New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-06
A CAUTION TO WHITE LEAGUERS.

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The Shreveport. Times, laying down the
law for that little bailiwick, assures the
White League, upon the authority Of
Justice Bradley, that in violating the law
of the State they have nothing to fear
except the authorities Of the State.
We exposed that fallacy, though we
doubt if the young men with the shotguns
ever hear Of their danger until sub
scription shall be going around to pay
their board in our Parish Prison.
But although the Times assures its fol-
lowers that to violate the State law is such
a bagatelle, we will state for their instruc-
ton what the State law really is on the
subject. l. Section forty-six Of the election
law enacts that if any person shall OBJ
struct, hinder or by threats of violence,
abusive language, or other species of in
timidation interfere with an officer con-
Quoting an election, such person shall be
punished by fine of three hundred dol
lars, with imprisonment, and if any per-
son shall counsel, aid, connive at, abet,
encourage, or participate in any riots,
tumults, acts Of violence, intimidation or
armed disturbance at or near an Office Of
registration, or at any election, he shall
be deemed guilty of felonyand subject, on
conviction, to fine of five hundred dol
lars and imprisonment Of from six months
to two years in the Penitentiary.
Section three provides that if any COM
missioner of election or supervisor Of
registration shall be satisfied by affidavit
Of three or more citizens that there was
any riot, tumult, acts Of violence, in
timidation, armed disturbance, bribery,
or corrupt influence, tending to prevent
free, fair, and peaceable vote Of all quail
fed electors entitled to vote at such poll
OF voting places, that such returns shall
be postponed until all others shall have
been examined. If upon investigation it
shall be found that this charge is proven,
such returns shall be excluded from the
returns of election reported.
That Pennsylvania Creole of the Teche
having made the discovery that men can
be compelled to obey an employer on a
sugar plantation by the same means as if
they were working coal mine or petro-
leum well, may profit by an extract from
the laws Of Louisiana. The election law
of this State, already quoted from, says:
That any person who shall by threats OF
discharge IRON employment of withholding
wages, or prescription in business, intiu
ence. or attempt to influence, any voter in
the casting Of his vote at any election, shall
be punished by a fine of five hundred dol
lars, and be imprisoned for not exceeding
three months.
ANY person who shall discharge from his
employment any laborer, employe, servant
or mechanic who shall have been working
for such employer under contract, before
the termination thereof, or any person who
shall withhold any part Of the wages due
under such contract, on account of any
vote which the emplOye may have given. or
proposes to give, shall be punished in either
case by fine and imprisonment. The bribery
OF a voter by increasing his wages in con-
slderation OF his vote, is punishable IN like
manner.
Those young men who go to
precinct election as to a tournament,
to show their horsemanship and skill
with the shotguns, will perhaps read
the following specimen Of legal precau-
ton with some interest. The same law
quoted from interferes with their recrea-
tons. Itprovides that it shall be unlawful
for any person, except officers Of election
Or registration and policemen, to carry
any gun, pistol, bowie knife Or any other
dangerous weapon on any day Of election,
within halt a mile of place Of registra-
ton or election at the time Of such reg
istration or election is going on,
and such ofense shall be pun
ished with fine or imprisonment.
These notices are given in the interests
of order and peace. If the White
League carries out their programme they
will set aside the polls of every election
at which it shall be attempted.
We are aware there are thousands who
neither speak nor read the language in
which the law and the admonition is
given. But it may not be many months
before they may be very sorry not to have
known enough of the American language
to know what the law is, and to what they
expose themselves in its violation.
The oJiter dictuna of Justice Bradley may
not protect them, and they may spend
next summer in close quarters, enjoying
a checquered view Of society through a
Jail window. Let all offenders against the
State law take heed. They can not say
they have not been warned.