The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-02-22

they were accompanied bv the certifi-
cate OF the Supervisor or Commission
ef provided in the third section. In
such cases the last sentence of that
section shows that it was expected
that they would ordinarily exercise
the grave and delicate duty of inves'i-
eating charges of riot, tumul,, bribery
or corruption on hearing OF the par
ties interested in the Office, 1t never
could have meant that this Board of
its own motion, sitting in New Or
leans at a distance from the place of
voting, and without notice. could de-
eide the rights of persons claiming to
be elected.
"The Board took different view of
its powers, and proceeded TO throw
out the votes from many polls where
they found intimidation and violence
TO have existed. The result was to
defeat persons whom, on the returns.
they should have declared elected. x
The result of this action was
TO change the political majority of the
persons who by the Constitution and
laws OF Louisiana are entitled TO or
ganize the House of Representatives.
The American people are
now brought face to face with this
condition Of things. In the State of
Louisiana there is Governor i'm Office
who owes his seat to the interference
of the National power, which has rec
ognized his title to office, not by rea-
son of any ascertainment o: the facts
by legal process, but has based its
action solely on the illegal order Of a
Judge. In the same State there is a
Legislature one branch of which de-
rives it's authority partly from the
same order, the other being organized
by majority who have been estab-
lished in power by another interfer-
ence of the National Government, and
which majority derives its title not
from any legal ascertainment of the
facts, but from the certificates of a
Returning Board which has miscon-
ceived and exceeded its legal authori-
ty."
Did you not also i'm thst report use
this language: "Ihe order Of Judge
DHreH, and the sO-cdlied cdacdss mode
by the Retu,ning lizard an the inter-
est of Hel2oyg. seem tn aus tn haze no
raliditY and 10 he entitled to no re-
spect ch0tereT You are member
of a Commission clothed with all the
powers ever possessed by the two
Houses OF Congress to count the Elec-
tOraI vote of Louisiana and TO decide
upon the "validity"ot the action of
This very Returning Board, and You
are sworn to determine "truly" as to
how much "respect' its conduct is on
titled. Were you periurer in 1915.
or were yOu 4 perjurer last Friday 2
Let Mr.. Edmunds be called. Mr..
Edmunds: Did you not, on the 25th
OF February, 1879, in the United States
Senate, say ave all agree that what
ever pretends TO be vote, or looks
like 4 vote, but is not vote, should
not be counted. So The thing which
we are to provide for by this legisla-
ton is a means of ascertaining, iairly
and truly, according to the Constitu-
ton and the law, what is the vote, the
will, of each particular State i'm the
choice of a PresidenL?' Did YOU not
also say that "w hen the Electors meet
on the first Wednesday in December
in each one of the States, the Consiitu-
ton entities as To knO,r, entities ecery-
body TO hnoU, that The persons scho
Mus meet are Tie Eiectors?' Did yo,,
not add that .'I entities the people Of
the United States to knOac IN some ,cdy
unde,. a government Of lar that whdt
those erho claim to 6c Electors send TO
tie C0pitat is tie cote Of The State
iactutiy and constituti0naHy gicen?''
LIZ so, how did you keep your oath AS
an Electoral Commissioners on last
Friday?
Mr.. Frelinghuysen is likewise on
record as against his oath and action
i'm the Louisiana case. OF course no
one expected that Morton and Gar.
field, who entered the Commission by
little LEES than perjury, would observe
their oaths TO fairly aud truly deter
mine the votes OF the States submit.
ted to their considerations, But there
is Bradley, the most Industrious men,
ber of the Commission. Instead OF
hunting for law and facts, he was
hunting for an excuse. Let him be
called. Mr.. Brsdley : Did you not,
acting under your solemn oath, in the
case of Florida. declare that you could
not refuse TO hear testimony as to the
eligibility of an 'ector? Is the Con
stitution OF the United States one
thing in Florida, ana another thing, a
few days later, IN Louisiana? Is your
oath one thing this week aud another
thing next week? Did you only be-
gin to study the Constitution after the
case OF Florida was decided? OF the
Eight perjurers on that Commission
arc you not The most palpably per-
jured2 The records of some other
members of The Commission are in
teresting.- Enquirer