The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-01-10
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. inanc south.


The following extract from Louisi
ana letter, to the Washington City Pat
riot, will give our readers an insight intt
the rascally registration system of tn,
party in power, as practiced in that State
aud throughout the Southern States:
Thousands Of citizens we're dehiet
registration on the most frivolous pre-
texts; particularly was ehis the case with
men of foreign birth, registrars refusing
10 recognize their certificates of natural
lzation il granted by the State Courts
during the summer of 1868. Others
were refused recognition unless the ap.
.plicant could answer long list of irrel
event questions. For example, they re-
quired a foreigner to state the. names Of
the men who were his witnesses at the
time of his naturalization. They also
required him to give The name of the
State, county, town, and court where he
declared bis intentions to become a citl-
zen; and if he failed to remember any
of these facts he was refused registra-
ton, Notwithstanding his certificate OF
naturalization. When registrars failed
t, obtain pretext for refusing registra
tion in this way, other excuses were in
vented, and the applicant required to
cnme ag,in at another hour and another
day, when his case would be considered
White native citizens were treated in the
same way, and thus delayed and har-
rassed until they abandoned all efforts to
become registered voters I'm the mean,
time the work of registering negroes
progressed without interruption and with
zeal; so that, long before the time for
closing the registration arrived, all the
negroes were booked, (many of them
two and three times each
"On the Saturday before the election
(which took place on Monday long
list of names was published of persons
whose names had beens or would be
stricken off the registry lists unless they
showed cause why that should not be
done, 1T being alleged that they had been
illegally and frauduIeutly registered. No
time or place was fixed for those per
sons to show such cause, and when per-
sons (of the verv few who saw the ad :
vertisement) endeavored to find place
where they might apply to vindicate their
resignation, none could be found. In
this way over $500 citizens, who had
been legally registered, were stricken
from the lists and denied the right to
vote, in this city New Orleans) alone
All yearly tenants in this city, if they
change their residence at all, do so on
the Ist of Octobcr-that day with us is
the great moving day. All who did so
on :he 1st of October last were for that
reason stricken off the list of registered
votcrs,and no opportunity allowed them
to explain and reinstate themselves.
GRANT, in his Message, IN the face Of
the above facts, had the impudence to
give utterance to the following hypocrit-
ical whine:
s.lt is to be regretted that free exer.
else Of the elective franchise has, by vio-
lence and intimidation, been denied to
citizens in exceptional cases in several of
the States lately in rebellion. and the
verdict of the people has thereby been
reversed"
All that when his paid agents were
perpetrasing their villainly, under in
structions from his administration.
Could villainy go further?