New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-12
NEW WORK DAILY TRIBUNE. FRIDAY. JANUARY IL. 1877

ton of the Returning Board always gave the
victory to their opponents. These proceedings
have been several times brought before Con-
prcss: Republican committees of investigation
have reported against the wrongs committed
in behalf of their own party, and no poh'lciah
of prominence, even in times OF great par'isih
excitement, has ever defended them. he
pubican Senate has steadily refused to admit
Pinchback because admitting him involved
the recognition of an usurplng goverhmehti
and Republican members of the House, ihciio-
ing the Vice President elect, Mr.. Wheeler, re-
ported after investigating the action OF the he
turning Board at the election Of 1874, that IL
was entitled TO no respect whatever.
That board was precisely the same wii'cn
has now given certificates to Mr. Packard anu
his associates-precisely the same, except thait
the one Democratic member, who sat III IL 's
n witness of wrongs which he could not pre-
vent, has resigned and his place has not Deeh
filled. Is it any wonder that It's decisions
should be scrutinized with suspicion, and that
the country should refuse to accept its state
ments of fact until they have been verified ny
outside testimony Nay. we may 60 TURNER
is it very surprising that the Democrats vi
Louisiana should refuse to be bound by
Judgment which past experience might Jusuiy
them i'm regarding as dishonest 1-shoulu
apply to the Returning Board In 1910
tho words which Mr.. Wheelers committee
onplied to the same board in 1875. and declare
its proceedings entitled to no respect wiat-
over9 The greater consequences depending
unon the action of the board this year have
only made the country less willing to trust it.
Committees of the Senate and House OF repre-
sentatives, and correspondents OF The TRIBUNE
and some other Independent papers, nave us
closed great many important facts cOhhectcu
with the recent election, and have proved tilat
in some cases at least the board did no more
than its duty in excluding returns; but the
word of the board itself counts 1or holhihH
with any intelligent man.
That board, nevertheless, is the only BODY
which has authority under the laws of Louis
lana to determine the result OF the eiectioh'
That board alone has power to make uoV
ernor and a Legislature. There Is no appear
from its decision, unless we assume that the
whole election has been vitiated by fraud, ana
proceed to the revolutionary remedy OF wiping
ont Governor, Legislature, courts, board, ana
all. and beginning anew. Bad as the election
law is. we are compelled to stand by it until
it can be repealed. Mr.. Nichols and the ad-
ministration, so called, of which he, Is the
head no doubt received majority OF the votes
actually cast, perhaps majority or the votes
legally cast but they have no certificates from
any competent authority, and under the stat
utes of Louisiana they cannot be recognized
unless an unprinclpled Returning Board sees ht
in its good pleasure to count them IN. This Is
undoubtedly great wrong, and the worst Is
that il il not easy to discover an immediate
remedy.
A few years ago however the remedy would
have been easy. There las been more than
one occasion within the past four years when
Mt word from the President or the passing
of simple resolution in the Senate the whole
fabric of fraud in Louisiana would have
crumbled to pieces. But the President was
perverse and the Senate was purbllnd. Gen.
Grant propped up the Returning Board with
swords and bayonets, and broke up lawful Leg
isature by military force while the Senate, adj
hitting that the condition of Louisiana was n
scandal calling for interference, had not the
foresight to perceive how it could benefit the
Republican party by prompt action. Nobody
now doubts that if the Washington Admins
tration had done its duty when Mr.. Carpenter
made his celebrated report, or even when the
rival Legislatures met at Ncw-Orlcans in 1879,
Louisiana to-day would be at peace, and the
election of 1876 would have been substan-
tally fair and free. 1t is not at all improbable
that Gov. Hayes in that event would have re-
ceivcd the electoral vote of the State unfair
nished by any suspicious of fraud or irregu-
larity; for in Louisiana as well as in other
Southern States of late years large party
among the whites have been ready to support
any Republican candidate for the Presidency
who would give them chance to administer
decently their own affairs.