The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-01
important "the returns Of the commissioners
vemHhsinN MnaAeyed"

Inese premises Delng correct, the Teieaae ol
for from the budget Of arc turns Of commission
ers" sent down here by the supervisor with his
consolidated statement, "the returns Of t.co
polts Of the parish Of Vernon mere lost. 90
stracted or stolen, and on TIE accompa.ys m
Criminal Court that the forOey g OF Mese
Of the com missioners" did not "rema'n u'at-
tered" indeed, they were. incomPtete tor made
proper returns from them II they. wished;
they fell back on the consolidated statement
and this 1t is proved that Anderson forged.
TO the mind not accustomed to deal In sub
part--itis clear that the creation of a super
visor OF registration with functions extend.
ing clear through every step Of the process Of
election, down to and including the presenta-
tion to the high functionaries called the IRE
turning officers q body clothed with ju,,
statement OF the voting, means something, and
I have endeavored, with the unwilling sup
port Of the Supreme Court itself, to show
what that something is.
nothing could seem palmer than that the law
contemplated making the supervisors state
ment (guarded as It is by the certificate Of
the clerk Of the court substitute, In case Of
emergency, for the commissioners returns. II
the Returning Board were honest In their
efforts to properly canvass the returns, then
the fact of there being two missing polls from
among the commissioners returns would
naturally land, ! think, properly throw them
on the consolidated statement for completion
OF the record. Under such circumstances no
sensible set OF men could do otherwise than
say: "These commissioners returns are in
complete, this election cannot therefore go by
default If there be any other satisfactory rec
is it satisfactory? Because it Is made up by
the regular officer of the law, Is certified by
the clerk OF the court as being identi-
cal with the originals in his official posses
sion, and is found here officially" To my
mind there Is no getting around proposition
like this.
II, then, the consolidated statement could
and should be used under such circumstances,
what IL the returning officers voluntarily as
sumed them as the basis OF their canvass
throughout, as the world knows they did do?
contend that II such statements could be
valid In the case mentioned, then it Is impos-
sibIe to prove their invalldity under any cir
cumstances. And right here l cannot help
asking the question: Suppose all the original
returns Of every parish missing but the con.
solidated statements, certified by the clerk Of
the court complete before the board, does the
Supreme Court mean to say that the Return
ing Board would adjourn, pronouncing no
election In the State Of Louisiana? II yes,
nal is utterly subordinated to legal bubble;
the intent Of statutory law no longer COM
mands attention.
2. The Supreme Court says: "It Is evident
that the uttering and publishing, by private
person, or by a person in any public capacity
other than that Of returning officer OF cleo
tions, could not have injured or defrauded
anyone" And they go on with their wonder
ful -four presidents OF banks" illustration.
q rehearing effectualiy disposesS Of this argu-
ment, and it may SAVIOR somewhat OF AFRO
gance for me to attempt to add to his work.
But his work is inside the demands OF pro-
fessional and official position and In the terms
reader, and by using different terms may
make the matter clearer to many.
Suppose some private citizen in each parish
could have possessed himself for forty-eight
hours OF every official return Of the commits
cessfully suppressed these originals and
forged others, and that these forged docu-
ments had reached an honest and faithful
Returning Board, who perceived no forgery,
canyassed these returns and declared the
mean to say that Such result could not have
injured or defrauded anyone2 Or suppose
that any one OF these private citizens who
accomplished this work were found out, tried
and convicted Does the court mean to say
that they should be set free as not guilty Of
the crime Of forgery Tt is simply. impossi-
BILE for the independent reasoning mind to ac-
cept any such doctrine.
But we are dealing with lawyers, and we
must haye due regard to words The court
vate person Suppose the successful utter
ing" Of the forgery as above, and then sup
pose the entire Returning Board cognizant Of
the fraud (; suppose they then do the publish
the part OF this board with the private citi-
zens aforesaid; suppose all officers OF the
State installed in Office on the finding of this
board; then suppose the discovery of the
fraud, the trial and conviction Of all parties as
private citizens does the court mean to say
been "defrauded," nobody been injured" and
all because nobody has been tried and con-
victed In his official capacity?
The last lingering hope have had for the
the Supreme Bench, but if am to accept this
as it's Interpretation OF law and its administra-
ton OF justice; If am to believe that 1t plants
itself immovably on the letter-aye, the linn
tied letter-of the law, utterly ignoring the
spirit, the soul thereof then must I feel that
I am remanded to the tender care of the great
natural law Of Misrepresentation. Hope leaves
the bosom of men in crises like this. War,
famine, murder, arson, robbery political per-
secution-adl these beget resistance on the
for great bench that sustains the verdict
of a jury which sends a poor devil
to the penitentiary for stealing a loaf
Of bread for hungry family, to
strike the letters off the wrists OF the
greatest criminal Of the age on a legal quib-
BILE, this is an unspeakable evil, and, as surely
as we live to think over it, it will engender
apathy, sap the solidity of the people, that
alone emancipated them, and keep us a prey
to political dissensions and the bad men who
are the fruits thereof
Would to God the rulers of Louisiana had
never let loose the dogs OF political compro-
mise to prey on her vitals. In this one word
are comprehended her Legitimate woes.
BRUTUs.
WOMEN ON THE MUSCLE.
They, Assisted by a Man, Made = Police.
man See Stars,