Year: 1876

The Republican conspiracy grows in full
sight Of the people. The full desperation
of their plans becomes more and more ap
parent every day. When the claim of thu
three States in contes! was first made fol
Hayes, the Republicans quieted the alarm
of all those fair minded men who thought
they saw in this a design to elect a Presi'
dent by fraud, by saying that they would
be ready to acquiesce in the verdict of the
people as soon as it was once ascertained
They protested that Tilden should have
these States if they had voted for him.
Their only object was a fair count and a
declaration OF the President who had been
legally elected. They would submit to the
verdict, whatever it was, of the Returning
Boards and, above all of the Courts.


How far this promise has been fulfilled,
the people may now judge. The evident
determination of the Louisiana Returning
Board to count out the Democratic major
iy of from 1000 to 5000 votes las not
vet been carried into effect, and we can bide
our time. At the same time, the full
wickedness Of the purposes of the Repub.
licans is shown in their refusing 10 allow
the Democrats representation on the Lou.
isiana Returning Board, and excluding
their counsel from the rooms: in their sup
pressing the returns, as they have admitted
over their own signatures, from thirty-two
out of thirty-nine counties in Florida, and
in the massing Of troops in Washington.


But the worst remains to be told. The
Republican Board of Canvassers in South
Carolina has disregarded the formal order
Of the Supreme Court Of the State, COM
posed entirely of Republicans, and has
fraudlently given the Republicans their
State ticket and tive Legislature which
elects a United States Senator, and connts
The vote for Governor. The manner
Of the proceeding was as disgrace
full as the proceeding itself, The Supreme
Court had granted an order to the Board
commanding it to grant certificates Of eiec-
ton to all candidates shown BY the returns
to have been elected. This would have
given the Legislature and part Of the State
ticket to the Democrats, and given them
the right to count the vote for Governor
and elect United States Senator. Before
the order could be transmitted to the Board
in proper form, but not before its members
had heard of it, they threw out the vote Of
two counties, SO as to reduce the majority
Of the Democrats to minority, and then
granted certificates Of election to the whole
Republican State ticket, and to Republi-
can majority in the Legislature, As soon
as they had scrambled through this per-
formance, they adjourned sine die, and
scampered off.


This action was confessedly scandalous
and disgracelul. Honest men discharging
judicial functions do not run away like
thieves when their duties have been done.
But taken in defiance of the order of the
highest Court OF the State, this action is not
only in contempt of Court, but of all authori-
ty and all deceney. But there is even
more startling viewEof it than this. If
the Republicans refuse to snbmit to the
Courts, to what will they submit? Have
We any guarantee that if the Presidential
controversy were referred by common
consent to the Supreme Court of the United
States, they would submit TO in decision ?
Does this mean purpose to inaugurate
Governor Hayes in spite of the votes, in
spite Of the people, in spite even of the
Courts?