Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-05-22
The Returning Board Iniquity.

In the discussion of the issues before |
the American people, the frauds OF the |
Southern Republican Returning-Boards |
must not be forgotten. These frauds, in
volving the Justification of the results of |
the Presidential election of 1876, will |
remain an indelible stigma upon the |
men who conducted the campaign on
the Republican side and every one of |
the visiting statesmen who sup
pressed the truth, suggested lies and
Influenced scoundrels like Madison
Wells and Casanave to certify to known
falsehoods. This same impudent game
was played successfully in South Caro-
lima, Florida and Louisiana; but all was
not lost until Congress fell into the
snare of the Electoral Commission"
Undoubtedly that measure was pro-
NOTED by some excellent men; and, as
certainly, it was very difficult to fore
see that Commission so constituted
could fail to make a righteous judicial
determination of what seemed a plain
judicial question. When, by bare
majority-the Commission being di-
vided by strict party hnes-it was de-
cided that its members could not in
quire into the nature of returns alleged
and proved to be fraudulent, but was
concluded by the paltriest technicali-
the whole world perceived to be glar-
ingly false, feeling of profound indig-
nation was spread through the minds of
all thinking men. But it was at least
an open question whether the passage
of the bill for the Electoral Commission
and the action of that body. howev-
er monstrous, had not deprived the
Democratic party of all, except revolu-
tionary, means of further contest. Such
was the opinion of a majority; and Mr.
Hayes, incontestably not the recipient
of a majority of the Electoral votes.
was declared by both houses of Con-
gress to have been duly elected, and
was quietly inaugurated.
1t became known during the first
three months of the year 1877 that in
the interval between November and
December 6, 1876, numerous dispatches
in cipher had been sent by both Demo-
Gratis and Republicans to the members
of the Returning Boards of South Caro-.
lima, Florida and Louisiana. All, or
nearly all, of those that had been
sent by Republicans, with the answers
to them, were seized upon by the Re-
publican members of Il committee of
the Senate and destroyed. Some of
those alleged to have been sent by Dem
ocrats were also destroyed, but selec-
ton from these, made by these same
Republicans, was preserved. 1t was
claimed by the Republicans, at a later
| day, that the object of the senders of
| these dispatches was the same in both
cases, viz: that of the Republicans
| being to induce the different Returnin 0.
Boards to make their returns in favor
of the Republicans, and that of the
Democrats to induce them to make
them in favor of the Democrats,
and that corrupt solicitations were
used to induce the one OF the other of
these returns. .t-- sz -4s-s4
Admitting, for the sake of the argu-
ment, that this suspicion was correct,
and that each party did really attempt
to bribe the Returning Boards to de-
eide for itself, it would follow from the
notorious fact that all of the Returning
Boards decided for the Republican par
ty, that this party outbid the Democ-
racy in this disgraceful contest. But
when we advert to the further fact that
no bid whatever for any such false re-
turn has ever been brought home to
any person authorized to speak for the
Democratic party, or for whose acts
that party is at all answerable. and that
every member of these Returning
Boards has been rewarded, either by a
plain sum of money or by office of more
or less emolument by Mr.. Hayes Ad-
ministration; moreover, that every one
of the '' visiting statesmen" who visited
Louisiana and Florida for the almost
avowed purpose Of suppressing all in
| quiry into the frauds of the Returning
Boards has received Office at the hands
of Mr.. Hayes the audacity of attempt
ing to impute to their political adver-
saries the sin of which they stand con
victed, stands unrivaled in the annals
of effrontery.-St. Loatis Republican.