The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1870-05-28

IN I.HE HOUSE or REIkE
iSENI,AITTE,S,
April 29, 1870.
i Mr.. KERR. Mr.. Speaker, may
not occupy all the time the gentle
man has granted me; I intend tt
present, as briefly as possible, the
facts and principles necessary il
my view for the just determine.
ton of this case. I believe, Mr.
Speaker, that the committee is a
unit in its opinion on several OF
the material points in this case.
In the first place all agree that
Mr.. McCranie is not now quail
fed to take the oath prescribed
by law and to be admitted to a
seat, supposing him to have been
elected. We all agree that Mr..
Morey is not elected, and could
not by possibility have been elect
ed in that district. We all agree
that Mr.. Kennedy was not elected,
and could not have been elected
under any state of circumstances
that can be supposed to have pre-
vailed. And now / come to an
other point on which possibly we
do not agree. / ask for a mo-
ment the attention of my col
league on the committee, Mr..
Stevenson, [ believe we do agree
that Mr. McCranie is not disqual-
flied by the fourteenth amend
lnent, but is only disqualified by
reason Of service rendered in the
fAGn n t0I
Mr.. STEVENSON. There is no
evidence before the committee
that Mr.. .McCranie is disqualified
under the fourteenth amendment.
He was only twenty-five years Of
age when the war began, and had
never held any Office requiring
him to take an oath to support the
Constitution of the United States.
Mr.. KERR. On those points,
then, we agree. Now, Go we not
agree that Mr.. NIcCranie is elect
ed? And it is to this point that I
desire mainly to address myself
for a short time ! hope that gen
tlemen on both sides of the House
will favor me with their attention
while I present briefly the facts
which are material to the deter
mination Of this part Of tho case.
First, then, I state-and in this
I agree with my colleague on the
committee-that the entire regis
tered vote of the district prior to
that election, according to the reg
made in pursuance. of
law by Republican officials,
by Republican superior
officers Of the State, was 23,1l3.-I
We also agree that there were
cast at that election 2O,2l6 votes,
leaving only 2,16O votes out of
the entire registration that were
not cast. I beg leave to say at
this point that 2,l6O votes not
cast out OF 23,113 registered vot-
ers do not afford any evidence Of
the alleged intimidation, force, or
violence. So full a vote surely
could not have been cast in the
midst of so much turmoil, disor-
ler, and bloodshed as is alleged
20 have existed or occurred. I be-
ieve we do not disagree as to the
further fact that of the 2O,2l6
votes that were cast MIR. N1cCranie
received 1916, being a clear ma
ority over both his competitors
If 7,216 votes; and, as I have stat
I'd, a clear majority upon the en-
ire registration of 2,160. Out of
thirteen parishes Mr.. McCranie
carried nine, Mr.. Morey and Mr..
each two only Mr.. Nc
Jranie carried fully three fourths
If the district, measured by terri
;ory, and was supported by.near-
y all the taxpayers of the entire
district.
1 desire now to remark that
his district, as has been stated
~ my colleague, is a country dis
riot, composed Of agricultural,
parishes. In most Of the
parishes the white population ex-
leeds the colored; but in a few
he colored population exceeds
he white. I say With emphasis,
md 1 desire to challenge the at
ention OF members to the state
nent, that this was the most I