The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-02-15
LOUISIANA.

Report Of the Morrison Committee. Tho
state Carried by Tilden. Two OF tn the
Hayes lectors Ineligible. Nichols Un-
dOubtedly Elected Governor.
WAsHINGToN, Feb. 9.-The House
special committee on Louisiana affairs
made their report to-day, in the course
Of which they say:
In tho late canvass the policies pur-
sued by the two parties were essen
TALLY different. The Republicans do
not appear to have made any sirenu-
Gus efforts to maintain order and se-
cure peaceful election. The Demo-
Gratis. not solely, it is believed, on the
part of all of them because of their
love of order, but for prudential rel
sons also, knowing that any violtn,e
or disturbance would be seized upon
as pretext for reversing the action
of the people at the polls, did counsel
the preservation OF peace and the OBJ
s,rvance of law. Upon such course
interests Of the Republican party lay
in the direction OF disturbance and
violence, and the past history of th,
organization in Louisiana assures US
OF its readiness to consult it's advan-
t8SCo WltnOuI eSk0PiO 40 " thO ihSohS
to be employed. The committee con-
ceive that the means by which large
number of colored votes were secured
for the Democratic ticket at the late
election were not such as can be right
fully or legally characterized as intim-
idation. They were, wien stripped
OF the false presentation made OF them
by the knayery of those who are TO
,,rNfsf hx,th hn nf cph
no more than such as are resorted to
in all cities aud states OF the Union at
every election in which large public
Returning Board all the judicial dig.
its unparalleled IniQuities, it cannot
be denied that, in order to give validi- :
ty and effect to its decisions where it
reject returns from polls, the jurisdic-
tional fact required by the stature
must affirmatiyely appear. Its action
in the case was without jurisdiction
ana ON its face null aud void. The
board has no right, under the laws of
Louisiana, to throw cut or count out
polls and votes. They have thrown
out and counted out, and their action
i'm that behalf is without authority of
law, and is null and void. The COM
mittee further state that if there is any
law in the state OF Louisiana prOvid-
ing for the election OF electors of pres
ident and vice president, the canvass
and compilation Of the vote for cleo
tors must be made under special acts
of the state upon that subject, and by
board composed OF other persons or
<>A ko, ,oti I'M fis,r thoISo.
turning Board.
o. Ii. Bre ster, one Of the candi-
dates for election on the Hayes ticket,
held on and after the 7th day of No
vember last the Office OF SurveyOrG en-.
eral for the state of Louisiana, and
could not therefore be and was not
chosen or appointed an elector. A.
B. Levsec, another candidate tor elec-
tor on the same ticket, was United
States Commissioner and was not
chosen or appointed an eIector. Sub
seQueut to November 7ih aud before
December 9th, last past, said Brew ster
and said Levisee pretend 10 haye re-
signed their respective Offices OF Sur
veyor General and United StatesCO
missioner. When the other electors,
pretending TO be elected on the same
ticket, met to cast their votes for pres
dent and vice president. Brewster
and Levisee did not meet with them
and the places of said Brewster and
Levisee were declared or treated as
vacant because of their absence. 9th
er electors then filed the places OF
brewster and Levisee. vacant because
of their absence, with the sameBrews-
ter and Levisee then being present, AL
ot which dOinss weIe fraudulent de-
vices to avoid the constitutional pro-
vision which rendered the same void
and OF no effect in law. Even had
any of the electors on said ticket been
elected by the people, as they were
not, the filling Of such vacancies with
out authority of law, conferred nc
right upon Brewster or Levisee to
vote for President aud Vice President
OF the United States. The commission
made only such investigation OF in.
quiry into the election and canvass Of
votes for state officers in Louisiana a.
was incidental 10 the inquiry As to the
general fairness OF the election in said
state aud the result Of the tesiim,
taken discloses the tact that by both
the votes actually cast and the vote,
as forwarded to and received by the
Board of Returning Officers, Nichols
was elected governor of Louisiana by
a majority approxi,nating the majori
| ties received by the Tilden electors
and freed from the condition growing
out of the presidential contest he
would be accepted as the duly elected
governor of Louisiana by almost uni
versal acclaim of her people.