The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-11-16

and 80 was technically within the law
Similar reversal Of the popular yer
dict obtained In South Carolina.
But il was in Louisiana that the
worst came to pass. This, on the au.
thority Of Marse Henry, is what he
himself found in Louisiana;
Corruption was in the air. That
the returning board was for sale and
could be bought was the universal i'm
preston. The returning board con-
sisted Of two white men, Wells and
Anderson, and two negroes, Kenner
and Casanave, They were one and all
without character. was tempted
through sheer curiosity TO listen TO a
proposal which seemed to come direct
lly from the board itself, Che messen-
ger being a well known State senator.
As If he were proposing TO dispose Of
horse or dog, he stated his errand :
"You think you can deliver the
goods, said |,
"I am authorized to make the Off
err, he answered
"And for how much?' | csked.
"'Two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars, he replied. One hundred
thousand each for Wells and Ander-
son, and twenty-five thousand apiece
for the niggers.'
"'ro my mind it was joke, Sen
ator,' said |, tho terms are as cheap
as dirt. | don't happen to have the
exact amount about me at this mo-
ment, but | will communicate with my
principal and sec you later
Having no thought of communicat-
ing with anybody or seriously enter
tanning such proposal, | had forgot
ten the incident, when, two or three
days after, my man met me in the
lobby of the hotel and pressed for a
definite reply. | then told him had
found possessed no authority to act,
and advised him to go elsewhere.
at is claimed that Wells and Ander-
son did agree to sell, were turned
down by Mr.. Hewitt, and, their de-
mands for cash refused by the Demo-
Gratis, took their final pay in patron
age from their own party"
Well, the country seethed. The ed
itors scorched each other, and the OPP
position candidate. But most of all
the Democratic editors scored Presi-
dent Grant. For Grant sent soldiers
under Phil Sheridan, to Louisiana "to
keep order and insure full and fair
count" He Indicated his intention of
massing soldiers about Washington on
March 4th, to insure the peaceful in
auguration of the candidate who
should be elected. He otherwise act
ed, well, as Grant usually acted
Fighting it out on that line if it took
all summer
After the returns had been gone
over in the three Southern States
and in Oregon, the ques
tion was: What should be done with
them? The constitution provided that
on certain day the president of the
Senate should open the returns in the
presence of both Houses of Congress,
and that the votes should then and
there be counted. But how about re-
jccting votes? The Republican sena-
tors, with solemn faces, asserted that
to be also the duty of the Republican
president of the Senate! The House
advocated that the whole matter be
put before the House of Representa-
tives, which is authorized to elect
President in case no candidate re-
ceives a majority of the electoral
votes.
To obviate the impasse that would
be created by the Republican Senate
electing Hayes, and the Democratic
House electing Tilden, a bill creating
an electoral commission was passed,
after much opposition and mutual re-
II constituted a tribunal
IF fifteen to consist of five senator's to
De selected by the Senate; five Con-
yressmen to be elected by the House;
and five judges to be selected from the
Supreme bench-two Republicans and
.wo Democrats, and the four thus
'hosen were to name the fifth.
On the morning of Feb. 2, 1877, the ;
fifteen members of the commission
lied in. Seven of the fifteen were or |
iad been judges; all we're iurists Of
one Of the Republican con- |
ressmen, James A. Garfield, was
ater TO become President; and Sena- {
ors Hoar, Morton and Frelinghuysen {
we're all men Of mark The counsel
hat appeared for the two parties were 7
lso Of high grade. G
Save for the monstrous admission q
Y William NJ. Evarts, leading counsel r
( the Republicans, that il made no '
ifference whether the official canvas q
ers were hribed, the commission had T
p.