le. In South Carolina and in some parishes of
Louisiana, there was a considerable amount of violence, in which the
whites had the advantage, and much fraud, which the Republicans, who
controlled the election machinery, turned to best account. It has been
said that out of the confusion which the Republicans created they won
the presidency.

The first election returns seemed to give Tilden the victory with 184
undisputed electoral votes and popular majorities of ninety and over
six thousand respectively in Florida and Louisiana; only 185 votes were
needed for a choice. Hayes had 166 votes, not counting Oregon, in
which one vote was in dispute, and South Carolina, which for a time was
claimed by both parties. Had Louisiana and Florida been Northern
States, there would have been no controversy, but the Republican general
headquarters knew that the Democratic majorities in these States had to
go through Republican returning boards, which had never yet failed to
throw them out.

The interest of the nation now centered around the action of the two
returning boards. At the suggestion of President Grant, prominent
Republicans went South to witness the count. Later prominent Democrats
went also. These "visiting statesmen" were to support the frail
returning boards in their duty. It was generally understood that these
boards, certainly the one in Louisiana, were for sale, and there is
little doubt that the Democrats inquired the price. But they were afraid
to bid on such uncertain quantities as Governor Wells and T. C. Anderson
of Louisiana, both notorious spoilsmen. The members of the boards in
both States soon showed the stiffening effect of the moral support of
the Federal Administration and of the "visiting statesmen." Reassured as
to their political future, they proceeded to do their duty: in Florida
they threw out votes until the ninety majority for Tilden was changed to
925 for Hayes, and in Louisiana, by throwing out about fifteen thousand
carefully selected ballots, they changed Tilden's lowest majority of
six thousand to a Hayes majority of nearly four thousand. Naturally the
Democrats sent in contesting returns, but the presidency was really won
when the Republicans secured in Louisiana and Florida returns which were
regular in form. But hoping to force Congress to go behind the returns,
the Democrats carried up contests also from Oregon and South Carolina,
whose votes properly belonged to Hayes.

The final contest c