The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-20
The Republicans and state Rights in
louisiana.


The Republicans and state Rights in
Louisiana.
All of n sudden, the Republican leaders,
who have done their best to destroy the
self government of the States, and to con-
solidate all political power in the hands of
centralized administration; who have
sustained all the usurpations of the Execu-
tive; who have justified the rule of bay
onets and military interference in cleo
lions; and who have passed laws to make
these outragcs possible, are enamored of
State rights and State sovereignty!
How aud whence came this professed
conversion? When GRANTS partisan COM
mittce got through with their work in New
Orleans, they had two objects to accom-
plish in order to fortify the fraudulent
count for HAYES. One was to furnish
character for the rascally Returning
Board, and the other was to declare their
action infallible aud irreversible by any
tribunal in the land. In their report to
the President they says
mot only Is the action Of this board inde-
pendent II the 5. ate or national VS. other th.ln
those OF Louisiana, but it, determination OF the
votes clst and candidates elected is mai, and
substantially conclusive
They might take forged returns. fabri-
Gated certificates, reject whole parishes on
false pretences. and elect whom they
chose, rs the LYNCH board did in 1872, and
rs WELLS and his present associates did in
1874, and have now done again; and STILL
according to Nv. SHERMAN, Nj. SroUGurON,
and other Christian statesmen, their ac-
ton could not be reviewed. After having
stolen the state for HAYES, these "eini-
nent lawyers maintain that the thieves
cannot be tried for the larceny. And
JOHN SHERMAN boldly declared III the Sem
ate that any inquiry into the conduct of
the board would bo u violation Of State
rightsl
The House sent committee to New
Orleans to investigate the recent election,
with the usual powers. They called for
the original papers of the Returning Board.
in order to report the exact facts. WELLS
and his confederates, who had doubtless
been advised to their course by SHERMAN,
refused to produce them upon the most
frivolous pretences, but finally offered to
allow copies to be made, If the committee
would furnish the clerks.
When the clerks appeared they were not
permitted to handle the papers at all, or to
test their accuracy in any way, but were
required to take down only what the sub
ordinates Of the Returning Board read 10
them. These and other acts, rs well as the
frauds OF the same men in 1874 natural ~
excited distrust, ani tho originals were
again demanded and refused, though
within few minutes reach OF the COM
mittee.
Under these circumstances, the facts
were reported to the House, and the Re-
turning Board We're properly adjudged to
be in contempt GARFIELD, IIoAR, KAs-
son, LAWRENCE, and others, who have
been foremost in crushing out liberty in
the states AMI IN building up centralized
government. rushed to tho rescue of the
Returning Board, aud sought to shield
their iniquilics by shouting that State
rights would be invaded by the produce
tion of the papers Of the Returning Board.
II was pretended that the election returns
wore state records, which were sacred aud
not subject to any examination.
Now, IL has never been proposed TO re-
move these papers from New Orleans, and
all the defamation OF the Republicans
was only intended to mislead the public
mind, and to throw dust in the eyes of the
people. Investigation would make the
frauds of the Returning Board more
plsrut than they now are, and hence this
sire for concealment. Take an illustra-
ton reported by the special committee of
1s7i, of which Mr.. FOSTER was chairman:
"1hc parish ~ II pdos chose three mrmhers
81 the Lrsi-lature-the re,ufn, elected all three
Conservatives. When the iTuufs lDsed the only
pnper il'd Win the Returning board was the
sniiasit of the United states sup .rvisor that
he riecii u WAS IA all Respects tuil. far. aud
free" when the uapeis Of the Il tuini 2
Board we're produced before ylur committee In
thus api ears they were irOtuced In ls,il here
W. INA mopg mem an ahdaNit rN Nr.WFiI.s
TIE -ldtut 81 the Board. dscl rug mat IN
tudatlon nad existed AT certuin polls ia that
SHOULD therefore be- ref 'cted. The counsel I r
the Dem' rfte Commute" testified that they
no opportunity TO cuntr.di 4 the statements
If tins per; that they had never seen or
known 81 b. neiotc. aud mat, upon an ,xAuli Ina
proof clY I'd u W0S mot pmong ihcp" at np-
Ieared that Mr. WILLS Wa not hIuself IA tao
PARISH ou the Gay OF me election"
Here was an act OF glazing perjury upon
which three Conservative members of the
Legislature were thrown out. VINO knows
how many similar afidavits WELLS has now
made and struggled into tho papers after
the proceedings closcd' If he was capable
of this in 1874, no is equally capable of Il
tlml mar villainy now.
While these champions OF the Returning
Board in the House were assuming to be
also the champions Of State rights. their
confederates on the other side of the Cap
itol had brought the Governor and Secre-
tary OF state Of Oregon before them with
out much considering how the dignity OF
that state was to be affected. And in 1873
they had two Returning Boards from Lou
isiana with all their records. summoned
10 Washington without II word of protes t.
Now. when u monstrous fraud may be ex-