The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-03-12

ticket of their party. J. MadisonIW ellis,
with the approval Of Thos. @. Anderson,
offered to elect the Nichols state ticket for
$500, 900 cash in hand. The money was
not paid. Negotiations were then renewed,
| if ever broken of, with the Republican
party. The result was declared in its IA
yor. The chief conspirator, j. Madison
Wells, admitted he had been paid by that
organization for his decision.
In Florida the same frauds characterized
the returns and the action of the returning
board. Votes were thrown out with the
same disregard of justice. Besides, in
that state, it refused to regard the orders
! OF courts OF competent jurisdiction, and
proceeded In the most defiant contempt of
judicial authority. In this manner more
| than ], 200 Tilden votes were thrown out
10 Florida, and more than 10000 in Lou
isiana.
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
dation had been practiced by the whites
against votes where the votes were thrown
out. Whether the intimidation compelled
1
prevented some from attending the polls,
| it afforded In either case no justification
for the deliberate rejection of ballots by
ute of Louisiana only authorized
charges of violence were made in writing
bv the commissioners of elections on the
day when the election was held. These
charges were to be enclosed to the board
in envelopes containing the returns. In a
few cases only were charges made as re-
quired, In the rest evidence was received
without proper foundation having been
laid The evidence received consisted in
the main of afhdavits written out by clerks
and employees of the returning board with
out ever having been seen by the persons
purportiuglto certify them. There was
therefore no adequate proof of intimida-
ton.
1t maybe remarked here that the temp.
tation to Kellogg and his scheming board
was very great to manufacture cases OF
intimidation, for it was only by them that
the Democratic majority could be over
thrownand the conspiracy be successful.
We should not fail to call the attention
of the people to the dangerous effect Of
the doctrine of intimidation in politics. Il
disqualifes from voting not only parties tt
TIE act OF intimidation, but all those who
have voted!at the same precincts with
them. Two persons may conclude to make
case of intimidation and thereby cause
parish casting thousands of votes to be
| rejected. 1t makes elections farce. L
takes power from the people to rest il
returning boards. 1t enables the latter t
Impose the severest of penalties, disfran
chisement, without giving to the persons
punished an opportunity of hearing o.
trial. A republic deserves TO lose it,
liberties if it tolerates such outrages fol
an hour.
By this disregard of flaw, disobedienct
of courts and contempt of the rights o.
voters, by their frauds and corruption,
and rsurpations, by their briberies anc
perfumes and forgeries did the conspirator
obtain certificates of election for the Re
| publican candidates in the southern state,
named. z From the day the certificate,
were issued to the Hayes electors in Lou
isiana and Florida the country has beef
filled with an unprecedented excitement
The people have done little else than en-
gage in discussion as to the fraudulen
conduct Of the returning boards. In thi
condition of affairs, business has general
suspended, failures have been frequent an
DrOstratiOn has seized upon nearly ever,
interest in the land.
| Concluded tomorrow