The Caucasian. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1874-1875, 1874-11-28
THE RETURNING BOARD.

Ell ~ Ocuec, MI tnc ne'hDeVS present
Mr.. Arroyo asked information M to TIL
return on the communication sent by thu
Secretary Of tho Board, by tho order Of til,
Board, to the Commissioner Of DeSot'
Parish, requesting him IA send IN his state
nent Of votes.
Tho Secretary reported that tho lctte
had been dispatched on Saturday, but tina
no answer had been received.
No further action on tho matter was tn
ken, the Board decided to allow furthc
time for the receipt Of mn answer
Tho question Of informalitics in the sev
and Mr.. John Ray "f the Republican Con-,
took the stand that tho election law WA
expression Of the voice ofthc people thai
to this cnd certain f"rmalitics to be com
piled with were laid down that tho VIC
lntion Of any Of the formalities was owl
dence Of fraud, and IL allowed to stand, .
precedent for the violation Of all ant
TINT the Board was acting under tho law
aud mnst sce that all the provisions O
the law were carried out.
| In fact, the question was narrowed down
to one Of tcchnicalities.
The document wound up with tho fol
lowing statement "of tho polls ut which
the forms Of law were not complied with
md the particulars in which the forms Of
law were not complied with:"
1t will 10 seen that almost tho entire
vote Of tho city is questioned on the
ground Of informality in tho returns.
In reply, Mr.. Zacharie read tho nrgu
mcnt of the committee as to the powers
and duties of the Returning Board pro
pnrch by tho Democratic Committee
| which has already been published.
The contest Of Poll &. Seventh, Ward
WINS called and Monctte, tho Radical com
missioner, was brought forward to the
stand. Under formal protest it wns stu.
ted. and IN his direct examination no sta.
ted, that there was intimidation at the
poll, and that under this intimidation he
signed II list Of voters md statement OF
| voters. In his cross-examinatiOn by Mr.
Zachnrie, he said TINT he knew Of no man
that was entitled to vote that had Sbeen
prevented from voting; that l,e signed
proper returns (show I" him) on the 81 Of
November of his own FREQ will and nc.
cord, which. we're deposited with tho Sec.
Rotary OF tho State he believed them to
DO cprrcct.
(rho papers signed voluntarily cores
ponded with those signed. as alleged, IN
der c"mpnlsion.' That hc would not have
signed after the close Of tho polls il not in
|timidntsd, because tho list Of voters wus
missing That tho intimidation com.
planned Of was lond talk on the streets.
The returns which the Bo"r,: were in
possession Of were compared with those
tnrncd in to the Secretary "f tho State,
and found t" correspond.
Bernard L,,t.,. Assistant Supervisor,
snid that tho poll was opened after the
appointed time, twenty minutes after 6
"clock that there was crowd Of men nt
the poll; that they made II rush. and that
tho Commissioners were compelled to re-
ccive votes before they were organized :
that one man who was going ont hunting
inSistr! on being allowed to vote. and
was violcnt there was sofnc difficulty in
finding his nn,nc; he had his registration
papers: lo was not allowed to vote until
his name was found. and it, was NOT
through fear that they allowed him to vote.
They kept no list Of voters until half
past min. o'clock, when Judge Solomon
came in and frightened them 80 that thcy
took n man by tho name nfcullins to keen
the list. Solomon had said if they did not
take Collins h" would see about it. The
pol-list was kept until ; 80 o'clock, when
it was DESTROYED and u new one made by
Moncttr and the Democratic commissioner.
This list was signed before tho box was
opened. printed list Of voters was on
hand, aun the uamcs were scratched as
the parties voted. This list was placed IN
the bnIlot-hox.
Mr.. Leon ilolzat, Democratic Commits.
si"ncr, said he was ut the poll at 6 o'clock
in the morning. and that it was hnlEpnst
before the other commissioners came.
That ~ man VIII" was going huntin. was
rather impatient because his n;,,,e could
not be found. He used no voIcnro or
threats. Judge Solomon did not compel
tho commissioners to take Collins He
said there must he u clerk. aud suggested
Collins to witness rs n clerk, and witness
accepted him. Monr'tc administered the
oath t" Collins. and did not object to It,
Monctte chose n clerk, :, man by the name
of Dnpart. aud it was Dupart's fault that
the error that led to the destruction OF tho
first list and tho making Of the second one
was made. There was 10 intimidation
at all.
The box Of this poll was sent for. and
the printed list of voters found to tally
WIN VuOSS DcioIe Iuc I";Iu took Uue DfleIS
of the two committees under consideration,
and after mature delibcration decided to
ignore mere technical informalities, aud
compile" tho vote of the city as canvass
ed. They will no doubt DO promulgated
to-day. After this n recess was taken nn-
til 6 o'clock the Board rc-assclnbled, and
after canvassing the parishes Of Jefferson
and st. Charles adjourned until II o'clock
to-day.
From the Evening Bulletin.
There was a manifest feeling of re-
lief on the part of several members of
the board this morning, consequent on
the PRONUNCIATION OF tho returns Of the
parish of Orleans. There seemed to
be sort of inner sclf-congratulations
by each member, which was SO great
that 1t even stole out, and was silently
extended to every other member, and
the board, rs q whole, was the hap
piest board imaginable, and went to
work on the other parishes as if their
Task was an entirely new one, just
The returns Of the city officers as