Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-02-15
Minority Report i'm the Louisiana
Case.


WARRINGTON, Feb. 10-Represeuia-
tives Harlbut, Townsend, DanfOrd,
Crapo aud Joyce have made their mi
nOrity report in the Louisiana investi-
cation, concluding as follows:
For the first time in The history OF
this country il has been attampted to
destroy the lawful and formal express
sion of the State, in the election of
President, by assuming the power in
the House of Representatives to ex-
anime into any and all polls, to purge
the election, to make itself the Return
ing Board, and determine by a parti.
san vote what Louisiana ought to have
done. We regard il as the most fatal
attack ever attempted upon constitu-
u0nal rights; as gross usurpation OF
power; as subjecting in its natural de-
velOpment the entire question OF the
election of President TO the will or de-
-cision of the House of Representatives.
What has been attempted by the DEM
Ocratic House in Louisiana may be
done on the same principle by some
other dominant party in any other
State whose vote may be in the way OF
their party caudidate. The cry OF
fraud is quickly iaise.i and is readily
repeated, and far too easily believed.
Evidence is always ready to-. support
that or any other charge, if great po-
litical advantage is to be gained. The
only way 10 preserve the just balances
of power is to stand by and support the
formal. deliberate and lawful decisions
of tue tribunal constituted for the pur-
pose, ordained under the Constitution
Dy the highest State authority, by
laws which have been expouuded and
sustained by the proper Supreme
Courts. Any other course is to sub
,titute guess work for legitimate deci.
sion, the rule of noLs for the orderly
processes Of law, the control by the
House of Representatives, whose days
are numbered, for the determination
made by the people themselves in due
and regular form, chosen by them.
selves. Passion and prejudice will
wear thieves out in time; wild decla-
nation of Incorporate orators will
soon be forgotten; rash assertion of par
ty presses will pass from mems minds,
and then this case of Louisiana will,
perhaps, be fairly considered. anu the
verdict of thoughtful men will be that
the Democratic party of that unhappy
State are justly to be held responsible
for continuous and organized attempts
to annul by force the clear will Of the
majority. The same calm judgment
will declare that the laws of 1870 and
1872 were necessary safeguards against
such organized illegal forces, and sho'd
be approved by all who believe in the
supremacy of law; that this much
abused Returning Board acted in the
spirit of the law creating them, and
that their determination is final in the
matter. Holding these views, the mi.
Eority of the committee submit them,
and do not propose to follow its details
in an unauthorized dissection of the
whole, made from partisan and biased
Information by the majority of the
tablished law and the deliberate re-
-ults= of the constitutional action of
sworn officers of the State. solemnly
done, performed and promulgated with
all the sanctions of law"
The minority report on the Louisi.
ana clse closes as follows: "The under,
signed submit herewith reports Of the
minority members of the sub commit
tee, and close this report by Offering
the following resolution:
Resolved, Fhat- the efectiop, held
for Presidential Electors in Louisiana
the 7th oil November, 1876, was exam.
incd into. determined, declared aud
promulgated blythe proper authorities
of said State, under all forms of law,
and in conformity with the Constltu.
ton of the United States"