Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-08-28
qHEp POTTER MvEsT7GA TIoN.

the END of the Presidential term. Ihis
wi.. probably To ,hc case. unless Have,
should die or resign, aad bo is probably
not prepared to do the former or will
ing to adopt the latter. But ii is of the
utmost Importance that the crime O
deirauding the people out of tho Presi
dental Office should be traced to It's
real authors, and we think the PottcI
Committe is making constant progress
TO this end. For ourselves we have
from tho beginning, held that the fraud
was made out clear enough by the
official and undonbitA-Nt Is 0i the case
That large majority Of the legal voters
of the State of louisiana cast their bal
lots for Tiden and Hendricks no fair
minded man can deny, and the reversa
of tho decision was an Infamous crime
and made all the more so because the
Republican leaders and carpet -bagers
had all the election machinery in then
own hands under tho color of wicked
and vicious laws. At evey precinct
the elections were held by Republicans
or majority of Republicans. They
received all the ballots and counted
them, and certified the count TO tn,
Returning Board. They did more than
oil this under the cover of bad laws
they selected the men who should vote
in advance of the election. This startl
ing work was accomplished in this way
Under the bad law already alluded tc
the Governor had the right to appoint
an officer in each district to register
the voters, white and black, and nc
man was permitted to vote who did
not at the polls present a certificate Of
registration, and no man could hare hi'
certificate unless il icdS furnished 10 hin
By an officer appointed BY Gorgnor Rei
lOgg. And yet with all this machinery
in their hands, and impelle1 by a selfish
and heartless solicitude, they were
beaten over 5000 ut the polls, which
majority was equal to so, 900 in Penn'a
The next question that arises is, how
could this happen. How were the Re
publicans so far mistaken in their mem
We are sure that with such machinery
in the hands Of the Republicans of thi:
State it would be idle for the Demo
Gratis to go to polls. They have re
peatedly defeated us by cheating in the
count alone, and, if you give to them
the right to count the votes, and select
the voters beside, they will consider
themselves disgraced if they should
permit the Democrats to have re.
spectacle minority. The Republicans
OF Louisiana are just as competent II
political crime as are the Republicans
OF Pa, and they intended to out count
the Democrats five to six thousand, but
they were betrayed in the house o.
their friends. The better class of the
colored men voted against them. We
have repeatedly heard Gov. Bigler
who was one OF the visiting committee
say that ho saw enough to convince
him that 1t was this class of oolDreG
people who had deceived the Republi
cans that if their was any difference
in the bull-dozing the Republicans made
the most out of it; but the colored Re
ppblicans who voted the Democratic
ticket were found in all parts of th,
State, and hence the triumph of Til
den.
When it was seen that the returns
were to be revised by an infamous Re
turning Board that had defrauded thu
people out Of their choice once before
and that they were to act under th'
same vicious law, the whole country
was shocked and troubled. Even Presi
dent Grant concluded that some step
should be taken 10 notice the sanctity
of the ballot box, and he invited mum
ber of prominent citizens Of bis owl
party to visit New Orleans and Sc,
that the votes were honestly counted
A similar step was taken by the Demo
cratic organization. But the Republi
can visitors soon displayed too mucl
anxiety about the result, and then th'
Democratic visitors proposed that botl
parties should unite and make a com
mon effort for the ends of justice ant
truth. This last proposition was re
jected on the pretext that the visitor
were without legal status, and W
have always held this was where tb
mischief begun at New Orleans. Thi
was word Of encouragement to th'
Returning Board and to the other ba,
men Of the State, and from that dat
John Sherman and his associates mad
common cause with the Returning
Board in the work OF overthrowing th
result Of the election. But for thi
countenancc Of Sherman and his assC
ciates it is doubtful whether the Re
turning Board would have had tn
audacity to have attempted the worI
they afterward accomplished. 1t wa
. palpablc disgrace to the visiting RI
publicans that they did not deman
that the Returning Board should fill u
the vacancy in the board. Had tina
been filled, and filed with Democra
as justice and the spirit Of law required
Hayes never would have become Pres
dent.
Nothing in this shocking array {
crime so offends the American hear
as that 10000 voters should have bee
disfranchised and their votes renderc
null and void. for no want Of legal righ
or acts OF their owp, but because som
others could not or would not vot,
This monsterous crime is without
parallel OF ali the votes cast for III
den in tho States, the legal right of n
one was questioned, and according t
our education and doctrine, after tb
vntaa a re caat therei No novyar nm on ri