The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-03-21

mistakes of certain Republican in voting
Tor electors, aided to the list votes whis.ll
hal never been clst While considering
the case members Of the Bo1rd endeav
oref. 10 enter into negotiations with both
the Republican and Democratic Nationsl
Committees TO sell their decision. A
half million dollars was the price asked
Not obtaining it, they tried to bargain
with lead ny Democrats of Louisiana II
elect the State ticket of their party j
Madison Wells, with the approval OF
Thomas G. Anderson, offered to elect the
Nichols State ticket for $500, 600 cash
i'll hand. The money was not paid Ne
gotiatiOns were then renewed. if even
broken off, with the leaders of the Re
publican party The result was in it,
favor The chief conspirator, J. Mali
son Wells, admitted that he was plid by
that organization for his decision.
In Florida the same frauds character
lied the returns and the action of the
Returning Board votes were thrown
out with the same disregard Of justice.
Besides, in that State itrefused TO regard
the orders of Courts Of competent iuris-
diction, and proceeded in the most defiant
contempt Of judicial authority In this
manner more than one thousand Tildeu
votes were thrown out in Florida and
and more than ten thousand in Loujsi-
ana. The votes of those States, in
consequence of the conspiracy, which
in fact had been cast for Tilden, were
given to Hayes. The only excuse for this
outrageous reversal of the judgment OF
the people is that intimidation had been
practiced by the whites against the blacks
where votes were thrown out. Whether
this intimidation compelled some persons
to vote against their will, or prevented
some from attending the polls, it afforded
in either case no Justification for the de
liberate rejection Of ballots by the Re-
turning Board. But the statute Of Louisi-
ana only authorized proof Of intimida
ton in cases where charges Of violence
were made in writing by the Commission
ers of Election on the day when the cleo
ton was held, These charges were to be
inclosed to the boar in the envelop con
tanning the returns. In few cases only
were the charges made as required in
the rest evidence was received without
proper foundation having been laid iii e
CIV fAiCi4CC iCCElNCtl COti5tcLCtI III lIIC
Of atfiLavits written out by clerks and
employees of the Returning Board, with
out ever having been seen by the persona
purpOrtng to verify them, or the officers
purporting to certify to this ; there was
therefore, no adequate proof Of intimi-
datiOn.
It may be remarked here that the
temptation TO Kellogg and his Returning
Board was very great to manufacture
cases of intimidation, for it was only on
them that the Democratic majority could
be oyerthrown and the conspiracy be
successful. We should not fail to call
the attention of the people to the dan
gerous effect of the doctrine of intimida-
ton in politics. 1t disqualifes from vo-
ting not only the parties to the act Of in
timidation but all those who have voted
in the same precincts with them. Two
persons may conclude to make case of
intimidation and thereby cruising a par
ism casting thousand of votes to be re-
ieeted. 1t makes elections a farce. 1t
tak es the power from the people to vest it
in returning boards, 1t enables the lat
ter to impose the severest Of political
penalties, disfranchisement, without Civ
ing to the persons punished an opportu-
nifty of a hearing. A republic deserves
to lose its liberties if it tolerates sue
outrages for an hour. BY this disregard
Of Law, disobedience of courts and con
tempt OF tie rights of the voters by
their frauds, and corruptlons aad UsQr-
pations, by their briberies and peUaries
and forgeries did the conspirAtors obtain
the certificates Of election for the Repub-
lican candidates in the Southern States
named. From the day that the certlh
Gates were issued to the Hayes electors
in Louisiana and Florida the country
has been filed with an unprecedented
excitement. The people have done little
else than engage III discussion as to the
fraudulent CONDUCT of the returning
boards In this condition of affairs bus
mess has been generally suspended,
failures have been frequent and prostra
ton has seized upon nearly every inter
est in the land When this excitement
was at its height Congress assembled.
One of its duties was to count the electo-
raj vote of the States, including Florida
and Louisiana. With the view Of faciI
itating the count and providing for the
peaceful performance Of its duty by
Congress, a bill was passed creating the
Electoral Commission. BY that law the
Commission was to ascertain the true
aud lawful vote Of every State. In this
labor it was to exercise as to the hearing
Of evidence and examination Of papers
such power as Congress or either house
of Congress possessed. In the BELIEF
that evidence would be heard and that a
settlement of the disputed question o.
| facts would be fairly reached, the Con
gress and the people accepted the Com
mission. How that confidence has beer
disappointed, how a decision has been
based upon refusal to consider the I'M
| fortunate question of the dispute, is we'll
known to the country. When the certi-
fcates from Florida and Louisiana were
opened and submitted to the two houses,
objections were file1 to those presented
| by the Hayes electors. Among other
grounds of objection twas urged that thes
| certificates had been fraudulently anC
corruplly issued by the Returning Board
/ and executives of those States, and as
result Of a conspiracy between them anC
| the electors claiming to have been chos
en-; that such certificates had been is
sued in violation of the laws of the re
spective States, and that some of tn
! electors named therein were ineligible b
the express provision of the Constitution
of the United States. When these OBJ
iections were made before the Commits
sion, proof was offered to the Commi;
sion to sustain them. The Commission
by vote Of eight to seven, refused t
receive the testimony offered, except as
the ineligibility of a single member i
Florida. 1t was voted in the case Q
Louisiana that the Commission would ne
hear evidence to show that the Returnin
Board was an unconstitutional body; ths
it was not organized as the law require