rejection OF ballots by the Returning
Boards But the statutes of Louisiana
only authorize proof Of intimidation in
cases where charges OF violence were
made in writing 10y the commissioners of
elections on the day when the election
was had there. The charges were to he
inclosed to the board in the envelopes
containing the returns In a few cases
only were charges made rs required. In
the rest, evidence was received without a
proper foundation having been laid. This
evidence received consisted in the main
of afiidavits written out by the clerks AMI
employees ofthe Returning Board. without
ever having been seen by the persons pur-
porting to certify them There was
therefore no adequate proof of intimids>
ton. II may be remarked here that the
temptation to Kellogg and his Returning
Board was very great to manufacture
cases OF intimidation, for it was only by
them that the Democratic majority could
be overthrown, and the conspiracy be sue
cessful.
We should not fail to call the attention
OF the people to the dangerous effect Of
the doctrine OF intimidation in politics. 1t
Inequalities from voting not only the par
ties TO the act of intimidation. but all
those who have voted at the same pre-
cincts with them. Two persons may con.
clude to make case OF intimidation. and
thereby cause parish casting thousands
Of votes TO be rejected. 1t makes eIec-
tons farce. 1t takes power from the
people to rest it in Returning Boards. 1t
enables the latter TO impose the severest
political penalties, dislraschisements,
without giving to the persons punished
an opportunity of hearing or trial. A
Republic deserves to lose its liberties if it
tolerates such ontrages for an hour
By this disregard Of law, disobedience
OF the courts and contempt Of the rights
of voters; BY their frauds and corruptions