The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-01-30
TIE kErURsrxe BOARD VILLAINS.

Advices received on Saturday from New
Orleans are Of special interest. Indictments
have been found against four of the return
ing board vilisins-Wells, Anderson, Casa
nave and Kenner, three OF whom at last
accounts were In prison, and the other one,
Wells, though he had fec the city, was
likely to be arrested and put under bonds.
The attempt on the part of the custom house
clique to shield these perjured scoundrels
from the penalties due their crimes is
an aspect of the case so essentially
vile, and yet so characteristic of
radicalism, that it will not fail to attract
the attention of the people. 1t will be
noticed that Hayes dare not interfere, but
it will also be observed that an effort was
made on the part of federal officials to make
the custom house of New Orleans a citadel
for the protection of criminals who had
plotted crime and committed perjury in the
interest of Hayes. These deep dyed crimi-
nails, these nameless monsters of fraud, find
themselves at last in the grasp of the law,
and such has been the revolution
in public sentiment since they committed
perjury to make Hayes president that
the beneficiary of their crimes dare not lift
finger for their protection. Louisiana is
sovereign state, and proposes to punish her
criminals as they deserve, and Wells, Ander-
son, Kenner and Cassanave will have to 60
to the penitentiary. The people will ask,
for what crime? And this query brings to
the front the national disgrace, and the
crime of the century, and the answer is, for
making Hayes president. There is no doubt
about their guilt. They laid violent hands
upon the ballot box and reversed the will
of the American people, and Hayes IS
now exercising the prerogatives of that high
Office by virtue of their crimes. Other coun-
tries have had rulers dc fdcto, but they were
bold men, who drew their swords and
hewed their way to power. They reigned
liz defiance of the will of the people,
but they maintained their right by means
which, however much the world may have
denounced, there was still the element of
courage that brave men always admire. But
| in the case of Hayes there is no redeeming
Ingredient. 1t is despicable from the start
1t is impossible to find the slightest trace of
honor or integrity in it. 1t is made up Of
fraud, treachery and perjury. There is moth
| ing to redeem it from the curse of essential
depravity. The men who plotted the crimes
that made Hayes presidentare in the custody
of the officers of Louisiana. They will be
tried and will be found guilty, and they will
be sent to prison; while Hayes the outgrowth
fthe crimes, will be president, and Wheeler
as vice president, will continue to preside over
the deliberations OF the United States senate.
Such picture of crime was never before
presented for the contemplation of any peo-
| pie under heaven. Viewed from any stand
point it is sickening. Analyze it as we may
the result is humiliating. The men who
committed the crime by which Hayes holds
his Office are to be tried for these
identical crimes. and Hayes and
the American people will have
the grim satisfaction of contemplating the
| picture. 1t is gratifying to know that Louis
lana proposes to do all in her power to wash
out the stain upon the American pane, and
1t is to be hoped that the public mind will
be so impressed with the burning disgrace
that Hayes will be compelled to resign, or
what will be still better, that his completely
with the frauds that made him president
Will be made the ground of impeachment,
and that in all future time the name oil
Hayes may be linked with those of Wells,
Anderson, Cassanave, and Kenner, the re-
turning board pirates of Louisiana.
|