The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-01-05
The Presidential Question.

At noon on Friday, Dec. 22d, the NOM
bers of the Democratic State Committee
and several other prominent Democrats,
the latter of whom were present Dv INVITA-
ton of Chairman McCle'land, met IN the
room of the Bureau Of Statistics at Harris
buro for the purpose of consulting IN re-
card TO lhe Presidential outlook. Capt.
MClellaud called the meeting to order.after
which a committee of thirteen, consisting
of Messrs. Geo. w. Biddle, Wm. Bigler,
JAS. p. Barr, Richard Naux, B. F. Meyers,
w. III. III. Davis, John Latta, II. III. Cum
min, p. J. Pierce, a. j. Steinman, ,. a.
Bridges. John II. Reade and VIM, McClei-
land, was on motion appointed to orait an
address expressive of the sentiments Ct the
meeting. Pending the action of said conf
mittee Gen. Davis, of DoylestOwn, moved
that a letter written by ex-Gov. Bigler con-
cerning the infamous proceedings of the
Louisiana Returning Board should be read.
The motion was of course unanimously
agreed to, and the letter was thereupon
read as directed. Not having space for
the entire document our readers must be
content with the following extract of spe-
cial interest from this admirable report:
1.-THE fret rema rkabie Institution that at
tracted our attention was the famous Return
ing Board. We found il constituted on printl-
nIes M variance with our notions of Republican
/ simplicity. lis members had been selected by
the State Senate, not during good behavior or
the pleasure of that or any other body. hut for
Ire. They were, in addition, clothed with au-
thority TO fill all vacancies that might occur
from time to time so that the board might
have an unimite6 existence. The next most
alarming thing brought to our attention was
the extent TO which the State administration
can supervise and control the elections. From
the highest to the lowest the election officers
are responsible to the administration. Reouh-
= 1.ni i1A1 hn shn Nsata
They received and counted the vote cast, ano
when the returns were opened and counted 1T
i'm its own way had been EN- mphaticaliy defeated
The highest Tildcn elector over the lowest
vote of the State was 10000. 1t was too obvi-
Gus for dispute that this result was serious
the straits to which the Returning Board was
put to reverse the decision OF the people: As
proceedings of the Returning Board at former
elections, it reversed the decision made by the
vote actually cast and declared the State for
Governor Hayes by over 4500 majority. It
was difficult TO witness the consummation of
such p wrong without calling for the interposi-
tion of some power to avert its cffects: but we
were told that the judiciary of the State would
not intcrpOsc, and that the decisions OF the
Returning Board must be accepted like the
laws of the Medes and Persiaus. as uncliangc-
I able. 1t was conceded on all sides that the to-
tai vote cast legal, and yet the Board. TO
I bring about the result IL has announced, had
TO disfranchise over l6CO0 of these legal voters,
Justification for this action of the Board is
sought for in allegations OF riots tumuits and
Z
of intimidation had deferred equal or a
larger number of Republicans from attending
! of the reasonablcncss of this conclusion is that
the total vote of the State was 1900 more than
cast at any former election, and the next is
/ that the aggregate vote in the prInclpal dis
/ trcts and parishes thrown out by the Return
ing Board unusually large. The colOrcd
Republicans, being usually in tho majority
aud having the coontenance of all the State
Federal and election officers and soldiers, were
! not easily irtimidated and they usually voted
as they desired; whereas the colored COnscrva-
/ yves having less support were not so COURAGE
/ the best class of colored people-the taxpayers
to abandon the Republican party. especially
! the State party, too obvious to be concealed
! At the conclusion of the reading of the
/ letter, which was received with great en-
! thusasm, the meeting took a recess until
/ half-past one o'clock 10 await the report of
! the committee. Upon re-assemb bling at the
/ time indicated, ex-Mayor Fox took the
chair and Secretary McConkey called the
roll, the following gentlemen answering to
/ their names in the order Of the counties re-
presented:
Adems-Dan1 Geiselman. Allegheny. F. ".
James P. Barr, T. Leary. John Coyle, VIM.
Ancona. Ii. NJ. Keim. BIair-H. ". Guthrie,
Col. j. C. Everhhrt, George Stroop, T. Brophy.
Meek
William BigIcr, NJ. B. McGrath, Craw ford II.
brntom. b. x GopdTear. NJ WilInms Wiia" ban b
phin-R. b. Cohaugh. r. l.. Muench. A. P. Lusl,
h BSsSs vi G W Woer oHa H. Ee1
J. F. Temple VIM. J. Bayard. Huntingdon J.
Simpson africa JsiTers2nT p Kennedy {, l. BLOOD,
caster.H. N. North, w. Fl. Grier, A. ]. Stein,
man, W. .. -Hensel. Lehtgh-s. a. Bridges.
coming-H. II. Cummin. Mercer p. g. Pierce
/ Miffiin-A. Reade. MontgOmery-J. b. Hickin-
son. Northampton-J. ID. Hess. Perry-J. A.
Maeee. Philadelphia-Wm NJ. Reilly. Geo. W.
BiddIe, Daniel N: Fox, a. Sidney BddIe E. r.
1pI. (-.1x ;. n
Samuel Dickson. John II. Read, DR.. Morwitz
/ Richard Vaux, Gen. 81. Clair A. Muiholland.
venango-J. b. McCailistcr Wcstmoi eland-
John Latta, G. +. worden. york-N. VI. Wan
ner. John b. Gibson.
Chairman M'Clelland then announced
that the committee of thirteen had unani-
mously agreed on a paper to he submitted
to the meeting and that Hon. Richard
/ Naux would read it. x-Mayor Naux
thereupon read the report in distinct and
emphatic manner, and the salient points
were enthusiastically applauded. Follow
ing is a copy:
To the People Of Pennsylvania
We address you in that spirit Of ratriotisrn
which IS common to all the citizens of this
commonwealth: The political condition of
onr country is fraught with impending peril
The oppression by the people of their ifitention
TO support those constitutional means which
h prs;denns rnT ISSUE minde on the question Of
Will dc piOre. Whatever violates either he let
i ter or tue sDlrlJ oil the Constitution tends 4 q
weaken. ana may destroy. our government
There Is not question Il measure relating
TO the peace and happiness of the whole peoDIc
exciting controversy and portending discord
Tor which the Constitution fails to provide.
The election of President and Vice Presidcn,
I OF the United States is q high and solemn dtlty
OF the people of the several States. To Mt.
tempt to cvade obed ience TO the popular will
by any effort to disturt the meaning of the
Constitution or the Interpretation of law 10
seek to set up barriers against the face OF This
declared viii is substituting revolutionary @ X.
; pcdicnts for constitutional methods.
/ The Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States have by the Constitution tho
sole aud exclusive power to settle al ques tion.
which relate 10 the validity of the electora
votes OF the several States. In one event tho
Constitution gives the House of Representa-
tivcs the power to elect President
We therefore earnestly invoke from Won
every effort cogniz9ble by the law in the g X
ccuti"n and support OF the constitutions
. methods by which is to be determined who
are the lawfully elected President and V ic,
, President of tho United States.