The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-07-20

wards proposed that he would leave In
enough Npies 10 elect Mr.. Nichols Demo
cratic candidate for GOvernOr) II S2OD,UOO
cash were first placed In his hands.
n FORGING AFFIDAyiTs AND RETrRNs.
But the conspirators could not afford 10 be
baked Of their game by the failure Of the To-
cal officers 10 make a false charge ~ infimida-
tion. These votes must be excluded per fds
ant ncfos, and the Returning Board must
do u; that was what the Board was made
for. The Returning Officers went upon the
principle mi inreniom am fuciam. They
made the protests which they 'nnld not lind;
aiiidayifs which no creature In the parishes
was base enough TO back with his oath were
fabricated IN the Custom house, and used
by the Board with a full knowledge that they
were mere counterfeits. The exclusion ~
returns on the ground Of intimidation was
IN every case dishonest, for in none was
there particle Of evidence % justify H.
When nothing else would serve the purpose,
they did not scrilple resort 10 plain forgery.
OF the return from Vernon Parish every
figure on the whole broad sheet was altered
with elaborate pains under the special di-
rection Of Wells. Perjury and subornation
Of perjury entered largely into the business.
There j. hardly any species OF the crimen
rdiSi for which the law has a punishment
that did not become AN elementary part Of
the great fraud which was committed when
the defeated Electors and State officers OF
Louisiana were falsely certified as chosen by
the people.
THE CREATION or THE COMMISSION.
But how was the object Of the conspiracy
70 be accomplished? The House Of Repre-
sentatiyes was Democratic, and without IL
consent expressed or implied in some form
or another, the Senate could not give effect TO
a false count The first intention was to
claim that the President Of the Senate had
a II. ~
lily what Electoral votes should be counted
and what not. This was the great rallying
point until Mr.. Conkllng took il up, and, in
a speech Of surprising ability, utterly de-
moished and reduced IL 10 invisible atoms.
II became settled, therefore, that the two
Houses must count the votes, and this clear
~ implied the power 10 inquire and deter
mine what were votes. II could not be de-
MED that the voice OF the House Of Repre-
sentatiycs was nj least a. potential a. that
OF the senators: aud IL was not supposed
that the House would suffer fraud 20 gar-
ing a. this TO be thrust down the throat Of
the country "against the stomach Of sense"
But IL the two bodies would declare incon-
sistent results Of the count, and
proclaim the election Of different
Presidents, state OF things
might come which would subject our insti-
tufions TO a strain severe enough to cndan-
ger them greatly. II was in these difficult
circumstances that a mixed Commission Of
fifteen was proposed, consisting Of Ave SEN
ators, i've Representatives and five Judges
Of the supreme Court. The mode of APP
pointing them made il certain that fourteen
would be equally divided between the par
ties, and, a. the fifth Judge wouldbe named
by the consent Of his brethren on both sides,
he might, be expected 70 stand between
them, like day -man, with hand a. heavy
on one head as the other. The Democrats
consented 10 this in the belief that no seven
Republicans could be taken from the Court
or from Congress who would swear 20 de-
eide the truth and then uphold a known
fraud: II mistaken In that opinion Of their
adversaries' honor, they felt sure, AZ all
events, that the umpire would be fair
minded man. They were bitterly disap-
pointed: the Commission went eight to seven
for the great fraud and all its branches: for
fraud IN the detail and in the aggregate; for
every item OF fraud that was necessary 70
make the sum total big enough-eight TO
seven all the time.
ITS PETTIFoGGING.
But the decision in favor OF fraud which
50 shocked the common sense and common
honesty OF the nation was not made with
out some attempt 10 justify il. The eight
gave reasons 50 many and so plausible that
kellogg and Wells must have chuckled with
delight when they heard them. One argu-
mcnt very seriously urged was that II would
be troublesome, and require great deal Of
time, to ascertain who was duly appointed
by the people. II was much easier 10 ac-
ccpt the false vote and say no more about IL.
10 decide how many and what persons got
certificates from the Returning Board was a
short and simple process; but 10 push the
inquiry behind that-to inquire whether the
certificate was honest, TO look for the evil
dcncc which would show who were duly
appointed-hic labor hoe opus est. The
seven reminded the eight, but reminded
them in vain, that the due appointment
which nobody in the world, except the
people, had the least right TO make,
was the very thing which they were
there 10 find out: and they
could not be excused from duty 10 which
they were pledged and sworn by the mere
Inconvenience Of performing IL. Besides, the
eight knew very well that there was no diff.
ficulty i'm IL; Il was but looking AZ the record
Of the appointment as the people made Il up
they could read II a. they ran; the truth was
palmer than the lie; the honesty Of the case
was As easily seen a. fraud. But no pers'ia'
sion could influence them TO cast even !
glance al the actual appointment. What did
they think this commission was made for
Why was this great combination Of learning
and statecraft set up. According TO the
eight Its sole purpose was, not 10 determine
any matter in dispute between the parties
but merely 20 declare that the Returning
Boards had certified for the Hayes Electors
which every body knew already, and no.
body ever denied. II its object was wha
the law said-to decide who were duly APP
pointcd-then the eight succeeded In max
Ing II merely splendid abortion, because
among other reasons, II was too much trou
BILE 10 make II any thing else.
THE INFAMOUS EIGHT.
The eight Commissioners did not stol
there. They went much further. The!
practically justified and sustained al the in
Unite rascality of the Returning Boards
They not only refused 70 take voluntary no
tice Of the airocious frauds perpetratcd b.
them. hut they excluded the proofs Of the
corruption which the Democratic counse
had III their hands and offered 10 exhibit
These Commissioners choked on the eyi
dence and smothered II as rcmorsclessly a
Malls aud his axxneiafaS sllpnreSSpd Demo