The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-07-07
OvEnTAgEN At LAST

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II seems that the perpetrators of the
frauds by Which the electoral vote of
Louisiana was given 10 Hayes, are NJ
lust to stand before an indignant people !
and explain On illy-undontood aud
much vexed problem, or 0tono for o
most grioyous crime, and m outrage
which involves In Us consequences the
dignity aud honor no less than the
graycat Interests OF the whole nation,
The attorney general Of the state, and
also the attorney of the Now Orleans
district, filed inlormations on 9th and
capiascs wcrO issued The trials to fol,
low will have u painful interest which
win bo as wide as the bounds of Tie
nation. We lcWo untouched the qles'
ton of policy, ~ TO whether the present
Is just the time TO rip open u painful
subject and expose to the public Ra1e
mass of rocking corruption which
must stink in the nostrlls Of tho nation
for many years We know not If the
country is in condition TO calmly accept
legal revcrsion of the verdict render
ed by the returning board, which will
At the same time Inevitably involve the
decision of the electoral commission,
Hayes right To hold, and tho induction
Of TiIden. II the members OF the Rec
turning board are convicted, and the
points in the indictment charging mis-.
count are sustained, the whole platform
Of mere semblance upon which nv.
Hayes holds, falls TO the ground unless
some mere technichal ground for its
evasion IL found.
On general principles such fraud
as this charged involving interests M
grave and producing results so stupen.
duous in themselves, it behooves us to
proceed with extreme caution, The
danger of popular tumult and the dis
turbOnce of the present hopeful quiet
are important considerations, but
whether tho inyiolability Of the ballot
box and the safety of our institutions
consequent thereon, are not of more
present as well as prospective import
ance, we do not think there can be II
reasonable doubt. Whore so much de-
ponds upon tho bNllot,boX of even nm
obscure parish, its purity cannot be
guarded too jcalously When the re.
suit OF presidential election hinges
upon such II box as this, It's Importance
becomes sublime, and whether it is
stuffed by J. Madison Wells in the in-
terest Of Hayes, or any one else in the
interest of lilden, it matters not Tho
crime deserves, and ought TO receive,
prompt and terrible punishment, We
trust the officers of Louisiana have con.
sidorod well the ground taken, and that
if they proceed at all that they are pre-
pared to establish tho charges beyond
n doubt, because any attempt which
| fails, cannot but work evil to Louisiana
and the south. The weight of sympa>
thy rests now with the defeated, but il
Wells and company are acquitted twill
be transferred to them and will stand
in the light OF n persecution.
While we cannot in any sense afford
to pass palpOble fraud, yet we are in
no condition to stand such q rebuff as
IN acqittal would prove, That Mr.
Hayes is doing noble work for the
south; that business has revived and
confidence succeeded apprehension and
distrust no good purpose could be
served by denying, If he has really
been fraudulently counted in, and
who can doubt it now, it is only anoth>
or instance on record where good has
been evolved from evil We are dis
posed to give Mr.. Hayes full credit for
all the good he has done and unless
Messrs. Wells, Anderson Il Co., arc
clearly and undeniably shown to be
connected with fraud in this matter,
we would be inclined to lose sight of
them altogether and only regard the
success of an administration which,
however it may stand as to its claims to
power, has nevertheless served the
southern states good turn, and at q
time when we were fully prepared to
appreciate it, Let him have his re.
ward.
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