The Progress., 1896-05-14
GOING BEHIND THE RETURNS.

/ returns Oh lue recent plpctlOn 10
Governor and lieutenant Governor
50 as to ascertain il there be frauds
OF such magnitude as Is alleged
IS to vitiate the election or transform
Gov. Fosters 27,OOO majority, report
by the aggregated commissioners
into minority.
With righteous indignation Ties
claimants, some of them Intensely hon
est and earnestly impregnated will
the desire to Go right, seem to Iool
upon the attempt of The Legislator,
to have a look behind the scenes as
most dlabollcal act of sacrilese, and 1
presumption which should meet with
q most terrible rebuke and punish
ment.
To 90 behind the returns would be
to establish a precedent SO dangerous
that all legislatures would be but re
turning boards-a body 50 lniquitous
as to be, to the good people of Lou
lslana at least, a creature Of politician
despised and condemned. This sys.
TEN Louisiana has once repuciated
with most holy seorn, they say, and
we are not ready to return to such
damnable methods.
This vlrtuous indignation is most
pleasing spectacle and arouses all the
chivalry which is contained in the
bosoms OF the American people. No
sight is more sublime than the
heightened color which appears in
tie cheeks Of patriot justly in
censed at some great breach of dig
nifty, at some unconth and unholy
act. No diamond ever shone with
such brllllancy as 10 the eyes of the
man or men whose anger have been
klndled at the uprising Of others on
insurgency intent; at the cool effront-
cry of plebians who would dare desc
crate the apartments Of some sacred
edltlce by attempts at familiarity
therein; and sll these sublime attn
butes, these acknowledgement sentl-
ments Of lofty craftsmanship is con-
tanned in the attitude and mien of
Fhoese who say, "you must not
go behind the returns; these
are sacred provinces upon the soil If
" lich your polluting fort shall not |,
rest.
Yes this would be establishing !
dangerous precedent, a very critical
y dangerous one. In the first place
t might expose the rascality OF GER
AIN men whom the people have been
accustomed to look upon as heroic
md chivalrous leaG ers. 1t might
prove that our cherished bugaboo,
negro domination, is now but fancy
n reality, and that We white suprem-.
acsts are the ones who pay much at
;antion to the negro IN politics, and !
that attention is given by putting his
vote in when he don't know it. Again,
It is establishing dangerous prece-
dent because thereby such men as
Foster Trezevant, Pugh, Drew, Par
ker, Zacherie, Fitzpatrick and others
will be shorn OF their position as
bosses, being deprived of an occupa-
lion where they can no longer manip-
nlate elections and return the number
necessary to reach the required ma
iority. This would establish a prece-
lent which would mako it absolutely
impossible for the ballot-box suffer
10 be any greater than the common
nerd of people who are too goody,
goody to swear to false returna, and
return as ca h 'ndreds of votes, the
pretended sun. "gans Of which never
went near the polls. No sir! Away
with establishing such a precedent a,
will cnt sh IT the reign or the repeat
er; as will destroy the power
Of the political bosses who
80 manipulate as to always
bring inst as many votes as are need
ed. Away with precedent that will
prevent any one parish or precinct
Of parish to hold back the returns
till all the State has reported and
then put in enough votes to .abso-
|utely control the entire election: be-
cause you cannot 20 behind the re-.
turns. Away with establishing a
precedent that will let honesty pre-
vail, fairplay have sway. truth be