The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-02-21
The Louisiana Business.

+. Y. Smalley of the Cleveland Herald,
who was among the visitors at New
Orleans during the returning board bust
ness, says:
The whole performance of prosecuting
the returning board members for their
othclal action in oanvassing the returns of
the election in 1876 is the direct violation
made to the presidents commission last
April by the Nichols legislature and by
Gov. Nichols himself. The legislature
passed resolution that no prosecutions
should be begun on account of any political
acts 10 the past. This was expressly in
tended to apply to the returning board
members aud to all the officials of the
Packard government. Full conversation
on this point took place between the com
mlssioners and Gov. Nichols, Speaker
Bush, Congressman Gibson, Mai. Burke
and other leaders of the Nichols party,
and the resolution was put through the
legislature that it might be a matter Of
othcal record. IL was upon this under
standing that the commission advised
the Packard legislature to consolidate with
the rival body and counselled Gov.
Packard to let his fabric of government
collapse"
The Washington National Republican
says
The returning board of Louisiana laid
the presidential title upon the shoulders of
Gen. Hayes, who is now in the enjoyment
of all the prerogatives, benefits and honor
OF that exalted position, For that service
the returning board are now being pursued
by hand OF vengeance that will not
gt1pn until nd
iniamy in felon's CELL One has already
been convicted and the others are incarcer-
ated 10 prison awaiting trial, Not one will
be allowed to escape unless federal power
shall be lnterposed 10 some shape to avert
their doom. Now, unless these men have
been guilty OF some criminal act of fraud
or wrong in declaring the electoral vote of
Louisiana tor Rutherford B. Hayes as
president, they are innocent, and their
prosecution and punishment to satiate
party nate Is an outrage upon humanity.
II they are guilty of fraud and wrong, then
inc president holds his title to the presl-
dency. through that agency, and he is no
more justly entitled to the prerogatiyes of
that position than the humblest citizen of
the republic
;. we present these highly-havored repub-
lcan extracts to indicate the imperative
necessity OF at least one accompaniment or
result OF the returning board trials. That
49, a complete aud properly authenticated
history OF the negotiations which led To
the RECOGNITION OF the Democratic govern
ment OF Louisiana. 1t was susnected n,
the time, andl we may say very generally
believed, that this recognition was the re-
suit OF u bargain of some sort betwean
Hayes aud his friends aud Nichols and
his friends. This belief was mater;aIlu
strengthened by the remarkable letter ~
Chandler. the ex-secretary of the national
republican committee, and was made m
absolute certainty by the more recent ana
still more remarkable declarations of See.
rotary Sherman. Now the people, demo
Gratis and republicans, demand the facts II
the case. Not the democratic facts only
or the republican facts only, but all tho
iacts. If Hayes inaugurated conserya
i've policy In order to prevent his title e
.ne presidency being damaged by future
Is'eMnCions, the people want to know it
nol; Nicholls accepted the benefits of tbi,
P0ncy on condition that there should be n,