The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-01-04
The Louisiana Iniuuity.

The more the bad Louisiana business il
consilered the clearer it appears that it
was and is an outrage Of the deepest dye.
The Cincinnati Enquirer, that has made A
close scrutiny Of the facts rs developed,
and the law OF the state bearing upon the
matter, says there are n few prominent
facts in the Louisiana ease which are only
necessary to be known 10 determine the
Judgment Alright of AL Just men:
|. That the election returns On their
face showed clear majorities for the l'ildeu
Electors, varying from $500 To S,951,
Who were, therefore, elected rs the votes
cast and returned
, That the Returning Board reversed
the result of the election, and declared the
Hayes Electors elected by maiorities
ranging from ,620 to 4,1l2
3. That the Returning Board, in order
to reverse the result OF the election as de-
clared by the votes cast threw out orel
| oicfsN M0HMtH rates that the RETURNS
showed had been cast for 'Filden Electors
thereby DISTINGUISHING that numLer Of
| voters
| l. That the Hayes Electors are not elect
ed by the people. but We're counted in by
! the Returning Board in utter disregard OF
the votes As cast by the people, and as re-
turned cast by the proper election officer.
These are facts undisputed and indis-
pulable. And they show on their face
such a grofF outrage on p0pulArri ghta, de-
cency and justice. that, unless satistitcto
| rlly explained, they must damn their per
pelrator to eycrliStin" mtamy. The
apologist5 for this apparent crime OF the
Returning Board must show clearly that
every step taken bg that body was not
only in 5trict accordance with the law,
but was also Just Of itself But one de-
tense is urged, viz: That the law imposes
on the Returning Officers The duty of re-
Iecting every poll at which, in their opln-
ion, violence. intimidation, riot, tnmult or
armed disturbances materially interlered
with the freedont OF the election 1T such
pol! or voting place, "r did prevent Il sui-
iiclenl number OF the qualified Electors
thercat from registering and Voting 10 ma
terlally change the result Of the election !;
and that in the discharge Of their duty
under the law, and using the discretion
the law allows them, they refused to cam
vass several polls whose aggregate votes
counted II ,2S2 Democratic and Yl5 Re-
seen il put: The Returning Officers re-
fused to canvass the polls III which in
their opinion. intimidation, violence. riot,
tumut OF armed disturbance prevented
persons registering or voting. Let us see
what the defense amounts 10.
AS the law under which the Returning
Officers claim this special power depriyes
citizens of rights, not for any fault OF their
own but Tor the wrong doing If others,
it must be construed strictly, Us are all
laws in disregard OF personal rights BY
that we mean that the Returning Officers
must have strictly adhered to the law to
make their defense worth anything Did
they adhere strictly to the law
The Returning Officers have no author
lty whatever to refuse 70 canvass IL poll
for any cause, save after certain preimi-
nary proceedings. Those preliminary
proceedings are mnutely prescribed in
the law, by whom to be performed, and
IN what manner, and how they are to be
placed IN the possession OF the Returning
Officers Without these Lhey have no au-
thority to move at all toward the rejection
OF poll for violence, intimidation. on
other cause. Those preliminary proceed
lngs are these: II there shall be any VIC
lence, intimidation, or other disturbances,
sufficient to deter citizens from voting, the
proper local election officers must make
under oath clear and full statement oI
all the facts relating thereto, and OF the
effect produced hy such violence. &c.. In
preventing Il fair, free, petceable and lull
registration or election, and OF the num-
Der OF qualified electors deferred ~ such
violence, &c., from registering or voting.
which statement shall also he corrohotat-
ed under oath by three respectable Gill
zens, qualified electors OF the parish.
That statement must be forwarded in du-
plicate TO the Supervisor Of Registration
of the Parish, one copy OF which he shall
forward to the Returning Officers when
he makes the returns Of the election in
his parish. That copy of said statement
must be So annexed to said election lie
turns by paste, wax, OF some adhesive
substance. that the same can be kept to-
gether. The statement and returns of
election must he incloaed in an enyelope
OF strong paper on cloth, securely sealed,
and forwarded Ia the Returning Officers
by mail
Unless the Returning Officers have that
statement "ladf up on the dap Of election,
and alp0Fn 10, as required by the law, they
cannot move 2 step toward inquirine
whether there was violence. intimidation.
&c, in the parish they cannot act on
the statement OF any outside person
They cannot even act on their own
knowledge. They can act on nothing
save the statement made up on the day of
election 10y the parties whom the law re-
quires to make it. Did they adhere to
the law or did they usurp power outside
of the law? That is the next question
There is no pretense that they adhered to
the law, Nobody claims that they did |