New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-05-08
FIFTH DIsTRICT ELECTION CON
TEST.

Speech of Hon. r. MOrey.
In the House Of Representatives, Thurs
day, April %, the election contest in th'
Fifth Congressional District of Louisiana
being under discussion
Mr. Stevenson: / now propose to yield t.
Mr.. Mercy for ten minutes. Before doing
so will ask that leave be granted to him tt
have printed in the Globe additional remarks
to those he may make in ten minutes.
The Speaker: That will require unanimous
consent.
No objection was made, and leave wa:
accordingly granted.
Mr.. Morey: Mr.. Speaker, the majority OF
the Committee Of Elections, in presenting
Their report, refer to the law and state
that
'sThe House has heretofore, in the case Of
Hunt VS.. Sheldon, adopted the rule tina,
where it appears that certain precincts and
parishes Tor countiesl of district have been
carried by violence or intimidation, the re-
turns therefrom shall be rejected, and the
result derived from the returns from the
peacebale precincts and parishes Tor coun.
ties)."
That is the principle which ] hold should
govern in this case. / have claimed in my
brief, as [ claim now, that the votes of the
peaceable parishes of this district should be
counted. ! claim that first, because it Is
right; and then claim it MS the only princi.
pie which will teach the lawless element of
our population that their tffJrts at lawless-
ness and murder and intimidation will be
brought to naught. The moment the prin
ciple is established by this Congress that the
votes OF peaceable parishes alone shall be
counted, then the only incentive to such q
course on their part will be removed, and
the practice will be discontinued. The re.
port says that the House decided differently
in the Sypher case.
Now, Mr.. Speaker, we find that the legal
returns received from this district comprise
the returns from eleven parishes. In my
brief claim that there was fraud, violence
and intimidation in six parishes out of
the eleven. The claim in one parish, that
of Catahoula, WAS not in the Judgment of
the committee sustained. That left six
parishes, in one of which the charge of in-
timidation and violence was not sustained
by the evidence, and IN five of which the
legality Of the election was not questioned,
and FIVE parishes in which intimida.
ton and violence did prevail. In
those parishes the vote in the spring stood
S004 Republican votes and 290l Democratic,
there being, not, as the gentleman on the
other side stated, a majority of Demo-
cratic votes, but majority of one hundred
and three Republican votes. In two of
those parishes there prevailed in the spring
the same intimidation and violence that
prevailed in the fall. Upon the investiga.
ton by the State Legislature large portion
of the votes of those two parishes were
thrown out as having been Influenced by
violence and intimidation, and the Republi-
Can members having received majority of
the votes Cast in the peaceable precincts of
those two parishes, were seated. HeLce
the Republican majority in the spring in
those lawless parishes is swelled to the ex-
tent Of HOO Or 1900 votes, while at the cleo
ton in the fall these five parishes cast
4rrp NJ nj ~ in, f.
Grant and Colfax and for the contestant
Now, those six parishes in which the con.
testee does not attack the validity of the
election, and in only one of which, Cata-
houla, have l attacked its validity, which
attack was not fully sustained by the evi.
dence constitute fully one-half Of the area
of the whole district, which Is the largest in
the State, and one of the largert in the
country. Those six parishes contain ma
jority of the registered voters of the whole |
district. The committee state that. as to |
the parishes OF Catahoula and Caldwell, the |
testimony is not conclusive. l admit that |
the testimony is not conclusive as to the |
parish of Catahoula: but as to the parish of |
Caldwell, we have the testimony Of two |
judges, who are two old citizens, RESPONSE. |
BILE and respectable in every way, men who |
have not the faint O.. carpet baggeryr |
upon them. They testify that during their |
lifetime, embracing forty or fifty years. they |
nave never seen SUCH a SldLc OF tIIDRS as
prevailed at this election.
They had to leave their homes at night |
under the guard OF party of their friends.
portion OF them their political opponents,
who stated that they could not control the
violent elements ia the parish, even as
against those lifelong residents in the dis
trict. Where such was the case with regard
to white men, what must it have been in re.
gard TO the colOred men, who were taken
out at night by armed bands OF men in dis
guise, the leaders whipped, and the rest
compelled to join the Democratic club and
take protection tickets" which would pro-
tee. them from what? Which would pro-
tect them from the ku-klux organization
within the Democratic party. That WAS the
intimldate the leading white Republicans
and SO frighten and iltimidate the balance
OF the colored voters, who were not so igno-
rant as not to know where their interests
lay IN this election.
Those five parishes where intimidation ex.
listed, cast in the spring some GOO0 votes, the
Republican maj ority being l03, while in tho
fall twenty nine votes only were cast for
Grant and Colfax, and for myself, as the Re.
publican candidate for Congress. In one of
those parishes, which polls about 5000 votes,
two Republican votes were cast by two white
men, one of whom was taken out night
or two afterward and beaten almost to
committee he was still suffering from the
effects of that beating.
In regard to the ineligibiitv of Mr..
McCranie, / wish TO etate That the case is
not parallel with that of those gentlemen
who have heretofore been relieved from dis.
abilities and admitted to seats on this floor.
In the latter cases there were recon-
mendations from prominent Republicans of
their States, setting forth that they had &C
copied the situation, and were in favor of the
policy of Congress.
This gentleman petitioned to have his
disabilities removed last year, and his ap-
plication was presented by a Senator who,
when he beard all the facts in the case, |
withdrew the application for relief which
he had presented. There is no Republican
from Louisiana on this floor or in the House |
who viii iDdorse his application. And why?
Because this gentleman has been one of
the strongest opponents of the reconstruc
ton policy of the government ever since its |
inception. know il. He publishes a paper
in my town, and / publish another. | am
familiar with his record. placed file of
his newspaper before the Committee on
Public Disabilities of the Senate, and one
glance through those sheets was sufficient |
to satisfy them that his application should
be denied. Therefore his case was not re-
ported last year.
When it was believed that his political
disabilities would be removed this year, | |
received letters from prominent Union men
and Republicans protesting against such
action. / understand that if aDybody's dis.
abilities are 10 be removed it is the man ,
cepts the reconstruction policy in good
faith. We do not OBJECT to the removal of {
I'll political disabilities, but, when the cases
are made exceptional, we 90 protest against ,