The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-08-21

ANA ARA@A Il
ED AND WHAT THEY GOT-A MEMBER
THREATENS THE EXECUTIVE WITH CO.
ERCION-HE is sILENCED BY HIS COM
RADES.
THE GOVERNOR SAYS He WILL COOPER
ATE WITH THEM IN A FAIR ELECTION,
But CANNOTDIvIDE PATRONAGE-SAYS
HE WILL CONCEDE MORE TO H DEM
OCRATs THAN WAS GRANTED TO RE-
PUBLICANs IN 1872.
From the New Orleans Times, August 13th.l
Yesterday noon was the hour appoint
ed for an interview between Gov. Kel-
lOgg and a committee representing the
Democratic party of this city and State,
on the new
NEW REGISTRATION OF VOTERS
now about to be made under law of the
late Legislature. To avoid confusion of
ideas it will perhaps be we'll for us to
explain thatthe Registration tdWprOVides
for the appointment of only three per-
sons in each ward OF registration district,
to whom is to be entrusted the duty of
registering all, the qualified electors in
the State. These three officers are, a
REGISTRAR AND TWO CLERKS,
In the act under which this registra-
ton is to be made, there is no limit as
to the partisan character of these regis
trars and clerks. They may be all Re-
publicans or all Democrats; it is only
necessary that they themselves shall be
citizens Of the State and qualified to be
registered voters. It is in this respect
that the registration law differs from
the election AW. Under the election law
it is made imperative that there shall be
representatives from each political party
on the board Of supervisors at each cleo
ton poll.
The conference yesterday did not re-
late to the election law, but to the reg
istratiOn of voters under the new law III
that subject.
INTERVIEW.
The committee of Democrats did not
put in q prompt attendance, failing to
appear until about half-past one o'clock,
or later. At their head was Judge VOOr-
HES, who acted as spokesman.
In his address to the Governor, Judge
VOORHEES, said the committee had called
to ask the Executive in appointing reg
istrars and clerks to appoint Republic
ans and Democrats alternately so that
of the whole body one-half should be
Democrats and One-half Republicans.
Gov. Kellogg-Then it is not a fair
election you want, but a division of the
patronage. If you want to secure a fair
election, [ am willing and DESTROYS of
cooperating for that purpose. | mean
to have a fair election, and to that end
! am willing to give you such a share in
the registration as will enable you to
know through your own representatives
that the registration is fair and the cleo
ton fair. The law provides for one reg
istrar and two clerks in each registration
Office, and / am willing to give one clerk
in every such Office, and one commits
siOner at every polling place, so that
they can see every voter registered and
every vote cast, and know and under
stand all that may be done, having full
access to all the books and records.
At this point the Governor proceeded
to state what country appointments had
been Or would be made, and enumerated:
Bienville-Allan Holland.
st. Mary-R. N. McMillen.
Rapides-W. W. Wilmington.
Webster-J. W. Mcdonald.
Judge VOORHEES, said these were all
good men and satisfactory, except Mr..
Mcdonald, who, although elected on the
Fusion ticket, was regarded as having
gone over to the Governors party.
Proceeding, Judge VOORHEES, repeated
substantially what he had asked in the
outstart-what you give to the Repub-
licans, said the Judge, we want you to
give also to the Democrats. That is
what we came to ask, and if you will
grant it We shall be thankful.
AN UNsAvoRY INTERRUPTION.
Gov. KcllOgg-I can't give you what
| give to the Republicans
Mr.. Lawlor-You may be made to do
that! (Sensation all around.)
Judge VOORHEES, (excitedly)-No sir,
not that. Stand aside. | alone am au-
thorized to speak on behalf of this COM
mittee.
Mr.. Lawlor retired to the rear.
Gov. Kellogg was not prepared to
hear such language as that on this oc-
casion. If there are any gentlemen here
or elsewhere who indulge the thought
| that I can be driven into doing anything,
the quicker they are undeceiVed the bet
ter. / am anxious that there shall be a
fair and satisfactory election, and will
ing to make any reasonable concessions
to my political opponents for that pur-
| pose but | cannot and will not be driven
into any measure, and the quicker all
| parties come to understand that the bet
ter will it be for all parties and the cOun-
try. In the proposition you submit you
ask me to divide the patronage of a Re-
publican administration equally between
the Democratic party and the republican
party. I tell you frankly, I can't do it,
and [ am unwilling to believe that you
yourselves consider such a proposition
| cOncede as much as any Republican Gov
ernOr ever did in a case like this, and I
am willing to do m0reand cOncede more
| than any Democratic Governor ever did
to an opposing party. | remember in
1879 that we, Republicans simply asked
the presence of one Republican commits
sioner at the polls, and that was refused
throughout the city and State. [ am
willing to do much more than we asked
yOut0do. If yOu will give me the names
of fifteen or twenty men-Democrats-
or even a less number, from each ward,
and while I will not promise absolutely
that | will appoint one of them, still /
will take those names into consideration,
and in all probability, if all the names
are not manifestly Objectionable, will
appoint one from each lista as clerk in
every registration Office in the city. ]
repeat I am quite willing to appoint one
clerk in each registration office who is
opposed to us politically.
Judge Voorhies-Then we are to con-
slider our proposition refused2
Gov. Kellogg-NO; but send in the
lists of names and | will appoint an Op-
position clerk for each ward, if suitable
names can be found in the lists.
THE INTERVIEW ENDED.
Thus ended the interview, and the
committee retired. Subsequently Judge
VOORHEES, returned for a further CONVEX.
sation with the Governor, which appear.
ed to pass off in the.most amicable man.