The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-03-05

A. S. HEWITT,
Chairman.
70. PRINCE,
Secretary.
To the american People:
We submit to the country the follow
ing review OF events which have resulted
IN the declaration that Rutherford b.
HAYES has been elected President OF the
United States in the late canvass. TWO
iacts stood out prominently. lst. The
Republican party, true to its sectional
nsture, sought to unity the North against
the solid South, and while engaged in
That effort 1t was striving to make good
its probable losses in the North by d.
yidiny the votes of the South. This di-
vision it sought to effect by an unconsti-
tutional use of an army in South Caro-
lima, Florida and Louisiana.
The troops were sent to those States
when there was neither invasion nor do
mestic Instruction TO require them
with legislatures easily to be convened,
and the only demand for their presence
was made by the State executive. The
elections in these States therefore were
held in the shadow of military power.
The bayonets glistened al the polls.
la depositing their ballots, the
citizens enjoyed only such liberty as
the army permitted. In other States the
elections were unusually peaceful. I'm
medistely afterwards the result showed
that one hundred and ninty.six
Tiiden electors had been chosen. Of
the whole popular vote they received
majority of more than one-fourth OF
million; sndIof that Caucas an race which
controls every other Christian and
civilized government OF the world, they
received majority of more than one
million. On the day succeeding the
election, it was announced by the chair
man of the Republican National Com
mittee that 1S4 Tilden and 1856 Hayes
electors had been chosen. Nothing had
then been learned Of the election except
the vote actually cast. 1t has never
since been disputed that by that vote a
majority of the Tilden electors had been
appointed. Such an announcement,
therefore, could only have been made
in pursuance of an arrangement
10 change the vote shown 20
have been given by the people. We
charge that after the true result had
been proclaimed a conspiracy was FORM
ed by the Republican 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 the governors
and members of the Returning Boards
OF these States. The field was well
chosen, the State officers selected were
S ,itable persons for the work
to be done. For more than ten
wears these had been subjecte-
TO governments not of their choice.
Taxation and INSTRUMENTATION had
robbed them of their su ostance and
we'll nigh destroyed their spirit and
hope. The army had been freely used
10 maintain these governments III their
acts of corruption and asurpstion, and
it was believed that its service would aid
in the designed conspiracy. The names
If the officers depended on are NJ. l..
Stearns, Samuel B. McLinn, Clayton w.
Cowgirl, VIM. Pitt Kellogg, j. Madison
Wells, Thos. b. Anderson, K. Cssssnsve
ard j. b. Kenner, of Louisiana. These
lneu were not strangers to Ameri-
cans; they had before usurped author.
ity. The Returning Boards Of those
States had made themselves by-wcrds in
the land. The governors were known
to be pretenders. If there were two
names dishonored in the general estima-
ton, they were the names of Nm. Pitt
Kellogg and j. Madison Wells. To
such men was the work OF communicating
the conspiracy kcenfded. They entered
upon their task with alacrity, advised
and encouraged by the Leading visiting
Republican statesmen of the North.
They took each step with dehberation
and apparent regard for law. Before
the election in Louisiana Wm. Pitt
Kellogg and his subordinstes assumed
the exclusive control of the execution of
the registry law and they refused reg
istration 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 APP
pointed by the Governors. These Were,
IN nearly every instance, members of the
Republican party. United States Mar
shsls swarmed at every precinct, when
it was thought necessary, under the pre-
tense of preserving the peace, hut in fact
TO intimidste voters. The ballot boxes
were stuffed in the interest OF the Repub-
Can candidates. and the poll books ialsified
in some instances and then returned to
the Csnvassing Board, while in other
cases the returns giving Democratic ma
ioritics were withheld from the canvass
ers altogether. After the returns had
been delivered to the board they remain.
cd in its exclusive possession, and while
there they were opened with its consent
and the original papers abstract.
ed and false ones substituted.
When the returns were opened,
the board with an appearance. ot fairness
permitted the persons representing both
parties to be presect, but when the deci.
sion was made as to what should be
counted, secret sessions were held from
which every Democrat was excluded,
although the law constituting the board |
that it should BIZ composed |
of representatives of both political |
parties. In counting the votes it exer-
cised the powers not conferred by the |
and in a most fragrant disregard
~ ,ba trnth and inatica Tho MON, hors