The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-09-26
The Louisiana Election Frauds.
DISCLOSURES OF REGISTRARS AND ELEc-
TION OFFICERS.
[From the st. Louis Globe, Sept. II

NISptUClI OI bll6 SbIhuS6 uISClOSuIOS lC"
Gently brought to ignt respecting the
full particulars of this damaging expose
WHAT BLANCHARD SAYS.
Brainard P. Blanchard, the chief
manipulation of the fraud, in an affidd
Wit of seventy closely written pages,
swears:
That he was appointed by Henry
G. WarmOth, Governor of the State of
Louisiana, Ito the office Of the State Regis
trar Of Voters, being also by virtue of
said Office, ex-OfficiO supervisor of regis
tration in and for the parish of Orleans
that he filed the said Office during the
years 1870, 1871 and 1879; that in the
last named year he was in full political
sympathy with the liberal movement,
and subsequently, upon the fusion of
the Liberal and Democratic parties,
with what was known and styled the
Fusion party, and in conjunction with
others of the same political party he de-
vised plans for carrying the general
election in the State Of Louisiana on Nov
ember 4, 1872, in favor Of the said Fusion
Dental Electors, Congress and State and
municipal offices: that with this object
in view, he proposed to take advantage
of all the powers conferred upon him by
| the acts of the General Assembly of the
| State of Louisiana, numbered respect
lively acts Nos. so and 100, approved
March 16, 1870, and known as the regis
tration and election laws of 1870.
! HOW THE DEAD MEN VOTED.
That, in furtherance of his scheme, he
caused careful compilation to bemade
| of the lists of deceased male persons over
| twenty one years of age, who had died
since the close of the registration in 1870,
which lists were required by law to be
furnished to him by the sections OF the
various cemeteries in the parish OF Or
leans, and that said lists, so compiled,
were carefully cOllated with the regis
tration books, and the registry number
and the election precinct in which the
deceased was registered were noted.
That instead of carrying out to the full
letter the provision of section seven OF
the registration law above referred to,
he caused to be erased from the lists OF
registered voters only the names OF such
deceased electors as were well known
in this community, and in cases where
the deceased was an obscure parsonage
Ia majority of the whole number being
composed of such), he caused to be made
out duplicate registration certificate IN
his name, the same to be retained and
used at the general election as hereinaf-
ter set forth. That for this purpose he
caused to BET printed fac-similes Of the
blank forms of duplicate registration
certificates used in 1870, which were a
different style oftype from those intend
ed to be used in 1872, in order to have
them filed up with the names OF deceas-
ed electors as above stated. That the
number Of duplicate certificates SO filled
I e. o4nHsoSaBA QSS oil
Of which were voted for fusion candl-
dates in the city of New Orleans.
FRAUDULENT PAPEBs OF 1870.
He further says that to his knowledge
a large number of certificates of regis
tratiOn had been issued in 1870, in names
of fictitious persons; that he caused a
careful examination Of the books Ofreg-
istratiOn to be made, and of other re-
cords and memOTandas in his possession,
to ascertain the fraudulent registries
and also made efforts to ascertain III
whose possession such papers in the
names of fictitious persons were, and that
he obtained possession of some 1000 OF
such, and in relation to such OF said pa
: pers as he could not obtain possession
, of the following course was pursued
Whenever he ascertained that they
were in the hands of persons belOngin2
to the Republican party, he then anG
during registration, caused the said tic.
titiOus names to be erased from the reg
; istry lists as fraudulent; but in all cases
where he aseertained that such papers
were in the possession of persons in the
interest of the Fusion party, he instruct
ed the assistant supervisors of Tegistra
ton not to erase such fictitious names
from the books, in cases where ne hat
confidence in those officers; but in case
- where he had reason to suspect the II
deity of any assistant supervisor to tn
Fusion cause, or to believe that any o
them would not assist in or abet sucl
n manipulatiOns. he prohibited them from
making any erasures whatever, reserv
ing that work for himself, or assignin!
lit to some confidential agent whom b
could implicitly trust.
CoLoRED VOTERS STRICKEN OFF.
Deponent further says that he also in
le structed assistant supervisors of regis
tration in the parish of Orleans tina
whenever they found upon the registT
= of 1870 names OF persons making thei
L marks (X), and supposed to be negroes
and not known personally to them, t
procure two persons, registered voter
in their respective wards to prepare
! Hist of such names and make an affidvi
!. that they chad reason to believe an
j, did believe that the persons name
therein were not residing in the ward b
the tenth day preceding the election. an
the assistant supervisors were directe
4 t0 erase from the lists of voters all name
IS nut down in said affldavits; and thi
] was done, although the law madeit tn
= duty of the Board Of Metropolitan Pc
Or lice Commissioners to cause a canvas
r Of the city of New Orleans, and present.
ed that the names of such persons q
II should be reported by them as "nt
foundn only should be stricken from th
registry list. Such afidayits were mad
and resulted in the exclusion of 24T
legaIlyregist colored voters from tf
polls in the city on the day of election
HINDRANeEs TO REGISTRATION.
Il Deponent further says that in order
On annoy and hinder coiOred men in regil
to tering, he instructed the assistant SUI
=. elyis0ls to throw every possible Obst;
sas ve Gle, in the way Of the United States SUI
x ervisors of election and deputy marsha
&c appointed to represent the Republics
y party, such as refusing them access
the books, or permission to remain b
hind tile railing, etc; and the assistal
- supervisors were further instructed thi
Whenever any considerable number
negroes were waiting for registratiC
z they should raise some frivolous Obje
= ton to the action of the United Stat
official, and refuse to submit to the 4
dIliremenb of the enforcement act
rs which conduct frequently resulted in Il
arrest of assistant supervisors and Il
closing of their Offices sometimes i
FfG