The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-08
Mr.. Wheeler and the Returning Board


Mr.. Wheeler and the Returning Board.
Like JOHN SHERMAN and other patriots
Of his school, Mr.. WILLIAM A. WHEELER
has come forward to bolster up the char
acter of KELLoGo's Returning Board, in
the hope OF sustaining the monstrous
fraud by which they have attempted to
steal the State of Louisiana.
Only two years ago Mr.. WHEELER
branded the action OF these very men as
arbitrary. illegal, aud fraudulent; re-
versed the decision by which they had
counted in bogus LEGISLATURE. and exposed
the process by which this iniquity had been
consummated. Now, when he may be
beneficiary of their rascality, he seeks to
excuse the act which did Inn honor at the
time, and TO convey the false impression
that it was only difference of construc-
ton OF the law of Louisiana which led TO
the opposing results. Or to use his own
words rs recently reported:
IAN Ibid say and meant to say. was that they
he'd uisappled the law; that Is ALL The dtr r.
Quired hem. Ia ses Of Intimidation, to taNe the
aihd Wits IN the parishes, at the several polls,
and then and there TO attach them 10 The returns,
while they filled to take such df1ii wits. and
~
intimidaliou. without having complied with the
letter OF the law.
Mr. WHEELER mildly calls fragrant
violation OF the law for the protection of
the returns OF an election, a misapploa-
tion. by that means WELLS, ANDERsoN.
and their two mulaito confedcrates stole
the Legislature. in 1874, and the fraud was
so patent that Mr.. WHEELER was con-
20 the Conservatives less than one-ha.f OF
their rightful majority. Now. they have
repeated this villaiuy on larger scale and
precisely in the same manner by inten-
tional disregard of the law, W ich "thcy
mislppliod in 1874. When KELLOGG and
his corrupt crew found that TILDEN had
carried the state by about nine thousand
majority upon the official returns Of the
Republican supervisors, without any re-
ports of violence, threats, or irregulaUty,
which they were bound To make with the
returns ii they existed, the plan was con-
cocted of manufacturing charges of intim-
idation. and thus giving HAYES the state.
All the supervisors had been appointed
by KELLOGG. Many Of them We're Of the
worst character. and did NOT reside in the
parishes TO which they were sent. Others
were Ofiiceholders; and others still were
ignorant dupes OF the conspirators. These
supervisors were taken to the Custom
Hou.c, where aflidayits were manufac-
turod 10 order, weeks after the election.
Some of them have testified before the
Congress onal committees that their al
legged afidavts were bald forgcries, and
contained charges that We're utterly false.
But this fabricated ard partisan testimony
served the purpose of the Returniu Z
Board, who were instrumental in getting
1t up, aud was used TO turn the State over
to HAYES.
The act Of Louisiana known as No. o.,
1872, creating the Returning Board. pro-
viIes rs follows:
"seeon 90. l. sha he the duty OF the supervisors Of
ofa herciurns fur he different polling placrs To con.
s9ndal sn,n % n' or'"hel asrofitct By tue
,ed ~ Igrnt MN ,hr on inais reeey,d by mn %
us act ie ,.t 1oT anu reiuins to Ne enc .osel IN
ana forsara ., mlil' fe III ii iorsard "A copy Of ay
statement as N0 nee or mt rbince hr berry
SCI Il any tieso uc. iosc,,r With ali mcnorsG a. AID
iay isls used IN maAing TIC count aud statement of
1t is thus seen the law expressly COM
mands that tile supervisors shall, within
twcniy-four hour, after the receipt of the
returns, cons .lidatc aud forward them
with the originals 10 The Returning Officers
or Board by muil, with a copy of any state
meut ns to violence or disturbances bribery
or corruption, intimidation and other Of
fences particularly specified in another
section Of he same act. The object OF the
law plainly was t. preclude partisan state
mrni., made ~ after the election WIS
over, aud t. present TO the Returning
Board II complete case from every poll, MS
certified at thp time, aud by tie proper
officers. ANY other course violated tho
clear letter aud prit Of tho statute. and
of coulse nclrd rs a prohibition against
the Eotmlius Boad from taking notice
Of tho niluclIou.
Now, il throiur.Il statements Of the SUI
pcrNlsois Lad been respected, as the law
expressly IoGl.,c- they should be, the Re-
turning Board would lave been obliged
to report some nine thousand majority for
the IILDEN electors. because no intimida-
tlon, violence, corruption, bribery, or
other offences were reported with the re-
Turns from the polls. To reject this large
majority ana TO labricatc another in place
OF 1t ion HAYES, II was necessary TO defy
the law, to disregard the prescribed forms,
and to mvcDt An arbitrary and illegal
method for counting out votes that had
been regularly ANA pcaceahly cast.
WELLS, AND.HsoN, aud their associates
had had experience in his fraudulent bu,i-
ness, and they expanded the work Of ISsl
by counting IL HAYES electors. Il Repub-