The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-02-01

show. In some instances the board
took copies of returns made by private
PERSONS.
Mr.. Trumbull-Did you have official
returns according to the laws Of the
State9
Mr.. Lyneh-No sir.
Mr.. Trumbull-You counted in some
instances votes never CASTE
Mr.. LYneh-Yes, sir. Did SO under
the laws of the United States and in
obedience to the principles of justice.
Thinks the affidavits counted were
generally struck off from the same
press by Mr.. Ray. The reason why the
board had no official returns. was, be-
cause the Governor refused to give
them in parishes known to be Demo
cratic. Count was taken when the
board had no returns. Presumes all
the State officers of election were
opposed to the Republican party. Mr..
Blanchard was requested to appoint a
Republican Commissioner, but refused.
By .Trumbull-By Democratic re-
turns witness means the returns
publican candidates from two wards in
New Orleans. The Board made no re-
turns. DON'T know within a Thousand
votes how many votes were cast in
those wards. Is his impression that
they were Greeley wards.
By Mr.. MOrtOn-lt is witness i'm
preston that the votes in these wards
were counted for President and Cover
nor, and thrown out of the vote for
members Of the Legislature?
By Mr.. Ray-On the Saturday preced-
ing the day of the election, witness
went to the place of registration to
register his vote. The registrar could
not be found; continued his search dur
ing the week, but could not find him.
Finally, a friend of the registrar told
him that if he would indicate at what
hour on the following day he would be
at his house, the registrar would be
there. Next day witness met him near
his house, and he and some sixty of his
neighbors were registered. Notice of
the time and place of registration was
published, but the registrar could not
be found at the time and place adver-
tised. Similar complaints were made in
other parts of the State. Most of the
voters had to travel as much as ten miles
to be registered. Tt was evident that
the polling-places were SO located as to
be incOnvenient of access. Here follow
ed some question as to the population
of the State and the proportion of white
and cOlored Republican and opposition
voters, in reply to which witness could
not give a clear and definite answer.
Witness then testified that no publica-
ton was made of the places of voting
in his parish. No paper was published
in that parish. The evidence before the
witness board vas that in all large Re
publican localities every obstacle was
thrown in the way of securing a full
vote. Witness saw a letter from Cen
eral Mcmillan, in which he complained
that he had been prevented from vot-
ing, and OF the unfairness with which
the voting was conducted.
Gen. Mcmillan explained, that the
matter of which he complained in said
letter was corrected, and that the voting
was fairly conducted thereafter. A
lengthy examination disclosed the fact
that the witnesses, according to the
evidence before the Returning Board,
showed that the obstacles thrown in the
way OF voters were against the Repub-
licans, not on account of race, color or
previous condition of servitude.
Gen. Mcmillan named two commits
sioners of election whom the witnesses
admitted were Republicans, and others
whose politics he did not know. Wit
ness thought there were twenty-five
white Republicans in Carroll parish.
Did not know that there were fifty.
There probably were not as many there
as in any other parish outside of New
Orleans. isl -
Gen. Mcmillan asked questions con-
corning the vote in New Orleans, which
the witness said he could not answer,
and referred his interrogation to the rec
ord. Witness could not tell how it was
that his Board returned 1000 less voters
for McEnery in New Orleans than were
returned by other Boards.
Gen. Mcmillan submitted certificates
of the United States Supervisors that
the returns of the State ~Oficers.in New
0rlens were correct. = .o
Witness said this was the rule, but
that there We're exceptions in which the
United States Supervisors noted errors
upon the back of the returns.
Mr.. Morton directed witness to look al
the synopsis of the evidence taken be-
fore his Board as publishedin the Presi-
dents message, and say at a future time
whether it is O is not a fair statement.
Gen. James LOngstreet sworn and ex-
amined by Nh. Morton-Was a member
of the Lynch Returning Board; made
an official demand upon Gov. Warmoth
for the official returns of the election on
the day the DuFell decision was render
ed; found that the Governor was at Mr..
Semmes' Office. Mr.. Semmes said that
he was in private consultation with him,
and could not be seen. Mr.. Bovee offered
to give the written order to him to be
delivered to Gov. Warmoth, and Mr.,
Semmes declined to be his messenger.
Copies of the demand were left at the
Governors Office. Gov. Warmoth made
no reply. Did not get anyreturns from
Gov. Warmoth. Don't know whether
he promulgated the returns ON the next
day. It was just in time forthe meeting
of the Legislature.
To Gen. MeMillan-Don't think that
after DureIl's decision Gov. Warmoth
was invited to be present.
To Gov. WarmOth-Thinks the min
utes of the board do not show that Gov.
WaTmOth was elected chairman of the
board at its first meeting.
To Gen. McMilan-Was satisfied at
the time of this demand that the returns
were in the possession of some other
board. - 9
The investigation then adjourned un-
til 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, and
the committee went into secret session.
"PATENT OUFsIDEs.n-We regret to
see 10 many of the Kentucky publishers
adopting the cooperative plan'' for
printing their papers, /. e., having their
outside pages first and fourth) printed
in Chicago, Milwaukee, st. Louis, Nash
vile, or ON other point, and sent to
them to print the inside (second and
thirdl pages at home. We see it stated
that there are now about 1900 papers
printed on this plan in the United
States, and the list is being daily aug
mented. Precisely the same matter
viii be used in one of these "co-opera-