The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-02
"HAVE FAITH In COD
ANOTHER COMMUNICATION CONCERN
ING THE RELEAsE or TOM
ANDEnsON.

Thomas G. Anderson, citizen Of Louisiana
and one of the four members of the late Re-
turning Board, an organization estabshedby
law to canvass, compile and tabulate votes
cast ct elections within the State and TO make
known the result Of same to the people there
Cf. was tried during the months OF january
and February, 1878, in The city OF New Or
leans, by Jury composed Of twelve men, his
fellow citizens, on charge OF having uttered
and published as true altered, false and frau
dulent election returns, knowing the same to
be such, and WAS found guilty. The election
to which the said returns pertaned being the
one held to choose presidential electors, Tor
the purpose Of voting for candidate for the
presidency OF these United States who, when
elected, was to serve the people thereof as
their chief ruler for term Of four years, from
the month OF March, 1877.
He, the said Thomas @. Anderson. as
penalty for his crime, was sentenced TO serve
d term OF two years at hard labor Ia the PEN !.
itentiary Of this State and to pay the COTS OF
the nroeeu1tton After receiving his sen
tence he was incareerated In the prison 81
this parish pending an anticipated removal
to Baton Rouge, the permanent place OF his
confinement.
Since his sentence, the writer Of this one of
the jurors before whom he was tried, has
been deeply impressed with the BELIEF that
the unfortunate man lately under condemIa-
ton, would, by means OF q pardon from the
executive Of the State, be freed from the pen
atty Of the law when, It was not possible for
him to foreknow, as ut Is the glory Of God
Thoroughly satisfied by evidence offered on
the trial of the defendant, that the document
ON which the Information against him Va5
based-"The consolidated statement OF votes
Of the parish OF Vernon exhibited in It's
altered and false condition, had been, prior to
4 the fraudulent tamparing thereof, true. and
honest record OF the votes cast ny the legal
voters Of the parish Of Vernon State q Lou,
electors In November, 1876. and seeing, no sub
stantial reason why 1t sht uid not
be considered the paper described in
the tbe and uttered In the and eye 81
lished by the defendant, as charged therein,
the decision OF Chief Justice Manning Of the
Supreme Court OF Louisiana. just rendered,
greatly surprised the writer opening as #
information The Chief Justice says: "Ihe
paper offered In evidence, the consolidated
statement Of votes OF the parish Of Vernon,
made by the supervisor Ut registration, is not
the Instrument, the utteranoe, Of which as
forged, is charged upon the defendant, and
that the averment that he uttered and pub
slished the false canvass and compilation In
bis official capacity and under color OF his
Office, 10 not so charged in the information"
The decision closes by avoiding and 'revers-
ing the Judgment and sentences OF the lower
court setting aside the verdict Of the jury
and discharging the prisoner from custody.
The matter may be stated thus: Thomas
O. Anderson, an individual, but we'll known
as having been one OF the returning officers
OF what Ii called In common parlance the late
Returning Board of the State Of Louisiana,
WAS charged, his official title Of returning
officer being omitted In the information filed
against him, with having made such fraudu-
lent use Of the altered consolidated state
et.. x,r
ferred to herein, as to make 1t appear that
eight presidential electors named in the said
statement were elected, when such was not
the fact; the said eight being fairly defeated
as was shown Oh the trial Of the case Of the
State Of Louisiana against Thomas @. Ander-
son.
The jury, before whom said trial took place
being satisfied from the law and evidence ad
duced thereon, as they understood It, that the
said altered statement made by the super.
visor Of registration, was, In its original, true
condition, an honest and correct record Of the
legal votes cast at the presidential election In
and that the defendant uttered and published
the fraudulent document, decided he was
guilty as charged, and 50 rendered their yer.
dict. On appeal, from the judgment and
tice Of the Supreme Court OF Louisiana de-
cldes that, under the law, a consolidated
statement Of an election, made by O. super
visor Of registration, is not the legal docu.
tabulate votes cast at elections In this State;
but statement Of an election made by q
commissioners Of election Is the only legal
record for that purpose and that every con-
solidated statement used by the Returning
Board to determine the result Of the election
referred to herein was nIdtrn pactunt, or of nc
eject and not capable, in the hands Of any one,
OF evidencng, according to the law. whether
the returns upon it were true or false, and, nc
q consequence the defendant could not be
held guilty for the evil deed done; nor could
he be held, for the additional reason that the
information does not charge him with having
committed the alleged crime In his official
capacity.
by the testimony OF witnesses that console
dated statements of the election tpeYe the pa.
Ing been acted upon by the Returning Board
who, on the back Of same, or by attached
imemorandums, noted such alterations of, N
changes In the election returns, as In theii
opinion 1t was necessary to make; and from
the CONSOLIDATE d statements, as thus revised
the final result of the election was ascer
tanned. tabulated and promulgated.
1t follows. therefore, as the consolidated
determine the result Of the election were moi
legal documents, and hence valueess for thu
purpose they We're employed to serve, thai
the eight presidential electors named by thu
Returning Board as elected, but who were
fairly defeated and whose votes were subse
quently cast In favor OF Rutherford Is. Hayes
one Of the candidates for the Presidency o
these United States, and who now Is the occu
pant Of that high position, were enabled s,
to do, through the instrumentalty of illega
means provided by the fraudulent action 0
the late Louisiana Returning Board:
The finger of Gods hand is undoubtedl,
observable in this final decision that sets tn
prisoner free.
The execution of His Holy Will Is thereb.
complete and Enthusiastically clear.
IT, with tender mercy and loving kindness
relieves from the sentence or the law a crusbe
and distressed fellow-creature, and at tn
same time, by similar earthly means, the su
preme legal tribunal of our State; IT, with
righteous sense of exact justice, dem onstrate
to the civilized world the illegal and unfai
means awaited Of to place in the highest pub
lie position attainable in this, our great re
public Of States. the presidency thereof-th