The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-02-15
y The Returning Board Conviction.

The conviction of General Thomas G.
Anderson, member of the Louisiana Re-
turning Board, marks another and the first
important step in the onward march of retri-
button against the infamous conspirators who
fraudulently manipulated the returns of
election and falsely certified the result in
favor of the Hayes electors. The offense of
which General Anderson is convicted was
the greatest crime in the political history of
the country, committed, as it was, without a
pallating condition, and powerful as it was
for evil in example as well as in immediate
effect, and any other result of the trial that
has just closed in New Orleans would have
been travesty of justice and lasting re-
preach to American civilization. The crime
was not committed in any corner it was
most eminent citizens of the United States
were present, and, knowing the infamy in
progress, held their peace if they did not
actually encourage its preparation and as
sure the criminals of protection. Others Of
equal eminence viewed the proceedings with
disgust and published them to the world
with indignant protests. Everybody now
knows that Louisiana voted for Tilder and
was counted for Hayes, and that the men
who thus perverted the will of the people,
ia utter defiance Of the real figures, were
Thomas G. Anderson and his associates. 1t
is idle to pretend that such men are entitled
to immunity and absurd to say that the
legal proceedings against them have any of
the characteristics of political persecution
Sufficient time has been allowed for the pas
sions of the hour to be dissipated. The jury
that convicted Anderson was fairly chosen,
aud embraced two colored men, and, per-
haps, other Republicans. He has been Civ.
en- fair hearing, in the face of a flight that
constituted presumption of guilt, and no one
who has followed the testimony dare say that
any other verdict could be given by sworn
conscience. We believe that a New York or
Philadelphia jury would have arrived at the
justice demands that the penalty of the crime
shall be exacted, unless Executive clemency
sh all intervene.
1t is not to be regretted that Mr.. j. Madi-
son Wells has determined upon broader
line of defense than that proposed in behalf
of his colleague, Mr.. Anderson. Mr.. Wells
proposes to make the issue so broad, indeed
that it may be made to cover not only his
the acts of the Returning Board, but Incl.
dentally the whole question of the legality
of the canvass made by the board in 30 far
as 1t affects the State and Federal admins
trations seated through its instrumentalty.
The issue will, of course, be made on plea
to the jurisdiction of Judge Whitaker's
court, which is the creation of the Nichols
government. This involves the position
that Louisiana has not the republican form
of government guaranteed by the Consttu-
tion, aud that Packard and the Hayes elec-
tors were duly chosen at the election in No
yember, lS76. Wells thus makes common
cause with the present incumbent of the
White House and hopes TO manufacture new
claims upon the sympathy and support OF
the national administration and the national
Republican party. If the court decides
against him that decision will, in the opin
ion of his legal advisers, carry With it the
decision that the Hayes electors are fraudu'
lent aud had no standing, aud that the it'll
of Mr.. Hayes to the Presidency is conse
quently invalid. Whatever the decision o
Judge Whitaker the case will be taken :
the Supreme Court of the United State
whose opinion ON the legal points involve
is well worth the trouble, regardless OF tn
purposes of Mr.. Wells. This good, although
unfortunate, man should remember, howeve
that the title of Mr.. Hayes rests now not sc
much upon the validity of the fraudulen
electoral certificates from Louisiana as upo
the act creating the electoral Commisslo
and IN aking it fnality, an act to the cor
stitutionality of which a majority of tn
hiembers Of the Supreme Court are full
committed. He may magnify his own caus
and secure an important legal decision cor
drming the accepted judgment of mankin
chat the electoral vote of Louisiana WI
stolen aud perverted, but he will not SUI
ceed in unseating, as much ~ he may EN-
barass, Mr.. Hayes.-7inles.