The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-02-22

d - Der ~. that the votes purnort;ug lu
/ be e,ec oral votes tor President and
/ Vice Pre- ,lIrOt. and which were Given
/ 10y Wm. p kellogg, J ii. Burch,
J Peer JOS phi, L. A. F. dun. Morn.
/ Marks. A Lcvi>ec, \ II. Brewster
and Oscar jefferson, ciaim,ng To hJ
e., c,nrs for the ate Of Louisiana b.
! ri cJed, the decision of the com
mission 10 the contrary notwighStand-
/ ing.
The question then being on the sub
s,itute of Senator Herman, Senator
| Thurman said, that while the statutes
| OF Louisiana created a returning board
consisting OF five persons who were TO
hold office indefinitely, and with
! power TO fill all vacancies that might
occur, it devolved upon these men TO
say who should hold office IN the State.
! The question of who should hold of
ice depended not upon the will of the
people, but upon the will of the re-
turning board. He believed that such
a board was utterly destructive of re-
publican form of government. The
| State OF Louisiana, under its constitu
ton, had no power to create such u
board. The acts of that board were
unconstitutional, null and void; even
| II its acts were not uncoL stitutional,
! they were not legal in canvassing the
vote on the seventh. Last, because
the statute required that the board
! should be composed of five persons of
different political parties, but, in fact,
it was composed Of but four persons all
OF the same party, and they steadily
refused to fill the vacancy. The duty
of that board was to canvass and COM
pile the returns of the commissioners
of the election, but the testimony
showed that they did not do so. The
| proof which THE counsel offered before
the commission should have oeen &C
cepted, and in that opinion he was for.
titled by the action Of both houses of
Congress four years ago in the objec.
ton to the vote of Louisiana. He re-
ferred to the alleged ineliglbllity of
certain electors in that State, and said
he could not regard that other than as
a notification of the constitutional
provision on that subject. Under this
decision no matter by what fraud a
man might be elected president or vice
president, or how ineligible an elector
might be, there was no power TO in
quirc into it. The vote of an ineligible
elector must be counted and neither
the State or Congress could right the
wrong. He utterly dissented from
such a decision as being destructive to
republican government. The de-
cision would have the effect of q
proclamation to dishonest returning
board to perpetrate whatever v:llainy
their interests might dictate with abso-
Lutte certainty that they would be sue
cesSful.
Senator Morton followed at length in
support of the motion.
Senator BAyard, of Delaware, said,
as a member of the electoral commits
sion, he had given all that he could
give in earnest study, patient labor and
| devotion to secure just execution of
the law under which he was appointed.
His labors and his efforts had been
crowned by failure. Deep was his
sorrow and poignant was his disap-
pointment. He mourncd his failure
for his country's sake, for it seemed to
him that not only did the decision OF
eight members Of the commission level
in the dust all the the essential safe
guards thrown around the election of
a chief magistrate, but it announced TO
| the people of this land that truth and
justice, honesty aud morality Is no
longer an essential basis of their politi-
cal powers.
Senator Sherman's resolution was
adopted by a strict party vote.
WASHINGTON, February 10. -IIowe's
Louisiana Committee, upon which the
Republicans base their hope of Pack
ards recognition, has work before it
which will occupy the whole week.
Governor Palmer, of Illinois. will be
summoned in connection with Little.
field and Vernon parish, and Secretary
Honore and his papers must he ex,
amined.
The Democratic counsel have nearly
completed their preparations of the
contest over Oregon. They say they
will win there or utterly disgrace the
commission.
WASHINGTON, February 10. The
President was In consultation with
Secretaries Fish, Cameron and Attor
ney Taft this morning. Could not re,
ceive the Southern delegation. Will
see them tomorrow.
WASHINGTON, February 10. - The
Tribune publishes an interview with
President Grant regarding SOUTH
Carolina. The President is made tC
say that in South Carolina the contest
has assumed such a phase that tn,
whole army of the United States vii
be inadequate to enforce the authority
of Governor Chamberlain. The people
of that State had resolved not to resor
to violence, but adopted a mode of re
sistance much more formidable and ef
fective than armed demonstration
They have refused their State taxes t
Governor Chamberlain, and it would
be useless to sell out their property a
no one would buy it. Unless Governo
} Chamberlain could compel the collec
ton of taxes 1t would be utterly use
less for him to expect to maintain hi
authority for any length of time. Thi
state of affairs must inevitably result il
the abandonment of the old efforts b,
Governor Chamberlain to maintain
himself in exercise of the gubernatoria
functions of the State of South Caro-
lima. The President will leave tn
White House on March g. Mrs. Gran
will be the guest of Secretary Fish.
WASHINGTON, February 20.-The de
bate in the House is threatening. Iii
becoming possible that the fourth ma
pass without an Inauguration.
Mr.. Seelye said that in the Louisian
election 1t seemed clear that the charge
made by each party against the othe
were in the main true. There wa
fraud and corruption on enc side AM
intimidation and cruelty On the other
The corruption on one side and helm
Gus cruelty on the other was horrible
! He argued that the vote OF Louisian
should not be counted.
The time of Mr.. Cox expired whel
he had barely read passage from tn
Bible. He asked for time, which wa
boisterously refused. He laid dow
the book, exclaiming: They regar
the Bible dliuHde.
Mr.. Watterson made q handsom
} little speech about being ensnared an
time bringing revenge. He urged sui
mission.
|, The debate closed at O'Clock, an
call for the yeas and nays on Nj
Gibson's resolution progresses. Tn
feeling is feverish, and there is grea
uneasiness in Republican circles. Th
contest over Mississippi is abandone'
from an apprehension that it will de
lay the count.
Mr.. New denounced the commits