New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-04-18
THE ELEorIoN YESTERDAY.

|
of colored men were deprived of thei
votes on the most absurd, frivolous, an'
wicked pretexts. The most ridiculou
questions were asked colored voter
whose registration papers were correct ii
every particular, for the purpose Of con
iusing and embarrassing them. Such a
Do you live in a three-story house? Is !
brick house? Is the chimney insid'
or outside of the house? But whit
men who it was known would vot
the Democratic ticket were asked no ques
tons whatever.
Barricades, in some precincts, wer'
erected to separate colored and whit
voters, and while twenty-five cOloreC
voters stood hour after hour without al
opportunity to vote, white men we're al
lowed to vote without delay.
In Hunter street, first district, rop'
thrown across the street separated whit
and Colored voters, but the latter wer'
compelled to walt the pleasure Of the com
missioners. while white men had no diff
Guilty in voting quite promptly.
Affdavits have been made against com
missioners Of election in the first, sixth
ninth, and other wards
In the third ward, at No. II engine house
Common street, large numbers OF colored
voters waited at the polls from eigh
O'Clock in the morning till late in
the day without having an opportunity tC
vote, while white men by twos and threeI
were admitted through side door and al
lowed to vote. These facts have been laid
before General Buchanan and Captain
Scott, chairman of the hoard of registra
ton for the third ward. At poll No. 2
precinct No. 5, third ward, one Of the Com.
missioners was relieved by the Board o.
Registration upon the affidavit of William
Kerrott, who swore that he saw the Com.
missioner change ballot before deposit
ing the same.
In the ninth precinct, poll No. l, at the
engine house, Basin street, as many as
twenty Republicans voters were ar
rested and committed to prison by
order Of the Commissioners OF cleo
ton, and their registration certif-
Gates taken from them on the pretense
of some informality which these rebels
termed fraud, though the parties arrested
were fully entitled to vote. Registration
papers were also taken from Republican
voters in other parts of the city without a
decent pretense of fraud.
In the fifth ward, at precinct 70, poll No.
?, one Of the commissioners of election,
named Bonneval, was detected in the act
Of changing a voters ticket after he had
voted, throwing on the floor the Republican
ticket which the party voted and depositing
in the box Democratic vote. The police
man picked up the discarded vote from the
floor and now has it in his possession. The
case has been reported at headquarters.
AT poll No. l, precinct 8, second district,
the commissioners of election prevented
about twenty-five eoiored men from voting,
took away the registration papers from the
most Of them, and sent eight or ten of them
to prison. No justice whatever was shown
to the colored voters. They were interro-
gated very closely, and asked questions
having no relation to their right to vote,
while white men were not questioned in
any way or manner. Eight or ten white
men were admitted into the house where
the votes were taken, and there they CON
versed with and advised the commissioners
OF election how to decide disputed ques-
tons that were arising. Oue of the COM
missioners, Mr.. Cavenac, did his duty faith
fllly.
In the ninth ward several colored men
were refused vote ON the ground that
they registered in other parishes, and were
told by the commissioners they must 20
there to vote, Notwithstanding they had
resided in Orleans parish for several months
In one case enc of these commissioners of
election refused to give his name to party
lnquiring it Of him in respectful manner,
either because he was ashamed Of his own
name, or for some other reason.
At poll No. l, fifih ward, everything was
quiet during the day; and it is estimated
that the Republican majority is at least
three hundred.
In the third ward abOnt 1900 vetes have
been cast, of which more than 1850 were
given by cslored men. This ward has the
largest proportion Of white voters of any
ward in the city.
A commissioner at the poll on Poeyfarre.
near TchoupitOulas street, sitting by the
window, repeatedly questioned freedmen
concerning the manner Of their voting and
1 they dared vote eny other ticket than
he one brought by them, and why they
'oted at all, and in a sly manner attempted
o broWbeat them. His style was not par
icularly digaifed.
The total vote in the frss and second
yards Is reported at 1918.
In the third district 4644 votes were
'ast, and the colOred majority there is about
thousand 80 far.