New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-03
The Reiurnlng Board.

answered 10 tnelS NAulcse Auo MiuutcD VI
the previous day were read and approved.
Judge Sloanaker appeared and informed
the board that he had been called to Wash.
ington By the United States Attorney Gem
eral on business Of Importance. He did not
feel that he could consistently leave, how.
in regard to the Carroll case. in which he
had been employed to represent Mr.. Gla's
interest.
After seine consultation in regard to the
Carroll case. in which Messrs. Zacharie
and Whitaker. of Democratic counsel,
and Messrs. Sloanaker and Chester.
Of special counsel for Mr.. Gia, and
Mr.. Ray. Of Republican counsel. partici.
pated. in conjunction with members Of
Of the board. it was agreed that Mr.. Ben
ham should have until Saturday next TO file
testimony; and that on the following Mon.
day counsel on both sides Of the contest be.
tween Gla and Benham would be expected
TO file their briefs, which would conclude
the case, SO for a. argument and testimony
are concerned. unless the board should see
proper to ask for further testimony.
With this understanding Judge Sloan.
akes retired. and tho board proceeded to
canvass the returns Of Grant parish. Be-
fore this had been done. however. it is
proper to mention that delegation Of the
Knights Templsr Of Pennsylvania. visited
the Office Of the Board Of Returning officers
and were formally introduced to the mem.
bers by General Chester, who was formerly
citizen Of the Keystone State.
During the interview Sir knight Small
acted as the spokesman Of the delegation.
and Governor Wells spoke in behalf of the
board. The remarks were necessarily brief.
and chiefly iu recognition of the new &C.
quaintances formed. Mr.. Small made .
slight deviation from this course. however.
when about TO retire. lie said he we'll un-
derstoed the arduous. tedious and thank.
less duties the heard had to perform, and
while he could freely sympsthIze with every
member on the board for having 20 endure
the labor and abuse that pecesssrily A.
taches 20 their positions, he would remind
them that faithful performance OF their
duties would be rewarded hereafter. if not
At the present time.
To these remarks President Wells replied
that it would bs the object of the board TO
arrive ~ nearly a. possible 1t tho wilI of
the people in the late election.
The delegation then retired and the board
proceeded with the canvass Of the eeturns
from Grant parish.
The total registered vote Of this parish is
S97. according 60 the last report of registra.
ton. OF these asa &ere white and 443
colored. The canvass Of the returns shows
that 7O2 votes were cast, and that Moncure,
for State Treasurer. received 1888, and Du-
buclet 269; for Congress, Smith received 1863
aud Levy 332. The total vote cast falls short
of the total vote registered 1876. And in addi-
tion a statement made to she Returning
Board by Il. J. Harvey. the supervisor Of
registration in Grant parish, shows that in
consequence Of White League violence in
that parish a large nNmber Of cOlOred peo-
pie were deferred from registering and
voting, and that as many as twenty white
Republicans were threatened with violence
if they voted the Republican ticket, and
wers thus prevented from exercising the
right of suffrage. The statement of Mr..
Harvey further elbows that he was com
PEELED by armed men to hold the election,
not in accordance 60 law, but in accordance
with their orders, and that after the elec-
tiOn was held he was compelled BY force TO
receive the boxes from Gorie's 1.-THE second
nrecinc'. ard :na ::::om Montgomery (the fifth
precinct), notwithstanding he knew that
evcrythin connected with those boxes and |
the election held at the above precincts was
clearly illegal. In bis statement to the
Board Mr.. Harvey says:
was obliged to make out my Enai re-. |
port 40 they demanded should by counting |
all the boxes. But MY consolidated state. |
ment that l sent your honorable beard is I
the ono that believe to be truly legal.
Mr.. Harvey ssys there can be no doubt
but that large Republican majority would
have been polled in Grant parish il the Re
publicans were not thoroughly int;midsted
In another and later statement made to
hs board by Mr.. Harvey he saye:
Since have been in the city sOmc facts
rave come TO my notice that did not know
when handed in the returns from Grant.
These facts further justify the throwing
,ut Of the vote Of box FIVE Of the Mont
.omery precinct. These fActs are rs fol-
owe: !
A few days before the election one Of the
,oli books was etolen from me. 1t was
AIKEN out Of an iron safe where had my
,ooks. etc, for few days I, with several
,thers, maae . thorough search for the
,OOk but was enable to find it. l COM /
nenced to make. and had nearly finished,
mother poll book when the other was
ound, in tho safe just where l had left il.
t struck mo as very strange at the time
hat the book ehould be stolen and then
laced back. made inquiry concerning it,
ut could find out nothing but that it was
Missing and then placed back again. It has
ince come to light that the book was
aiken out by soine members OF the
Democratic party; and all the names |
+ everv man ~ho had registered
!. Montgomery, and the nunber Of I
s registration certificates were copied
rom the poll book. There we're i6s men
egistered at Montgomery, and fcrty-eight
these were c0lorcd men. There were los
Otes cast At Montgomery. and they we're
II Democratic votes. 1t is unprecedented |
hat all the men who register in precinct I
ote there. and thar forty eight colored I
1en ehoulG vote the Democratic ticket ,
'ithout being made TO do SO is simply ab-
urd. There is scarcely . parish in which !
ou could find forty eight cOlOred men who
'Ould vote the Democratic ticket unless .
70 do So and IL is not likely that | .
one precinct Sou woni0 find that number. |
The number cf the certificate, and the | G
anne cf the men were brought in on the ! (
n:d instant, and hant:c! 10 Me as evidence | ,
at these ';.en ha.. voted. The poll book
81.