Evening star., 1926-11-14


M, r,, polls in an cleo
Lie udycS-A AlIueH ton that was
Election Contest tbe TO prove n1nst Ghe pit,ep %l
ly contested in the history of the coun-
try. The first indications that were
shown in the columns of The Star of
that week pointed to the election of
Tilden and Hendricks. Democratic
nominees. Then came doubts as re
ports were received from certain
| Southern States in which the Repub
licans held the executive power-Lou-
isiaha, South Carolina and Florida.
! In the issue of The Star of Thursday.
November 8, 1878. was printed the IA
nous dispatch from Zach" Chandler,
chairman of the Republican national
committee: "IlayeS has 1S5 votes and
Is elected So began the contest.
which was to continue until the eve
of the inauguration. nearly four
months later.
In The Star of November II, 1876,
Is the following:
| significant articles appear in yes
| terday's New York Tribune and the
| Herald relative to counting the vote
of the doubtful Southern States. The
Tribune says that neither Gov. Tilden
nor Gov. Hayes can afford to be de
clared elected or to take the office Of
President of the United States unless
| he has been fairly and legally chosen
| by honest ballots and an honest
| count, and that, more than this, no
| private citizen can afford to have, at
such time as this. any tamperinG
with ballots or returns. 1t called upon
| partisanShip to cease for a moment
that all honest citizens may unite In
a demand for an honest count and an
| honest dpplo RI fioO Of the vote
| 1.-The Herald says there must be no
'Ku Kluxing' of the election returns.
and warns Chamberlain. Packard and
Kellogg that they are known in the
North; that the honest men Of both
parties regard them with just suspi-
ciOn, and that they have need to play
| not only with common but with very
conspicuous fairness.
1.-THE President we'll and patrioti-
cally says that either party can afford
to be disappointed In the result, but
that the country cannot afford to have
| the result tainted by the suspicion of
Illegal or false returns. Whatever may
| have been thought of the Presidents
action in requesting the presence of
certain prominent Republicans in New
Orleans to inspect the counting of the
| voting of Louisiana, 1t must now be
regarded as wise and judiciouS.
Chairman Hewitt of the national
| Democratic committee, In response
to the urgent request of prominent
citizens of New Orleans, has asked
certain leading Democrats and Repub.
licans to proceed to that point to
counsel peace and Il fair and honest
count. Both parties will therefore be
represented, and the moral effect OF
their presence will be salutary It
Will virtually say to the returning
board, THE North insists on fair play
and an honest count-in fact, will tCl-
crate no fraud of any description
of course, these gentlemen have
no legal right to interfere In the
counting of the vote. They can only
request that they be afforded an op-
portunity to witness the counting OF
| the vote and to note all irregularities.
and this courtesy will undoubtedly be-
| accorded them. A unanimous report
from these gentlemen certifying to the
| fairness of the count would undoubted-
ly preclude the possibility of wrangle
when Congress meets to count the
electoral vote in February.
Senator Morton, In a report made
by him to the Forty-third Congress,
will say: Where the choice of the
President depend upon the election
In State which has been publicly
1 characterized by fraud or violence.
and In w1>.Sh one party is alleged to
have triumphed and occurred the GER
tificates of election by chicanery eC
the fraudulent Interpretation OF courts,
: such a President would in advance be
shorn of his moral power and author
| ity in his office, would be looked upon
as usurper. and the consequences
| that would result from such state
Of things no man can predict. But II
may be compared 10 what has so often
occurred in history where the success
| sor to the crown in a monarchy was
believed by a large part of the nation
to be illegitimate. or not to be right.
fully entitled thereto under the laws
| or usages Of the nation"