Smyrna times., 1879-12-31


r,e.t the issue squarely. The point we
made on the Gazette, that it was endorsing
in the case of Maine as right, what Tor
+hr.a vsars in the case of Louisiana it had
oordemnsd as wrong, it leaves out; and as
far as itself is concerned, entirely eyades
If If was wrong as applied to one state, as
tba Gazette has strenuously affirmed, 1t must
bs wrong for the other. That was the
;ssue and we meant that the Gazette should
see il in its moral force, but unfortunately
the politician has but little use for the
latter when set in iuxtaposition with polltl
o,I succe,s. The action of the Louisiana
Returning Board, or the causes leading
thereto, is a blot on the page of our history
GREATLY to be deplered. The vote of 1876 |
in that State was not in accordance with
the genius of our free institutions, and II |
pernetuated by this or that organization |
for party success whenever the oppor' |
unity offers. the result cannot be other |
wise than the running of our noble ship'of- !
State into tsmpestuous waters and amid
dangerous breakers.
The parallel is daily drawn between
Louisiana and Maine, but there is great
dissimilarity. As bad as the one was, the
other is worse. The Returning Board of
the one assumed an unfair election, with
Thousands of voters prohibited the polls
from fear; the other nothing of the kind,
sinply the technical defects of Ignorance
or carslessnsss in dotting the ''i's' or eros
sing the cts" 1t is not claimed in Maine
that any one was in any wise hindered in
the use of the ballot; every one who
wanted to, without let or hindrance voted
as he pleased and for whom he pleased, and
if his ballot failed to count it was because
of a punctilious Governor and his council.
On the other hand, in Louisiana thu shot
gun took the place of ballots, and thous-
ands of colored men under the threat Of
violence were afraid to 60 to the polls. By
this means, what was prospective majority
by the registry flor the colorsd men all
voted one way) of some fifteen thousand,
was turned to majority of 5000 on the
other side. The exercise of free ballot az
guaranteed by the constitution Of the
United States was thus interfered with, and
the constitution of Louisiana made pro
vision that if the vote of Parish was in
terfered with by intimidation, "bull- dozsrs,
false ballots, &C., that the vote of tina
Parish or voting precinct should be thrown
out. Had there been fair election MI
Hayes would have carried the State, but a
it was there is no question but that MI
Tilden had majority of the votes cas-
By virtue of the constitution of thei
State the Returning Board took upon itse
the responsibility of making the electors
vote represent the people rather tina
the diminished ballot. The power of or
it must be confessed was as arbitrary as tt
other, and the shut gun, the first aggresso
was spiked in the chamber of the seer
council. If the shot gun was right, the
the Board was wrong. To declare that:tl
latter was wrong and then justify Il
action Of the Governor and his Council
Maine as right, is to teach our people tn
political dishonesty is a virtue.
Again, the Governor and his Council
justified in his course because the law W
passed by Republican Legislature a
claim that they are only measuring b.
Republican yardstick, the inference bel
that whatever is wrong for the latter
right for them. But even here there is
much coloring. The law was passed fit
nine years ago; from that to the press
time just sirteen Legislators have been
fused certificates on the ground of ire
laritiss, while Gov. Garcslon and his Co,
Gil in one year excluded Mirty-seuen. T
IS the best commentary on the Governc
political intent, particularly when it
taken into consideration that all the m
counted out are the Governors politi
opponents and is enough to stir the inc
nation of the latter to the deepest dept
Gov. Garcelon has insisted that
action was strictly in accordance with |.
and his speciousness has brought many
his party papers to his side which 9th
wise stood aloof. The law in Maine in t
particular may not be very dissimilar fir
our law in Delaware on elections, and if
had elections here where one party
allowed to get in as close contest with
other as was the case in Maine, the res
might be similar. 1t is well known Il
any of our Inspectors can count out at
9iectiona DO ..J,e votes on mere te
nlcalitles, but when they are disposed to
fairly, the Inspector and the Judges az
10 receive such votes according to the in
no" OF the man who deposits it and not
on the extreme limits of the law that
intended to be used with discretion.
least this is the rational way adopted
Duck Creek HID, where the robbing a n
OF his ballot on a technically is not c
sidered good morals or good politics. ,
sole object Of prescribing law forms i
insure the faithful report Of the actual
suit OF an election. In the very natur
the thing, the power intrustsd to SUI
Visors OF elections must be ussd with
cretion to protect, not to defeat the bal
that the manifest will of the people
prevail. 1t is the belief in Maine that
Council exercised its power deIibsra
and knowingly for the purpose of defea
the will of the majority.
-~===-----
EDISON has so far succeeded with
electric light as to bring down the pric
gas in the cities. The news had the e
90 send down gas stock even in Lon