The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-10-10


colored people. In short, that his off
cial record had shown him capable o
Expressing the colored man wlleneve1
opportunity offered, and OF reducing
him again to virtual slavery. Thu
disposition, kept somewhat subduel
while the Louisiana case was pending
before Congress in 1873, has since
cropped out in every speech Mr.
McEnery has made, and lie has beer
and is one of the most consistent
advocates and defenders of the White
Man's party, and of all the acts Of
violence which that organization has
perpetrated. Is it likely that the col.
ored people voted for Mr.. McEnery
Notwithstanding that the whole
strength Of tue opposition was thrown
into the fight against me, even the
Fusion returns show that / ran fal
ahead Of my ticket in this State,
When l was nominated for Governor
the conservative papers in many in
stances spoke applovingly Of my nom
ination, and warmly commended the
course l had pursued in the Senate in
advancing the material interests OF
the State. The New Orleans Picayune
editorially said that i" the nomination
Of Senator Kellogg was a source OF
qualification to all good citizens.
The question as to whether Mr..
McEnery or myself was elected Gov
ernor Of this State is one that l have
several times proposed to submit to
arbitration. When the sait brought in
tie United States Circuit Court was
still pending, | offered through my
counsel, MIR. William H. Hunt, y
Southern man and one OF the fore
most lawyers at the bar OF this State.
that the returns should be submitted
to five prominent and disinterested
citizens, two to be chosen by each
side and the fifth by the four, and /
proposed to abide by the result of
their decision but this proposition
was declined. | am prepared to show
before competent tribunal that a por-
ton OF the returns upon which Nc.
Emery bases his claims are forgeries
manufactured in this city. am able
now to produce the judicial officer be-
fore whom a portion Of the blank tally
lists and returns were sworn-to he
subsequently filled up here in this
city, and palmed off upon the public
as the genuine returns OF an election
held in strong Republican parishes
far distant from this city. Even Sena-
tor Carpenter, in his speech in the
Senate on the fourth of March. said.
F" l do not think McEnery was in fact
elected, though the returns show that
he was. f" I hold myself now ready to
impehch the returns relied upon by
the Fusion boards as altered, defaced
and in some instances forged outright.
l charge moreover, that the returns
from Iberville, st. James, Terrebonne.
St. Martin and other Republican par
ishes were thrown out by the Fusion
returning boards for no just reason,
but because they gave myself and the
Republican ticket a heavy majority
and l assert that by the genuine re-
turns, counting the vote actually
cast was elected by several thousand
majority, and upon this issue I am
ready to stand OF fall.
The State constitution provides
that in November next there shall he
an election for Congress-, a State Leg
islature, and various State and parish
officers. The present election law ia
substantially the law passed durinp
the last administration, in the inter-
ests of the conservative citizens of
the State, but which Governor War
moth, at the request Of the Fusionists.
refrained from signing until after the
election, in order that he might use
in their behalf the much greater
powers conferred upon him by the
law, whose repeal they had, previous
ly To their alliance with him SO ur-
gently demanded. Under the old law
the law under which the Fusionists
the last election-the bal
lot boxes were removed from the poll
ing places to the Offices of the super-
visors of election and were counted
wherever and whenever the superyi-
sors pleased, without any ADEQUATE
Under the new law the |
ballots must be conunted openly at !
,he polls, Immediately after the cleo
ion, in the presence of disinterested !
Under the old law the |
Governor appointed the supervisors. |
Ind the supervisors appointed the
Of election, who might |
,e, and were, in fact, at the last cleo
ion all OF one political party. Under
he new law the police juries ap-
'oint the commissioners of election
II all the country parishes, aud the
must be chosen one
rom each political party. Under the
Id law the returning board consisted
# the Governor, Lieutenant Governor.
he Secretary of State and two other
persons; they had absolute
ontrol over the returns, and could
ltec, suppress or reject them at will.
)nder the new law no State officer ia
member of the returning board.
he board consists of five persons
lected by the Senate, one at least of
ne opposing political party. The re-
rms are required to be made out in
1pllcate, one copy to be forwarded .
} the rntIrninp hnar1