The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1874-11-21
Communicated.
lie BEEvELLE, Nov. 10th, 1874.

! Communicated.
lie BEEvELLE, Nov. 10th, 1874.
EDITOR VINDlcAToR: Having
heard good deal of talk concerning
the election az held in Ward eleven,
l thought would sit down and let
you know some few things that hap
pened there. on the second| Of this
month. l am o colored voter and
have always voted with my party,
that is the Republican party, until
this election, when l thought l would
try the other side and see what would
become of it. l also worked among
my colored friends, and tried to get
them to vote a. l did, q great many
promised me they would, and l think
they would have voted the Conser-
vativc ticket if they had been left
alone by the opposite party. No one
can imagine the awful stories that
were told the colorel voters by the
Radical leaders in this Ward. Be-
fore election day persons came from
Natchitoches laden with rumors
enough to frighten the stoutest heart.
One man said "that if the colored
men voted with the whites, that the
Y. S. soldiers would take them priso-
ncrs and carry them off to New Or
leans to work on the Forts in chain
gangs, without pay. If there is any
thing calculated to frighten a colored
man, it is to tell him what the U. 5.
soldiers will do with him. This bug
bear was used in its full force and ef-
feet on election day, and you may
depend with good results, for among
all those who had promised to vote
with me not one would do it, and to
make the rumor above referred to look
more probable, sure enough there did
come U. S. soldiers down from Match
itoches, in company with a man who
proclaimed that he was empowered to
do all sorts Of things with the colored
men if they dared to vote the white
ticket. This man assumed all the
powers of high constable, aud actu-
ally took possession Of the polls, and
one of the commissioners complained
that he had & sore finger; this would
be dictator of mems ballots and self
styled conductor of elections, under
took to examine the papers and bal
lots of colored men, which under
stand is in direct violation of tho
law. OF course, colored men would
not dare to vote the white ticket in
the face Of such circumstances, and
from positive intimidation and in
fear Of what the U. s. soldiers would
do them, they voted the Radical tick
ct after going to the polls determined
to vote the contrary way. From all
l can learn the parish has gone for
the Conservatives, and likewise the
State, all of which pleases me no lit.
tie. We colored men are tired and
sick Of all this fuss and fury, and
We want to see an end of it, and We
think tile only way to end it is for
the better portion Of our citizens to
have the entire management Of affairs
and for US to give them our perfect
confidence. I, for one, am more than
willing to do this, aud hereafter am
determined to vote with them, for l
am satisfied it is the only way We
can have peace and quiet.
Now that carpet.baggers will he
afraid to come among US with their
lying cant aud false friendship, We
have only to get rid Of the scalawags
and theu We are safe, and from the
way a few of them have been hus.
tied about since the election, We don't
think We have much to fear from them
in future elections. -
Because we have been fools in the
past about elections, ia no reason Why
We should remain 90 forever, and this
thing Of putting US all down as Radi-
Gals simply because our skin 10 black,
lie too degrading for sensible men to
put up with any longer, and right
here to-day, I want to put it on record
that hereafter l am not to he hood.
winked any moro, and intend to
vote for whom I think is tho best
man. This cry Of "putting 10 back