The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1896-05-02
90 SL0iiZAD lot HISELI.
Much talk has been induced IN Il

Sc 90 SO H-IAD lot HISELI.
Much talk has beer imiulged in to
go behind the ietulis Of election for
Governor and Lieutenant Governor
and seat Pharr. There seems to he
10 doubt of it now that tie managers
ct the combine reck0ntd on that con-
tlnaeney nom the start. expecting 10
elect IL majority IT the legislature.
Had they carried the Legislature. some
Of TIE mora l~ate5eai leaders ct fire com
bine would have advocated tile seat
ing of Phafr over Gov. Foster. no
matter how great the l%atter's majority
might have been.
- But having failed to carry the le.is-
l%ature, some of them still talk of seat
ing PAarr. f they can induce the lesis-
latHie to 90 behind the returns.
The inquiry into tie right Of tile
legislature to look behind the r~etarus.
I" correct or alter the returns. III other
we#as. becomes pertinent. The right
III GHestiat Ii
=ufZe tts t4f
ta admit
a1saati.tal III
tie aa Tile lesis-
latGtat0 F1tH A. petty
election ta.e e HEtsE lag ae
constitutional fHa9 1at- tas ftz #Hd
limiting their duty III eaaeas #a @
vote far Governor. would he b hundred
told deeper wrong.
The constitution provides that the
returns of election for governor and
Lieutenant governor shall be %seale,: NJ
separately from the returns If election
OF other officers and sent 'n tfe t
tary OF State. to tie delivered t54a#*lI5
by HIM to the Legislature. and .stiae
members Of the general assembly shall
meet on the first Thursday after the
day Oh which they assemble III the
honsc=ef representatives 70 examine
and count tie votes. The person
having the greatest number Of votes
for governor shall tie declared duly
elected but in case two or more per
sous shall be equal and highest in the
number of votes polled for governor.
one Of them shall BE Immediately clio
sen goeetnol hy tie joint vote Of the
members Of the general assembly: !"
and a like provision follows for count
ing the votes for lieutenant governor.
Under the r}ain letter Of tile law. il
would seem clear that the general
assembly cannot transcend the returns.
They shall examine and count the
votes; how and from what data +?
Evidently from the returns delivered
to them by the Secretary Of State as
he received them from the various
boards Of supervisors. They have no
other Votes to examine and count.
The returns ale all THAT tie constitn-
ton places before them and from the
returns they must announce the result.
that is, declare the person receiving
the highest number Of votes elected.
They haze no discretion iii the mat
ter. except III the event 1.-TWO or more
persons shall be equal and highest III
the number of votes pnlled for COVER
nor" and, then, they have no power
to investigate. correct OF alter, but 4,
must choose n OF such persons ty a
joint ballot.
This Gems clearly TO be the inten-
ton OF the trainers Of the constitution
dednced from the very language of
the instrument. But if there be any
doubt about IT, that donht is at once
resolved into certainty, ii we consider
the evils intended to be guarded
against at the time Of the framing of
the constitution. Louisiana was then
suffering actually from the evils of the
Returning Board system and one of
the ideas nppermost in the minds Of
the members of tile constitutional
convention. as well as in the minds Of
all good citizens, was to smash M
that evil system and prevent the
possibility of a return to it.
If the general assembly be without
authority to go behind the returns tor
governor and lieutenant governor. but
must announce the result by examining
n counting the votes as evidenced
by such returns, he is a poor patriot
Who would. even to correct some fan
cled OF real wrongs, counsel and aa-
wise the members thereof 10 violate
Their oath and make an onslaught on
lie fundamental law Of the land. If
there be evils to remedy. they should
be remedied without breaking the
constitution for such a drastic rene
dy is worse than tie evil itself. no
matter how aggravated the latter
might be.
Let wise counsel prevail and cool
heads come 10 the front.
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