The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-10-25
THE THIEF's ELECTION LAW.
IN. Y. SUM-

THE THIEF'S ELECTION LAW.
my SUM-
It is not surprising that none Of us expects
an honest election in Louisiana, under the
auspices of the notorious knaves thrust into
Office by Grant How could we? The Kel-
logg Government, SO called, is itself fraud
as barefaced as any it can ever commit. The
abandoned scoundrels who conspired with a
drunken judge and equally other disreputable
by force, are not likely to be over nice about
continuing themselves in place by similar
means. They can do it, and for that plain
reason, they will They were not at the pains
of devising those infamous registration and
election laws for nothing They will perpe-
trate every fraud the laws allow; and the laws
were made to allow every fraud known to an
election.
Kellogg appoints the registrars and super
visors. They register whom they please. In
the absence of the supervisor, names may be
stricken off on the af6idavits Of two "respect-
able" persons, and we already know how mar
vellously handy these fellows are with their
oaths, while they have courts and Governor
all their own to protect them fom the conse-
quences of perjury. But the supervisor is
unhampered by even these restrictions. He
"strikes" according to his pleasure, and
knows no law but his own will. If he objects
to q name, he just draws 50 red line through
it, and there the matter ends. Then, lest he
may by any possibility have neglected to
prune the list down to the limits of per-
feet safety, the law requires the good man
to look over it again the very day
before election, and strike out until he is
entirely satisfied The names remaining,
after he is through, CONSTITUTE the registry
of citizens qualified to vote in the said parish
CT ward at the next election This admirable
law superfuously provides that the Super
visor's decisions in these little matters shall
be final. The courts are forbidden to inter-
fere, under penalties of fine and imprison-
ment Against the majesty of Supervisor
in Louisiana, judicial writs do not run, and
judges and people are alike powerless And
it Just as well that way as the other, for be-
tween the time when the Supervisor quits
striking on the night before the election, and
the opening of the polls in the morning,
there is small time for "due process of law,
unless, indeed, all the judges in the State
should sit, like Durell, drunk g at chambers, :"
the ive-long night, and sign whatever came to
hand
Perhaps our foreign-born citizens may be
interested in knowing that an important part
of this beautiful and convenient election ma
chinery was invented tor the especial benefit
of such of their class as went to Louisiana in
search of "the best Government the world
ever saw" A certificate OF naturalization is
as nothing before this mighty Supervisor.
The claimant of the poor privilege of being
registered is subjected to long list of imper-
tinent and unnecessary questions, and for ced
to produce witnesses not only as to his own
identity, but witnesses who can prove the
circumstances under which the certificate
was issued, as we'll as by whom, when and
where, ard whether the person or persons is
suing it were authorized or not-a lot of con-
ditions which not one naturalized citizen in
thousand can comply with. But even if he
can do this, his case is very little helped by
this almost impossible feat The great re-
quirement after all is that he shall "satisfy''
this exacting and utterly irresponsible Super
there IL no remedy this side of the judgment
day, when it is supposed by disloyal persons
that an honest Hishman OF German will stand
on at least as good footing as any Louisiana
thief, white, black, or yellow.
But eve1Lshould the supervisor condescend
to be satisfied, there is no telling how long
he will remain &c. He may register the name
one minute and red line it the next, or he may
wait until midnight of the day before election,
and leave the unsuspecting citizen to find out
at the polls, with the ballot just ready to drop
from his fingers that after all his efforts, his
case has been reconsidered by the noble
minded SUPERVISE. and he is "struck." If
there is anything equal to this in Ireland or
Austria, or in any of the effete monarchies,
we respectfully but earnestly solicit CORE
spondence in relation to it.
In fact the whole system is such grossly
open and indecent fraud, SO arbitrary, shame
less and wholly brutal, that even Bill Kemble
or Bill Mann would blush to own it. Phila-
delphia is ring cursed and scoundrel-ndden
but she is free and blest compared to Louisi-
ana. We could bear it better, too, if the inso-
lent rogues had not written it SO plainly in
their highwaymans law.
The n. Y. Commercial Advertiser is delighted