New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-04-22
what we allege in regard to the existence o.
vjntpnno trnrn

|
| wish t. call the attention of the House
Now, the gentleman. as l have shown, has
been guilty of the suppression of the truth
l state further, that he has been guilty Of
presenting to this House incorrect figures.
The registered vote of the Second Congress
sional District was 80, $40. Mr.. Hunt claims
to have received only Is 34l votes; and
when you turn to the Boards of Supervisors
you Will find that he lacks 1900 OF receiving
one-haIt the registered vote. Those re-
turns, concede, are not altogether correct,
because two polls are omitted but on re-
ferrlng to the returns of the Commissioners
OF Elections it will be found that Mr.. Hun,
still lacks $685. votes of receiving One-hali
the registered vote.
Now, those are the facts as exhibited in
the testimony, the gentleman's figures to
the contrary notwithstanding. Why, sir, he
has gone so far as to try to take advantage
of little misprint in regard to the parish OF
Terrebonne, making a difference OF about
100 votes.
Here the hammer fell
Mr.. Garfield, OF Ohio: hope the time of
the gentleman from Louisiana (MrA6heidouj
will be extended When others have spoken
SO much longer than he, think it would
be unjust to limit him TO one half hour.
| Mr.. Stevenson: The previous question has
been ordered, and the closing hour is now
running. That is the only difficulty in
regard to extending anybody's time.
Mr.. Garfield, of Ohio l move that by
unanimous consent the time Of the gentle
! man from Louisiana be extended, the ad-
| ditional time not to be counted d: part OF
| the hour.
Mr.. Kerr: To that make no objection If
the time allowed to me be extended in the
same proportion. l suppose the gentleman
would not favor any unfair distribution OF
| the time.
Mr.. Garfield, of Ohio: Not at all: but
think the sitting member ought to be allow
| ed more time.
! Mr.. Stevenson: If the time is to be ex-
| tended it ought to be understood that vote
| is not to be taken to night. Let us have
that understanding, and then shall have
no objection to an extension OF time.
| The Speaker pro tempore (Ar. Loue h.
ridge in the chair. How much additional
time does the gentleman from Louisiana de-
! sire?
MIR. Sheldon, of Louisiana: Five minutes,
I think. will be sufficient.
The Speaker pro tempore: II there be no
| objection the gentleman's time will be eX-
! tended
| There was no objection.
Mr.. Paine: think it we'll that, in accord
| ance with the suggestion of the gentleman
| from Ohio Mr.. Stevenson), we. have an I'M
| derstanding as to whether the vote shall be
! taken tonight or tomorrow morning.
MIR. Stevenson: That IS what | want. |
have no objection to en- extension of time if
the vote is not to be taken tonight.
MIR. Allison: | suggest that the vote be
taken Immediately alter the morning hour
Tomorrow.
Mr.. Ferry: I would like to call the atten-
ton of the gentleman from Ohio to the fact
that it was announced in the early part of
this discussion that the vote would not be
taken till tomorrow morning, and the va
i ,In,, H.
many members have absented themselves
upon that understanding. To take vote
upon the question tonight would. think,
be unfair to those gentlemen who are now
absent, and who wish to put their votes upon
the record.
Dir. Allison: hope it may be understood
that the vote shall be taken tomorrow, i'm
mediately after TIE morning hour.
The Speaker pro tempore: If there be no
objection, it will be the understanding that
the vote upon this question shall be taken
Immediately after the morning hour to.
morrow.
Mr.. Garfield, Of Ohio: If there be morn
ing hour. =.
the hour regularly assigned as the morning
hour.
The Speaker pro tempore: The Chair
hears no objection to that arrangement:
and it will be so ordered. The gentleman
from Louisiana will proceed with his re.
marks.
Mr. NiDlack: have listened to the gen.
tIeman from Louisiana Mr.. Sheldon) with
great deal or pleasure: but as he is about
to resume his remarks | would like to call
his attention to a single point. Conceding
the truth of all that he charges, those facts,
in my view, clearly invalidate the whole
election.
Mr.. Sheldon, Of Louisiana: That is your
opinion.
Mr.. Niblack That is what want to see
about. The election, then, is invalidated,
as neither one can claim legal majority.
Mr.. Sheldon, OF louisiana: Now, Mr.
Speaker, the Second Congressional District
of ne State of Louisiana comprises the
parishes of Jefferson, St. Charles, St. John
the Baptist, st. James, Lafourche and Terre
bonnie, and five wards of the city Of New
Orleans. Rejecting the votes cast in the
five wards of the city of New Orleans, al |
though thirty'two hundred men in the par |
ish of Jefferson were prevented from voting |
by the Democracy, still the votes cast gave |
me 1888 majority. So, then, you can do |
with Jefferson parish what you please; it |
does not affect the result.
The city of New Orleans is conceded to |
have been in a state of violence such as | |
have described. What 10 to be done with |
that? | admit if violence is done in the |
IL
toto. | assert that Is good law. which must |
be applied in this case. But if the violence |
is only partial or local, then the election
shall be nullity pro tdntO. That is
the correct doctrine established in this
country.
And let me say, Mr.. Speaker, that this
question of violence in elections is matter
OF recent growth in this country. No case
arose beyond fifteen years ago. | believe
the first was from the city of Baltimore. l
say further, sir, if men deny by violence the
rights OF others, it is but Just to say to
them, You shall be denied yourselves what
you have denied to Others That is Just
rule. And assert further that the peace
able people Of five parishes, composing that
district, shall not be put to the trouble and
of voting over again, because they
happen to be yoke-telows with the city Of
New Orleans. Unless such a principle pre-
walls, and desire the thoughtful attention
of every member Of this House-if you
adopt the other principle, you allow a few
bad men in every locality to control an cleo
ton SO as to suit themselves, or at least to
defeat the wishes Of the people. And no
man can escape the conclusion l draw. 1t
is just in law and just il morals. 1t is such
a precedent as this country ought to eslab-
fish.
rest the whole legal question upon what l
have said. 1t is all that can be said on this
particular point. Why did not all the regis.
tered voters cast their ballots if they or any
of them desired to vote the Democratic
ticket? 1t would have been safe and popular
to have done SO. Grant and ColfaX were
popular candidates, and commanded the
support of all the Republicans
of louisiana, and they would have been
glad to 20 to the polls and vote for them. Let
it be remembered, however, that the iDtiu-