Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1872-11-23
.R.prny, P,RIsu IA, Nov = 1s7o

To F. A. woolhey, u S. Chief Supervisor of
Election for the District of Louisiana:
SIR-As one of the Supervisor of Election
for the parish of Rapides, appointed by the
United States Court for the District of
Louisiana, it becomes my duty, under section
eth of the act of the Congress of the United
States, entitled an "Act TO amend an act APP
proved May 81, 1870, entitled an act to en-
force the rights of citizens of the United States
to vote in the several States of this Union,
md ror other purposes approved February
%, 1871, to make to you the following report /:
was in attendance ON the 4th instant at
the election precinct in tn parish known as
the "Pineville Precinct" / have nothing
special to report relative to the proceedings
at that precinct, excepting the refusal of the
Commissioner to receive the votes of those
citizens who had not been registered and re-
ceivcd their proper certificate thereof, as re-
quired by the election laws of Louisiana.
This class of voters in number exceeding two
hundred, presented themselves at the said
precinct and made demand OF the Commits
sioners in my presence to receive their ballots
in the form and in strict accordance with their
rights as defined in section third of the act of
Congress entitled AN act to enforce the
right of citizens of the United States to vote
in the several States of this Union, and for
other purposes" approved May 81, 1870. All
this class of legal votes were rejected at the
said precinct, and affixed my official sigma
ture, testifying to the fact of their said de-
mand and rejection to each of these certifi-
Gates, attached thereto also the tickets they
proposed to vote, as required by the act above
referred to. In mitigation of the wrongful
acts of those commissioners in violation of
the law, feel it right to say that the Regis
trar, j. q. Z. Hooe, gave them preemptOry
orders in my presence not 10 receire the vote of
any person presenting himself as a voter, un-
less they exhibited certificate of registration
with his signature attached thereto. |
further report that on the morning of the 5th
instant was informed that the said Supervi-
sor of Registration (J. G. Hooe) intended to
canvass and count the votes polled on the 4th
instant in this parish, at the hotel of which
he is the proprietor in Alexandria, and not at
the Courthouse, where, in my opinion, it was
his duty under the law TO keep his Office /
therefore went to the said hotel, and after
some difficulty ascertained that he was located
in room No. II of said hotel, the door of which
found closed and locked, and on my demand,
in the name and by authority of the United
States in virtue of my commission as Supervi-
sor of Election, to be permitted to enter
therein, the said Hooe unlocked the door and
asked me what was my object and purpose,
when informed him that it was my wish
and purpose to discharge the duty imposed
upon me by section 5th of The act of the Con-
gress of the United States, approved February
%, 1871, to-wit: "To supervise the counting
and canvass of all the votes polled in the
parish on the 4th inst" He replied that she
would not admit me for any such purpose,
but that would be permitted to be present
when he opened the box and counted the
vote cast at the preciet where 1 was present
in person on the day of election but that he
would not permit any interference with his
rights under the laws of Louisiana, nor did he
ff nrtfh
son to interfere with him in canvassing and
counting the votes" / stated to him "That
I ciaime,a the right to remain with the ballot
boxes until every vote cast in the pa1T:.ss.h had
been counted and the proper certificates made
out, and that could not and would not sub
nit to his curtailment and limitation of my
rights and duties under the law" And as he
still persisted in his refusal to admit me into
his room, upon the conditions demanded by
me, left the premises and / am not therefore
enabled to repori how the canvassing of the
votes polled in tkis parish was conducted, as
You viii perceive from the above statements,
my inability TO make the report, which by
law l am required to doom this branch of
the duties of Supervisor of Elections. arises
not from any indisposition on my part to per-
form my duty, but because i was resisted and
opposed by the said Supervisor of Registra-
ton, in the attempt made by me TO discharge
laws of the United States. In this connection
will further state that for more than forty
years have taken an active part in the politi-
cal contest in this State and this is the only
election that has ever been held, to my
knowledge, Except, perhaps, during the war;
in which all of the Commissioners to hold the
election were selected from one political party
alone. and this is the only instance within my
recollection, in which the votes pollsd at an
election were counted in a private room, with
doors locked.
l also feel it my duty to say that all the
complaints made here of partiality and un-
fairness in conducting the registration of
voters, are made by persons adhering TO the
Republican party, and that these complaints,
from my own observations and knowledge
are well founded, and that there is abundant
evidence accessible to substantiate these
allegations. The aggregate Republican vote
of this parish will in my opinion, fall short
fully one-third by the return of the Number
they could have polled, and the eagerness
with which those who had failed in obtaining
their registration papers, pressed their rights
to vote without them on the day of election
indicated clearly to me that it was not their
fault that the provisions OF the law of
Louisiana had not been complied with rela-
tive to registration of votes.
Personally, belong to that political party
who are termed Last Ditch Democrats" |
never voted any other ticket than the Straight
out Democratic one, excepting that at the
late election l voted the entire Fusion State
ticket ,cithom a scratch and the Charles O'Conor
electoral ticket. But my political faith
teaches me that all men are entitled to their
civil and political rights as defined by law,
and that it is the duty of every good citizen
to oppose and denoInee any attempt to de-
prive the people of the right of suffrage given
them by law by wicked and INSCRIPTIONS
partisans, who would prostitute and pollute
the ballot-box to accomplish their selfish and
corrupt purposes,
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
r. A. HUNTER,
Supervisor of Registration fer. Parish of Ra-
pides.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this
seventh daY of Noyemher A. ID. 1872