The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-02
Withrsome Very Logical Reasoning on
the Question of Who Shall Make
thesNext Count

The conservative citizens of Chicago. |
irrespective.of party, filed Farwell hall to
repletion on Saturday evening The out
pouring, in spite of the fact that most in- |
adequate notice of the proposed meeting |
had been given. demonstrates most con-
clusively that the people of Chicago are
wide awake to the peril that is now
generally felt to be impending, and that
they are determined that their rights |
under the constitution shall not be shame |
lessly stolen from them without protest |
that shall not be misunderstood Tor lax Of ]
purpose and plain language. The Times
says: THE meeting was largely COM
posed Of the thinking portion of the com
munity, This was noticeable by the
manner in which the people entered the
hall They came in with grave faces, with
q quiet and determined mien, and with
that order that always betokens the solid
citizen. Although the majority present
were probably Democratic 10 politics, Re-
publicans were present in large force, and
entered into the spirit of the meeting with
an order and zeal that augurs i'll for
Zach Chamberlain when the questions that
are now being so ruthlessly decided shall
come up for. a rehearing at the bar of the
people"
Gen. Stiles called the meeting to order
and Judge Otis presided-both of whom
made pertinent addresses Suitable res
olutioDs were adopted But the feature
of the evening was the speeches of Judge
Trumbull, and Leonard Swett-the latter
Republican and formerly law-partner
of Abraham Lincoln.
JUDGE TRUMBULL's SPEECH.
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND FELLOW CITIZENS:
In the course Of life, now we'll passed
the meridian. many years of which have
been devoted to the public service, have
never addressed an audience, whether a
popular assembly or in the senate cham
Der, in the most trying times of our
country's history. under feeling Ofigreat.
er responsibility than Expresses me to-
night, when, as a private citizen, holding
no Office and desiring none, l rise to adj
dress you on the momentous questions
which now threaten the existence of pop
ular government. 1t is mparatively of
little consequence whether Tilden 81
Hayes be made president, if con-
stitutionally elected but it is of vital im.
portaDce to free institutions, and tC
liberty itself, that neither should be made
president by force or fraud. AS is prob
ably known to most of you, |, with severa
others. went to Louisiana to witness the
proceedings Of the returning board il
making the canvass of the electoral vote il
that state, and as upon its result may
depend the presidency for the next fou
years. it is doubtless expected that | vii
tonight
GIVE SOME ACCOUNT OF WHAT LEARNED
and saw.
To proper understanding Of the recen
election in Louisiana, brief history 0
previous elections aud the condition o
that state is necessary. Warmoth ha,
been elected governor in 1868 for tn
period of four years. In 1872 a genera
election was held for state officers an
members ofthe Legislature. McEnery an
Kellogg were the opposing candidates TO
governor. The returns Of election then
as now, were required to be canvassed b
returning board, which by law was t
consist of FIVE members. Gov. Warmot
aud a man by the name of Lynch wer
confessedly two Of the members of this re
turning board, ,but there was a dispute a
to who were the other three members
The result was Warmoth and Lync
separated, and each organized a returnin
board OF his own, known as the Warmot
aud Lynch boards. A CONTROVERSY wa
Immediately started in the courts as It
which Of these boards was the legal one
While it was pending, Gov. Warmotb, q
he had a right to do under the Louisian
constitution, approved bill passed at tn
last session of the legislature, which ii
then he had in his possession uuapproveC
abolishing the then existing board an
providing for the appointment of a ne,
one, which was known as the De Ferie
returning board. The Warmoth boar
ceased to claim an existence Immediate
the governor approved the bill and the d
Ferret board was appointed, an
turned over to it the returns
the election from the differer
parishes, which till then had been in GO
Warmoth's possession Not so the Lyme
board. Ii still claimed to be the propC
board OF the state, although it had no r.
turns before it. The De Ferret board cal
vassed the returns from the varioI
parishes and proclaimed the result, shoV
ing an average majority for the liberal r.
publican, or fusion ticket, headed by M
Emery for governor. of 10000 votes, an
that large majority of the persons electe
to the legislature were of the same part
The Lynch board, which had no return
before it, proclaimed Kellogg electt
governor by over $4,000 majority, ar
gave certificates OF election as members
the legislature to a sufficient number
Republicans to constitute majority. III
committee ON privileges and elections
the United States senate was directed
investigate these proceedings. 1t co
sisted OF Oliver p Morton. Matt. ]
Carpenter; John A. Logan. j. G. Alcor
II. Il. Anthony. Joshua Hill, and Lynn;
Trumbull. The report of the commit
was made by Carpenter, Logan, Alcor
and Anthony, all Republicans, and pr
pose to
LET THEM SPEAK
of the proceedings of this Lynch retur
ing board. They say: