Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-03-14

with leading Democrats OF louisiana 10
elect the State ticket Of their party. D..
Madison Wells, with the approval ofj
Thomas G.. Anderson, offered to elect the
Nichols State ticket for 5000, 900 cash in
hand. The money was not paid. Nego-
tiations were then renewed, ifeverbroken
off, with the leaders Of the Republican
party. The chief conspirator, }. Madison
Wells, admitted that he was paid by that
for his decision.
In Florida the same frauds characterized
the returns and the action OF the return
ing Board votes were thrown ont with
the same disregard of justice. Besides,
in that State it refused to regard the Or
ders of Courts of competent jurisdiction,
and proceeded to the most defiant con-
tempt of judicial authority. In this man
ner more than one thousand Tilden votes
were thrown out in Florida, and more
than ten thousand in Louisiana Inc
votes of those States, in consequence OF
the conspiracy, which in fact had been
ca st for Tilden, were given to Hayes.
The only excuse for this outrageous re-
versal of the Judgment of the people Is
that intimidation had been practlsed by
the whites against the blacks where the
votes were thrown out. Whether this in
timidation compelled some persons to
vote against their will, or prevented some
from attending the polls, it afforded IN
either case no Justification for the dellpcr-
ate rejection Of ballots by the Returning
Board. But the statute of LOUISIANA on
" authorized proof of intimidation III ca
ses where charges or violence were made
in writing by the Commissioners OF Elec-
ton on the day when the electloA was
held. In few cases only were the cilar
ges made as required; in the rest eVl-
dence was received without proper loun-
dation having been laid. The evidence
received consisted in the main OF aHluaV-
it's written out by clerks and employees OF
the Returning Board, without ever having
been seen by the persons purportlnS 10
verify them, or the officers purporting TO
certify to this; there was therefore no
adequate proof of intimidation.
1t may be remarked here that tempta-
ton 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 over
thrown ana 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. Its
disaualifles from voting not only the par
ties to the act of Intimidation but all those
who have voted at the same precincts
with them. Two persons may conclude
| to make case ofintimidatiOn and thereby
cause parish casting thousands OF votes
TO be rejected. 1t makes elections farce.
1t takes the power from the people to rest
it in returning boards. 1t enables the
latter to impose the severest OF polltlcal
penalties, distranchiscment without CIV
ing to the persons punished an opportunl-
Jy of hearing or trial. a republlc de-
serves to lose its liberties if it tolerates
such outrages for an hour. by this dis.
regard of law, disobedience OF courts ano
contempt of the rights Of the voters by
their frauds, and corruptions and usurpa
ton, by their bribcries and pcrjuries anC
fornerics did the conspiratorS obtain tht
certificates Of election for the Republican
candidates in the Southern States named
From the day that the certificates were
issued to the Hayes electors iii LouiSlan;
and Florida the country has been 1iilet
with an unprecedented excitement. The
people have done little else than engage
i'm discussion as to the fraudulent conduc
ofthe returning boards. IL this condltlol
of affairs, business has been Senerally
suspended failures have been frequent an(
prosteration has seized upon nearly every
interest in the land. When this excite
ment was at its height Congress assemDl
ed. One of its duties was to count th'
electoral vote of the States, lnclualn!
Florida and Louisiana. With the view o
facilitating the count and providing 10
the peaceful performance OF Its duty ol
Congress bill was passed creating th
Electoral Commission. BY that law th'
commission was to ascertain the true ant
lawful vote of every State. lu this labo
it was to exercise as to the hearing o
evidence and examination OF papers, sucl
power as Congress or either house OF Con
gress possessed. In the belief that evl
dencc would be heard and that settle
ment of the disputed question OF 1act
Would be fairly reached, the Congress ant
the people accepted the commission
How that confidence has been disappoint
ed, how Il decision has been made base'
upon refusal to consider the uniortunat
question of the dispute, is well known u
the country. When the certificates iron
Florida and Louisiana were opened ant
submitted to the two houses, Objection
were filed to those presented by th
, HAYES electors. Among other grounds
/ objection it was urged that these certiti
Gates had been fraudulently and corrupt
, |
J cutive of these States, and rs result OF
) conspiracy between them and the elector
claiming to have been chosen That sue
: certificates had been issued Ia violation q
; the laws of the respective States ana TIA
, some of the electors named therein W.
incli giblc by the express provision OF Ill
: Constitution of the United States. Whe
5 these objections were made before til
= commission proof was offered to the com
: mission to sustain them. Tnc commission
t bv n vote of eight to seven, refused to re
, ceiye the testimony offered except as t
S the ineligibility ofa single member !
t Florida. 1t was voted IN the case
: Louisiana that the commission would nc
= hear evidence to show that the Returnin
Board was an unconstitutional body til;
it was not organized us the law require
at the time the vote was canyassed; thi
f it had no jurisdiction to canvass the ele'
/ toral vote; that the charges Of riot, IL
q timidation and violence were false, un
r that the Returning Board knew that facI
. that the certificates were corruptly al
e fraudulcntly issued, and rs result Of
t conspiracy, aud that the vote of the Stat
h has never been compiled or canvasSed.-
: The same rulings substantially were mac
G in the case of Florida The commisslo
S also refused to hear proof that at the tin
d of the election in South Carolina anarcl
J. prevailed, destroying the republican fyr
of government III tnat State, and th'
y troops were returned there in violation
e the Constitution to interfere with the fr
e choice by election, 50 that tine lawful yo
II of that State could not be known. Again
o these decisions we protest most earnestl
s. in the name of free and republican go