The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-12
THE MANI Is sEE1NG THINGS.

| One Mir w. H. Conkle of Philadelphia Is seeing spooks. He affects to believe that if Roosevelt doesn't get enough electoral votes in November he will send returning boards to various Democratic States and upset things. To show how his visions run, we copy this much of his article:
 The salient points of a returning board are the following:
 | 1. The Hayes Louisiana returning l board is a precedent.
 2. In a presidential election Congress has power to go behind the r0Durns in 1 State elections.
 | 8 The general ground for action is fraud. 4 Fraud is where negroes are prevented l from casting their votes. , 5. Fraud is where the negro vote, If ] cast. is not counted.
 (. Fraud is where ballot-boxes are | stuffed with white votes.
 :. South Carolina and Mississippi, with | a preponderating negro population, na- turallv voting the Republican ticket. | would be two Southern States to be sus- pected by a returning board. g. Louisiana. Georgia and Alabama come next under suspicion in the order named.
 9. State laws preventing negro votes from being cast or counted are uncon- stItutional and would be so decided by the United States Supreme Court. II, IueTelOTe, 6teIHS CtEldIn lHdl II Roosevelt lacks the necessary votes. he will send a returning board supported by civil and military power, to some Of the Southern States. and it's report will give him the coveted second term. Be- cause the people accepted the Hayes re- turning board Roosevelt feels sure they will acquiesce in all returning boards. Besides. if Roosevelt succeeds, in th!s way in 1904 he will naturally expect to succeed in the same manner in 1908, 1912, l916. etc. Then, again. when Roosevelt is permitted to succeed in the Southern States in this manner he will in a close election, extend his action 10 some Northern States when they are doubtful Intrenched in the White House and in full control of the Government, he IS liable to do as he pleases.
 When. at the critical moment in No vember, Roosevelt sends returning boards. supported by civil and military power and upsets elections in South Carolina Mississippi Louisiana. Georgia and Ala" bama in the South. and Indiana. New Jer- sey or Connecticut in the North the crisis comes. and the headlong rush of Revolution!
 | It is difficult to imagine that sensible man would seriously outline such pro- gram as this, but MT, Conkle appears to be serious, We admit that We haven't a very high opinion of MT. Roosevelt. either as to his judgment. or his regard for the proprieties, but he isn't fool. at least. We admit. also, that he has very exalted idea of his power to do things
 but certainly he doesn't think that any returning board sent by him would be al- lowed to reverse the action of Alabama
 authorities, or of any other State. with
 regard to the election returns. Such
 things were possible at one time and
 were actually done. but that time has passed and will not return
 It will be seen from reading the above
 schedule that in any State-especiallv a
 Democratic states-where 1t might be charged that negroes have not equal suffrage rights and privileges with
 the whites. the returning board would
 be legal and constitutional club in the
 hands of an irresponsible President to force the counting of the votes in, his
 favor. That matter has been decided by
 the highest judicial tribunal of the land
 so far as Alabama Is concerned, but a
 little thing like that wouldn't bluff our President where there Is anything for him in the balance. What would convince him, however Is to make 1t plain to him that neither Northern nor Southern sates will suffer him to constitute him