New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-25

/ represent, for notice that in all the tu-
mults we have had here the only persons
who have been injured or assassinated have
been colOred men.
Mr. Campbell wish to correct some
misapprehension which the Senator from
Carroll (Mr. McMillen) has fallen into, and
which will be spread abroad with the sane
ton of his distinguished name and com
manding abilities. He has referred to this
bill as proposing board of revision. He is
entirely mistaken; there is no board of re-
vision proposed in this amendment.
Mr.. McMillen--I so understand it.
Mr., Campbell--It is no more a board OF
revision than the Secretary of State is, to
whom, under the original bill, the returns
are to be sent If any Senator can contra
diet this reasonably, l will give up my
whole opposition to the measure. The
board to be created can not revise single
vote, can not alter a single statement, any
more than the Secretary of State could UNI
der the bill as it stands.
Mr.. Blackman-What is the use OF the
section, then?
Mr.. Campbell--I will come to that direct
ly l say the Senator iMr. McNliilenl al
ludes to this as "a board of revision. 1t is
not the bill simply makes these persons
officers to make returns, which shall be
prin.a tacic evidence of election. l say, we
| desire these five returning officers to be re-
turning officers for one reason, and one
| reason only; not to revise the votes. but. II
| any such cases occur as occurred III 1903,
| when proof shall have been made to them
| of wholesale violence or tImult, to have
the power to say i, is not voting, but that 1t
| is Il riot.
Mr. McMillcn-That is just what thought
| it was.
Mr. Campbell--It is not revising the vote,
| because the vote will be recorded as cast
and can not be changed by these men.
Mr.. McMillen-YOu lodge with them the
| power to take cOgnizance OF mere state
| ments which some persons may make IN re-
| gard to the condition of atfairs-n my par
| ish, for instance-and, in their judgment, if
| certain circumstances existed on the day of
| election which warrant their doing so, they
| may set the entire election aside.
Mr. Campbell propose to lodge in their
| hands this power to say whether it is an
election or such a tumult as made no cleo
! ton possible. | return to my proposition
of yesterday. Why do you gentlemen ask
| me to give you guarantee against the
| frauds of 1870 and refuse to give us a guar
antee against repetition of the violence of
| 1868! Sixty-tour thousand Republican
votes cast in 1864; sixty-five Thousand in
| 1870, and only twenty-five thousand votes
| for Grant in 1868. Not man on this floor
| lobbyist, Senator, or spectator, but Will
admit that these forty thousand were kept
| away by violence and threats of assassina-
ton. l say if this section meant, to give us
| this protection, does not meet your ideas.
| give us one of your own that will. Don t
stand here and charge political cowardce:
don't charge the party with being thieves
! and towards, cheats and swindlers, but
| meet the question as men should meet 1t.
! The Senator from Carroll tMr. McMillen)
has referred to the people who compose
ninety nine out of one hundred of the Re-
| publicans of the State. who stayed away
| from the polls in 1868, in terms which, l
| think, the Senator from the First District
| MIR. Barber) fifty answered. l think
it was an unmerited reproach to in
| innate in any way that the reason
| these people stayed away was such coward
ice as units them to be the recipients of the
rights of suffrage. / say to the Senator
from Carroll Mr.. McMillen) that | repel
that insinuation, because | know other peo-
| pie than the coored people who will stray
away from the polls for more trivial causes:
know hundreds Of white people-respectable
| peOple-whOse courage is undOubted, who
will stay away from an election where they
| are not assured OF protection. These people,
poor and mainly dependent upon their daily
| labor for their living, have thousand times
more reason for staying away from the
| polls where violence and intimidation are
practiced, and it does hot lie well in the
| mouth of the Senator from Carroll INF
| McMilenl to make any such imputation.
| Mr.. McMillen--I have made no such state
ment with regard to the cOlored people.
charge political cowardice on the Republi-
can party in 1868; particularly on the Re
publican party in the city of New Orleans
l say that when they abstaiued from voting
at that election for fear of personal violence
I .,
| cowardice without any personal reference
to colored people or white people. and
think this charge properly belongs where
the Senator from the first district Mr.
| BARBER put it. on the leaders of the par
" in the city of New Orleans: and the Re
publican leaders in the city of New Orlean:
| are ordinarily white men.
Mr.. Campbeil-As throughout the entire
State the Senator from Carroll (Mr. Nc
Mllen) will find that nine hundred anC
ninety nine ont of every thousand people II
the Republican party are colored men, hi:
personal explanation does not make hi:
statement much different from the first
AS far as the charge of political cowardict
IN New Orleans is concerned the Republl
can State Central Committee and the lead
ers of the party advised the people not t.
be afraid, and not to stay away from thu
polls. A newspaper which l believe wa:
! then the organ of the Republican party
advised the people to stay away.
Mr.. McMiIlen-Does the Senator desire
me to say what | know about that article!
Mr. Campbell-No, sir.
Mr.. McMillen-It you desire information
| can give it,
Mr.. Campbell-I can further say tina
during the two months OF registration
nearly one third of the Republican voters
of this parish were excluded from reglStra
I,ft 70 IN q
ever the Senator from Carroll lNlr. Nc
Millen may term it, the tact remains tina
so many voters did stay away, and l ASK
him to give us the remedy.
| Mr.. Ingraham-I was astOunded at some
of the remarks made by the gentleman from
Carroll (NIr. McMillen); and right here al
low me to say that | witness the same scene
to-day that ! always witnessed in the Re
publican party in the State of Louisiana
that is, one class of Republicans demanding
of another class of Republicans their rights
Men elected to high and responsible posi-
tions by colored mems votes are now stand
ing by and compelling colored men to knee
and cringe and crawl to get from then
what belongs to them. 1t is mean an(
despicable fact that the sections which WI
are now attempting to put into this new
law are looked upon by every colored MAJ
in this State as the only protection the,
have against riot intimidation, and blood
shed. | will even go further. The more
intelligent of the colored men look on the
State board of returning officers as the only
barrier between them and a war of races
and the gentleman from Carroll (Mr
McMillen) invites war of races in his re
marks here this morning He says it wa
because of political cowardice on the par
Of the Republican party that it did not g
to the polls May l ask the gentleman
from Carroll (Nlr. McMillen) who constr