Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-07-25
RETURNING BOARD CRIMES

| RETURNING BOARD CRIMES
The organsof the administration ar
doing great wrong in their herculeaI
efforts to prevent the legal proceeding
against Wells and Anderson, of tn,
Louisiana Returning Board. 1t may
be said that President Hayes canno
afford to ALLOW the transactions of th,
board to be brought under the search
ing light OF judicial investigation but
however that may be, it is bcyonC
doubt that he cannot afford to show
solcitude as to its results or take an,
steps to prevent the rottenness from
being uncovered, We have seen witt
amazcment reputable journals like thu
New York Tribune and its Chicag,
namesake, which are supposed to have
intimate relations with the admins
tration and to speak its voice, if any
body does, first imploribg the people
of Louisiana not TO betray their friends
meaning Mr.. Hayes and his Cabinet
by allowing the trial to go on, anC
then threatening the whole South will
the direct consequences if theirprayer
for the compounding of felony are un
heard. The New York Tribune went
SO far as 10 say that the South may de
pend upon it that if Mr. Hayes ii
"broken down" the soldier and the
carpet-baggcr will march back into
the Southern State Houses perhaps be
fore the end of the present Presiden
tial term. This threat occurring in an
article on the Returning Board indict-
ments is nothing more nor less than
an admission that the conviction of the
accused will lead to the overthrow OF
Mr.. Haycs's title TO the Presidency, il
not to his expulsion from the White
House. Other administration journals
are enforcing the same view, with
variations. 1t is high time that such
utterances should be in some WY dis
owned if indeed they are unauthorized.
There is no disposition on the part
Of the public generally to embarrass
President Hayes in any respect. He
has done so many good things and
promised TO do so many more that
criticism has been wooed TO silence
and enmity disarmed His good IN
tentions being recognized, hctcndency
has been to smooth his pathway as
much as possible, and, as to bygones,
to let them be bygones. He Is the
lawful President of the United States
by virtue of the electoral act and the
proceedings hereunder, and ho is uai-
versally obeyed and respected as such.
But the means by which the electoral
votes of three States which voted for
another candidate were counted in his
favor are matter of history and can
not be spongedinto oblivion. The men
who, by perjury, fraud and forgery,
robbed Louisiana Of her constitutional
privilege, still live, still occupy the
high places they have polluted and are
amcnablo TO the laws of the land. 1t
is urged that by tacit or expressed
agreement the Nichols government is
pledged to condone political oflenses
incident to the campaign. Granted ;
but forgery is not political ofiense,
neither is perjury. The resolutions
passed by the State Senate pledged
the Nichols government to discountc-
nance persecution, from any quarter,
ofindividuals for past political conduct.
Is trial for notorious fraud political
persecution The alteration of an
official record is an ofiense punishable
by fine and Imprisonment under the
revised code Of Louisiana. This was
done by Wells and Anderson, accord.
ing to testimony taken by Congression-
al authority. The false uttering OF an
altered, forged and counterfcitod Off.
eial record as q true and genuine one is
also q penal ofiensc. This, too, was
done by Wells and Anderson, accord.
ing to testimony taken by the same
authority. With suoh testimony before
them the grand jury would have been
false to their oatbs had they failed to
indict these men. And the indictments
being found, who is TO stay the proceed.
ings in answer to the prayer that comes
from agonized lips in the North Not
the Attorney General nor the District
Attorney, for they are sworn to exc.
cute the laws Of the Commonwealth.
The court Is in like manner cstopped,
and the Governor has no power in the
premises. To ask intervention OF the
law officers oil Louisiana is to invoke
perjury to secure oblivion of perjury.
There is no way Of getting out of it.
The trial must 90 on, let the conse.
qucnces be what they may. Sooner
or later tho truth is bound TO come
out, and II cannot come too soon. No
innocent man will be wronged, no just
cause will be impcriled. Any com.
promise at this stage oftheproccedings
will be entirely Intellectual TO clog the
wheels Of justice. The sufferers In
that event would be those through
whose efforts the compromise was
effected, and they would forever rest
under tho suspicion Of completely in
the crimes they have tried to hide
from sight, while the day Of settle
mcnt would bc merely postponed.
Policy hasno plscein tho consideration
Of the matter, and principle demands
that the law should take ia courae