The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-06-20
Louisiana Case.

The New York Times of the Sth edito-
rally sums up the Louisiana case, about
which the Democrats are so mush ex 'rcised
Unless the Democratic Investigators and their
organs wish to weary and disgust the public
which follows with somewhat languid Interest
their unrayeling of the tangled skeln OF LOUISE
ana politics, they would do we'll to cease their
senseless cackle over the discovery that tnere
was one set OF returns OF the Eiectofat vofe v =.
see was forged. Returns in trplicate were duly
prepared by the Electoral College, and duly At
tested by the signatures OF the Electors: The an
dorsem emit on the outside Of the packages, stat
ing the nature OF their contents was nor, now
This ca1sed Acting Vice President Ferry to refuse
the receipt of the package delivered by messenger,
though the one delivered BY mail y, was seceivea.
new and technically regular certlncate 70 LAKE tne
place of the one sent by messenger. that the name
of Judge Levisee, who could not be reached, was
signed by another person, and though the pro-
ceeding was obviously improper. II Is ridlcoiouS
to pretend that the technical ~ at
bearing upon the question when tne fot!er
committee was app inted to settle me ensiie
business will very soon become ridiculous, II u is
to be conducted in the spirit and according to the
methods OF set of legal pettifoggers
The Washington correspondent OF the same
paper gives the following statement OF the
main points of the case as officially arranged
BY Democratic officials:
the Congressional Record for FEB IL, snow
that three distinct sets OF papers were recelVeu
from Louisiana Indeed, the Record SHOWS
that four sets were received. the fourth being a
burlesoue certificate. signed by "Jonn SmItn,
read in the hearing and presence Of both houses
All these papers were referred to the Electoral
Commission, as is shown by the record OF tne
proceedings of both houses. In making up the
volume of proceedings the various certifcates
got mixed and Mr.. Mckinney, who had charge OF
and who compiled and copied all the papers. gave
= h ateSt n MurDny,
cial stenographer, who was authorized by the
President Of The commission Justice Cilnord, TO
prepare the volume of proceedings for publ
cation. OF course, the insertion OF certificate
en- l" for certificate NO 81 was simple error.
fraud would think of charging to sinister mo-
tives. The fact that all the gentlemen VINO were
immediately charged with the puDncation OF tna
shield them against charges OF fraud ana con
spiracy from Mr., Potter's committee me pro
ceedings OF the Electoral Commission and the
arguments Of counsel on both sdes in the case OF
Louisiana show that the three sets OF certificates
were duly before the Commission, and objections
| gued by counsel assigned for the purpose Thus.
when the Louisiana case was taken W ~ me
cratic counsel said 1.-The objections to the nrst
and third certificates are represented by senator
Mcdonald and by MI. jerks OF the House Of Rep
| resentatives = and Mr.. Evarts announced that
the objections to the second cert1hcate wouio pc
MP aarburt ~ Of the House This Shows how
absurd the charge is that the original Or NO
| T. certificate not considered Dv the Electora
| Commission but the decision OF the commission
itself settles all controversy as to what certncate
was finally acted upon in directing that the vote
| of Louisiana should be cast for Hayes and Vince
| Ter. -, -
| On Friday, Feb. IS, 1877, Mr.: Commissioner
| Morton offered the following resolution the COM
mittee being at the time in secret session.:
Resolved, That the persons named as Eiectors
in Certificate No. were the lawful Electors OF me
State Of Louisiana, and that their votes are the
| votes provided by the Constitution
| of the United States. and should be counted Tor
I President and Vice President
Amendments were proposed to this resolution
| by Commissioners Thurman and Hunton,
and rejected. Finally. the question was taken on
| Commissioner Morton's resolution. and II was
Eadopted-yeas 8, nays7. This settles the value
of the several certificates presented and cons1d-
| cred, and shows that the vote OF Louisiana was
decided. not upon the fraudul emit certihcate, Dut
upon the genuine and original certificate present;
| ed to the two houses, and which was recognized
by Judge Levsee as the genuine me- certineafs o.
| certificates, like those from John McEnery and
| the one from John Smith. Bulidozed Cover
| nor" were set aside by the Electoral Commission
and Mr.. Potter's committee cannot make much
CAPITAL BY trying to mislead the public into be
lieying that after ALL Louisiana was counted FOL
Hayes and Wheeler on fraudulent certihcates.
4