The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-07-27

orncy General of the State ana a u
member of the board had decided
hat the board had quasi judicial to
,ower, and had the right to exclude III
precincts from the count If the re- p'
:urns were shown to be 50 irregular. SC
false or fraudulent as to prevent the III
board from ascertaining from them i!
the true vote. -, u
With this view of its duties the
board entered upon the work OF the d
canvass with the conviction that they e
were invested with large discret'ona, 3
~ powers which were of mixed II
character, political and judicia'.the
political largely predominating. Par !
tisan zeal and strong political ties )
had a powerful influence in the ex- c
ercise Of these powers, and the re- =
publicans having majority Of the
board the canvass was largely in their
favor. as the result proved. If the
board had acted in accordance with
the decision of the Supreme C"nrt OF
the State, defining the powers anu
duties IF the board in reference t"
throwing out precincts, since render
ed there ia no question that Mr.. Til
den would have been entitled to the
vote of Florida. Excluding the re.
turn from Baker County, which was
counted, and which l have since
learned from the parties who made 1t
WA falsely manufactured return,
and including the true return, when
corresponded with the precinct re
turns Of that county, would certainly
have given the State to Mr.. Ti'den'
Archer Precinct, NJ. 2, Alachua
County. was inclnded in the count
: The fraud committed in this precinct
was not shown to the board by the
Democrat lawyers, although con-
test was made and much attention
given to this precinct; bnt l have
recently learned from the Republican
I leader Of that county that after the
q returns had been brought to Gaines
vile, the county seat, 2l9 votes were
added to the returns by the ipspec-
! tors and clerk Of said precinct. In
= Leon County seventy-fonr small he
nublican ballots were stuffed into the
. tallot box at precinct NJ. 8, yet 1t
7 was made to appear, even to the sat
, isfaction of the Democratic member
4 Of the board, that these were not
u fa)se ballots. Subsequent confession
20 shows that they were stuffed into the
% box. had seen Joseph Bowes, one
At of the inspectors, have tickets similar
IT, to them a few days before the cleo
~ tion. and cantioued him against their
q us. unless they were generally ADOPT.
no Cd. and I afterwards learned he hat
I given them up. In Jefferson County
Il il a certain precinct, at which MIR. }
,le Bell was inspector, 100 votes wer'
re- surreptitious|y added to the ballot
he and counted. N" charge was mad
nd ian to this fact before the board. Tn
he confession of J. Bell, since made t
n. mp. discloses the fact that, had tn
nd pig votes fiauduleutly added to tn
~ Archer return, aud the "a votes stuff
-, "a in the 'box in Leon County, an
L.. the 100 votes surreptitiously added !
Nr Jefferson County, aggrrgatlog ~
ain votes, been rejected, and the Demo
Mr. cratic rejected precincts which we!
vas excluded for irregularity aud illegal
sed ty contrary to the decision vt tn
nm Snpreme Court, been retained ar
Fan counted, Mr.. Tilden would have ca
hat ried the State. The conclusion, ther
nd. fire. ia irresistible that M. Tide
inc was entitled to the electoral vote
ma Florida, and not Mr.. Hayes.
zen In making this statement my Nd
IAN t;vea will doubtless be questioned
the many, but the facts will stand a'o
mai "A the truth, WITHOUT any me{e N
had tives to sustain them. | am'free
ele- admit that, viewing things as ! nj
the do. and remembering that Mr. hay
- # was continually inspiring his perso
; for Al friends and trusted agents by e'
~ means in their power to secure
stedl linn the electoral vote of Florida q
ders Louisiana, and believing it to bs
,vea he.n a conscious wrong on his pa
, ,he lone with a knowledge that he
w vas not been elected, as lis subsequ
were reputation Of Governor Packa
tally whose title was ooo"u W ~ r IA,
amor ton Of the very men who contrl
n to ted 90 largely to bis election,
a al. shown, my contempt for the plti'
riend littleness of the man is beyond
'ct in mower of expression. Mr.. Hayes
Il to danied the validity of his own
conn. in denying Governor Packard's.
! tho has ignored bis Florida friends, sll
'licau inc he believed them unworthy
fnll tainted with fraud; yet he holds
T. sav. to the Presidency, which in his
heen on;nion was secured by this
,ment fraud, He has cowardly aband'
wv far and betrayed his Sonthern Rep
4 ma can friends through fear OF I
~ far ousted from an Office that he bell
~ the he never was elected to by the
hat If ole. Whatever may b. the OPP
Of men in regard to my motlV
;ndo. lrive them facts and leave my
. con. Elves to a higher tribunal; :, ,
',n SAMUEL B. Mel
10 dis The above was signed and
}, with Ito before the Clerk Of Thomas Co
10 zeal Ga. =. lt..,..
10 has The above confession WAS a
Is des- panied by af6dsv'ts from sher
Of the A. Allen, Justice of the feace
% who lam Green and Clerk NJ. J.. COX
j, l an planning in detail the Baker .
auvass fraud. Sheriff Allen, q !Repuh
t cool, says that when County Jnoee
biased oers refused to act on the Canv
racteri. Board he declined to be Judge
ch vas. lpers's substitue, as by law pro
,tesd Of and that Clerk Coxe's Justice
10 pro. Peace Dorman made a canvass
On the Il WIS correctly made. IA
emeut Canova, father. Of a Republic
.Al A. a. Y..;.l.<urn had OfSHrPd (