The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-12-25
COUNTING OUT.


The work of the returning board OF
Louisiana was more fatal blow to the
perpetuity of the union than the rebel
lion which cost treasure and lives. Secs
sion was an overt act of hostility to the
Hnion and it aroused the patriotism of
tie people which settled the question
beyond appeal. The counting out III
Louisiana was done under ahypocritical
pretense of justice and SO vitiated politial
morality thatrightis now made to invari-
ably yield to power. Had thepeople rebuk-
Cd those deeds which set the constitution
and every principle ofrectitude in defiance,
the evils which are now attempted, when
ever opportunity warrants, would never
have been suggested to mems minds.
The plots and counterplots to seat and
unseat members of the national legisla.
tire; the ingenious devices of political
tricksters to secure the fruits of party
victory though defeated at the polls; the
acrimony which is attendant upon every
election campaign, would all be unknown
if the successful preparation of frauds
III 1876 were not part of our national
history. The party in power insisted
that the infamous returning boards did
nothing but their bounden duty, the ad-
ministration connived at and abetted their
at worse than treason, the supreme court
of the United States gave it vicarious
sanction without an inquiry into the
facts, and last and worst, the people ex-
pressed their approval OF the Infamous
proceeding by returning everywhere to
power the party in whose interest and
by whom the foul wrong was perpetrat-
ed. Can it be wondered at that wicked
deed, which rebounds to the advantage
of the doer, which not only goes unpun-
ished but is applauded as deserving
emulation, is q fruitful source of others?
Far better for the union had the inaug
uration of Hayes ushered in a rebellion,
than the peace which showed too great
an indifference to the notification of the
expressed will of the people. The canvass
in Maine is but boulder left by the
great glacier of corruption which formed
III 1876. There IS poetic justice in the
evils having leaped from the despised
southern state to one of the strongholds
of republicanism. It shows how rap
idly corruption is disseminated and
should be a lesson to every state not to
rejoice in the evils which affiict any one
of the sisterhood Republican journals
which heartily approved the work of 1876,
Indignantly protest against the action of
the Maine canvassers. They admit that
the governor and council are amply sup
ported by law in the course they have
taken and they certainly are not without
precedent. The Inter Ocean is partic-
ularly anxious to have it understood that
in Louisiana the board proceeded in
conformity with law, but evidently
forgets that the law required both politi-
cal parties to be represented on. the can
vnssing board, and that democrats were
carefully excluded. The visiting states
men" were allowed to look upon the count
but were powerless to prevent the con-
summation of the villainy which gave
the electoral vote of the State to
person who was not legally entitled to
it. In Florida the injunction of the
Supreme court was disregarded. The
villainy of 1876 is to that of Maine as vast
ocean to single drop. Men who rejoiced
then have no reason to complain now.
The people who in subsequent elections
ratified that villainy, cannot with con.
sistency swell with indignation at this
feeble attempt to initiate a more out
rageous proceeding. The eyes which
refused to see mountain cannot observe
n mole hin with nicely. If the remon-
STRANGE of millions of people were I'M
ayailing surely the virtuous indignation
of few hundred will prove so. Louis
lana and Florida are shield and sword
to Maine.