The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-05-08
ath p: it is a matessofaad;ne IN the re

oath ; it is a mattsFofaading up the re
turns, and q matterof ocular demonstra
ton whether the Nll0ts correspondence
the returns and whether the poll list
conform with the ballots in the box ant
the only situation in which an affidavit
could be required is that Of a charge be,
ing made that in some precint thu
poll list was false, and you would see&
the. voter with his registration paper
with him, to ask him how he voted
Some one could have been found under
their laws to take such affidavit.
Mr.. President, did not WarmotE
know that investigation would prove
his candidate not elected7 At al
events, is there affirmative proof that
McEnery was elected on which we car
remove Kellogg4 But instead of doing
all this, Mr.. -Warmoth zones to Con
gress, not to ask that his candidate may
be installed in Office; but he m tC
ask that he may not be installed in
office. That would lead to investigation,
He asks that we will ordersa new cleo
ton. And the wonder is that in the
Senate, among those who thought il
unconstitutional to set aside the State
EOFClA1IICDt VIGIL Gkt uduUS Vi DliOSt
who had sworn hostility to the United
States government, among those who
thought it unconstitutional to set aside
Andrew johnson had erected, now hold
it to be constitutional at the instance of
Mr.. Warmoth to go into Louisiana and
to regulate the domestic relations of
that State.
Mr.. President, views similar in some
respects to those which / have expressed
are set forth in the report of my friend
from Wisconsin for he agrees with me
as to the vicious character of the cleo
tons:
"A careful consideration of the testi-
mony COnvinces us that had the election
of November last been fairly conducted
and returned Kellogg and his associates,
Il Legislature composed of the same
political party would have been elected.
The colored population of that State
Outnumbers the white, and in the last
election the colOred voters were almost
unanimous in their support of the Re-
publican ticket. Governor Warmoth,
who was elected by the Republicans of
that State in 1868, had passed into OPP
position, and held in his hands the en-
tire machinery of the election. He ap-
pointed the supervisors of registration,
and they appointed the commissioners
of election. The testimony shows a
purpose on the part of those
conducting the election to throw every
possible difficulty in the way of the col
Ored vOtersln the matter of registration.
The polling places are not fixed by law,
and at the last election they were pur-
posly established by those conducting
the election at places inconvenient of
access in those parishes which we're
to be largely Republican ; SO that
in some instances voters had to travel
over twenty miles in order to reach the
polls. The election was generally con-
Quoted in quiet, and was perhaps unusu-
ally free from disturbance or riot. Gov
WarmOth, who was the master
spirit in the whole proceeding, seems to
have relied upon craft rather than
violence to carry the State for McEnery.
In the canvass of votes, which deter
mined the McEnery government to be
the votes of several Republican
parishes were rejected.
Mr.. President, I further submit that,
might be expected from the circum-
referred to, we have nothing
amounting to evidence that McEnery
had any majority, and for these five rea.
3ons-frst, the question has at best been
incidentally examined by the COM
second
Mr.. Carpepter-The Senator overlooks
The fact that we had two inquiries be-
sore the committee; one, whether there
vas a State governnet in Louisiana. 1t
s, therefore, not incidentally before US,
put directly.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen-T win come to
hat. Ny second reason for saying that.
We have nothing amounting to evidences
If McEnery's election is that from six
'ut of ffty-eight parishes we have no
'eturns; third, from several of the par
shes the returns are ~forgeries; fourth,
one at least it is in proof by an
eyewitness that the returns were manu-
actured and sworn to in blank before
hey were made.
MI. Carpenter-What case is that /?
MI. Frelinghuysen-T will give it to
'ou presently. Fifth, the preponder-
of evidence is that Kellogg and
lot McEnery had o majorityof the votes
asst. Now | will say a word on each of
hese points.
That the committee did not give their
.ttention to the question whether Kel-
ogg or McEnery had the majority, no
what the resolution says, is mani
est from an examination of the case. |
their attention was given to the ques-
which was the true canvassing
'oard SO as to determine which was the
rue Legislature in order that they
determine whether Ray or Nc
tillen was prima facie entitled to be
and if you want proof that
his phase of the subject has not been
xamined you have only to look to the
eport. On the last page of the book is
his testimony. One witness. Nh. Ray,
ays:,
IL desire to call the attention of the
ommittee to q statement. At D sug-
estion made by one member of the
Ommittee yesterday, | examined and
Ound, and il the committee will act as
xperts they will find, that the commits
of election in several cases in
he parishes have their names forged to
be afidavits."
Mr.. Carpenter-In the parishesnamed;
aiming four parishes.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen-T do not think
hat is the meaning; but / will read it
1st as it is:
off the committee will act as experts
hey will find that the commissioners of
lections in several casesin the parishes
ave their namesforged to the afidayits.
or instance, there is one from Madison
arish Exhibiting the papers,, and so in
ne parish of Grant also, and in the par
ID of Pointe Coupee and the parish of
asst BATON Rouge, which, if the com
littee will act as experts, they will find
very evident in some cases that they
ere forged.
"The Chairman-We will now consid-
the evidence in the Louisiana inves-
cation closed, as / am advised by both
.des that they have laid all the testi-
lOny before the committee that they