Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-03-15

Representatives, held on March 3, 1877, in
the hall OF the House, the following address
was unanimously adopted.
..ts- l.. @. c.. LAMAR, Chairman.
HENRY B. BANNING,
VIM. NJ. ROBBINS,
Secretaries. "
At a meeting of the members Of the Ma
tional Democratic Committee, held on the
Sd day of March, 1877, the following ad-
dress was unanimously adopted.
AS. HEWITT, Chairman.
F. A. PRINCE, Secretary.
An Address to- the People of the United
States.
To the american People,: We submit to the
country the following review of events which
b. Hayes has been elected President of the
United States. i'
In the late political canvass two facts,stood out
prominently:
THE RADICAL
l. The Republican party, true to its sectional
nature. thou ght to unity the North against the
solid South, and while engaged in that effort it
was striving to make good its probable losses in
the North by dividing the votes of the South.
This division il sought to effect by an unconsti-
tutional use of the army in South Carolina
Florida and Louisiana.
2. The troops were sent to those States when
there was neither invasion nor domestic insur-
rection to require them. With a Legislature
easily to be convened. the only demand for
WnS q iAdOO Oy bHC "a AACSuSifCs
The elections in these States, therefore, were
held in the shadow Of military power. The
5ayonets g%listened at the polls: In depositing
their ballots the citizens enjoyed only such lib
erty as they permitted. In other States the cleo
tious were unusually peaceful. Immediately
afterward the result showed that 1876 Tilden
Electors had been chosen. Of the whole popu-
lar vote they received a majority of more than a
quarter of a million; of that Caucasian race
lied Government of the world, they received a
majority of more than a million. On the day
succeeding the election it was announced by the
Chairman of the Republican National Committee
that ls4 Tllden and lS5 Hayes Electors had been
chosen. Nothing had then been learned of the
election excepting the vote actually cast. 1t has
never since been disputed that by that vote a
majority of the Tilden Electors had been appoint
ed. such announcement therefore could only
have been made in pursuance of an arrangement
to change the vote shown to have been given by
the people.
THE INDUSTRIOUS CONSPIRACY.
We charge that, after the true result had been
proclaimed, a conspiracy was formed by Repub-
lican leaders to reverse the decision made at the
polls The field chosen for the development of
the conspiracy was the States of Florida and
Louisiana. The persons to act with the original
conspirators were Inc governors ana members
field was well chosen. The State officers select
ed Were suitable persons for the work to be
done. For more than ten years those States had
been subjected TO Governments not OF their
choice. Taxation and maladministratiOn had
robbed them of their substance, and we'll nigh
oCStIoNEu tthNh opltib hoDCs II aIuN Vi
the United States had been freely used to main
tain those Governments in their acts of corrup-
ton and usurpation 1t is believed that its SER
vices would aid in the designed conspiracy.
The names of the officers depended upon are
Marcellus L.. Stearns, Samuel B. McLin and
Clayton A. Cowgirl of Florida, and VIM. Pitt
Kellogg, j. Madison Wells, Thos. Il. Anderson
E. Casanave and j.. Il. Kenner of Louisiana.
These men were not strangers to the American
people. They had before usurped authority.
The Returning Boards Of those States had made
themselves bywords in the land. The Govern
ors were known to be pretenders. If there were
two names dishonored In general estimation
they were the names OF W. p. Kellogg and j.
Madison Wells. To sach men was the work of
concentrating the conspiracy conided. They
entered upon their task with %alacrity, advised
and encouraged by leading visiting Republican
statesmen of the North. They took each step
with deliberation and apparent regard for the
law.
HOW IT WAS CARRIED INTO EFFECT.
Before the election in Louisiana, VIM. Pitt
Kellogg and his subordinates assumed exclusive
control of the execution of the registry law.
They refused registration to thousands entitled
to it, and added thousands to the lists who had
no right to vote. On the day of election the
polls were managed by officials appointed by
the Governor. These were in nearly every in
stance members of the Republican party. US.
Marshais swarmed at every precinct. where
thought necessary under the pretense OF pre-
serving the peace, but in fact to intimidate the
voters. Ballot boxes were stuffed in the inter-
est of the Republican candidates; poll books
were talsihed In some instances and then re-
s~AASN w sh0 -
cases returns giving Democratic majorities were
withheld from the canvassers altogether. After
the returns had been delivered to the Board they
remained in its exclusive possession, and while
there they were opened with its consent, and the
original papers distracted and false ones sub
stituted in their stead. When returns. We're
opened, the Board. with an appearance of fair
ness, permitted persons representing both par
ties to be present, but when a decision was
made as to what should be counted, secret SEES
sions were held, from which every Democrat
was excluded, although the law constituting the
Board required that it should be composed of
representatives Of both political parties. In
counting the votes it exercised powers not con.
ferred by statute, and in most aagrantdisregsrd
& soa Gath changed ana aa''i the p poil. b @saoefs 80 OF t ttas
Republican officers appeared to be chosen.
when their opponents had in fact been elected;
of election; they threw out votes OF precincts up.
on afidavits which they knew had been fraudu-
lently obtained; indeed, they themselves ordered
false afidavits TO be made hundreds Of miles
from the places at which they purported to have
been taken. In order that the decision might
appear justified which they had in advance de-
termined to make, they arbitrarily threw Oh
votes where there was no preliminary statement
from commissioners of Election TO give them
Jurisdiction: They eorrnptly, in 20 order aart to el ss
publicans in voting for Electors, added TO lists
votes which had never been cast. While consid
ering the case the members OF the Board eRdeav-
ored to enter into negotiations with beth the Re-
publican and Democratic National Committees to
sell their decision. A half million OF dollars was
| Tile DT1CG dSkSus NOt ubdAhAh ~ sACy w
bargain with the leading Democrats OF Louisiana
to elect the State ticket of their party. J.. Mad
ison Wells. with the approval OF Ihos: =. An
81 0. 900 cash in hand. The money was not paid.
Negotiations were then renewed, if ever broken
off. with the leaders of the Republican party
The result was declared in it's favor. The chied
conspirator, j. Madison Wells, admitted he
had been paid by that organization for his de
cision. ...s.s-
In Florida the same frauds characterized the
returns, and the action Of the Returning Board
Votes were thrown out with the same disregard
Of Justice Besides, in that State 1t refused Il
regard orders of Courts ofcompetentj jurisdiction
and proceeded in the most defiant contempt OF
judicial authority.
ELEVEN THOUSAND VOTERS DI~sFRANCHIsED,
In this manner more than 900 Tilden votes
. were thrown out in Florida. and more thai
10. 200, in Louisiana The votes Of those States
in consequences of a Conspiracy, which in fac
had been cast for Tilden, were given to Hayes
The only excuse for this outrageous reversal o
the Judgment of the people, is that intimidation
had been practiced by whites against voter!
, where the votes were thrown out. Whether
this intimidation compelled some persons t.
vote against their will, or prevented some from