New-York tribune., 1874-12-26
THE LOUISIANA CANVASS.

A STATEMENT BY THE RETURNING BOARD
TIE DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN MAKING TIE
CANVASS SET FORTH-THE REQUIREMENTS or
TIE LAW CARRIED OUT AS FAR AS PRACTICABLE
-AuEGRD ACTS OF VIOLENCE AND INrIMIDA'
TON BY THE WHITE LEAGUE TIE REASON FOR
THROWING OUT POLLs-TIIE BOARD CLAIM TO
HAVE DISCHARGED THEIR DUTY PROPERLY-TIIE
HOUSE PROBABLY EVENLY DIVIDED.
| NEw-ORLEANs, Dec. 25-The Returning
Board in closing labor of canvassing and compiling
tue vote OF the State given at the election VI NOV 2 oSt
state that 1t s only just and proper that the Returning
officers should give statement OF the di1hcutcs at
tendapt their labors, and the principles laa down,
drawn from law direct them In the discharge OF their
duties In the first place. this election was very loosely
conducted by the OF Election much 30
that at not One-tcnth Of the POLLS in the State wcro the
forms required by law observed. Tho law requires that
the Supervisors OF Registration forward TO the Returning
officers the original list Of votes kept BY the Commis
soners OF Election second statement OF the persons
voted for and tho number OF votes received by each;
and third the tally Sheets all Of which the Comms-
soners OF Election required 10 furnish TO the Supor
visors, and they to forward them TO the Returning
oflcers In many cases no lists OF voters
were kept by tho Commissioners or, there
were, they were not forwarded to tho Returning
Board by tho Suparyisors, and many that were for
warded to the Returning Board were not signed or
to- the law requires. In many cases there WAS
statement OF tho persons voted for, and the number
Of votes received by them forwarded to tho Returning
Board for the that none wcre furnished Dy Tue
Commissioners OF Election TO the Supervisors, auu
many that returned neither sclcd nor sworn
to, and IN many there tally yshccts for
waried to the Returning Board to enable them to test
the accuracy of tho statement Of tho voter ana in some
instances only tally were returned to tho E,'ufh
ing Board. without list OF voters or stAtoment or
votes aud they nOt signed or sworn to- al tho Jaw re-
quires
This being the casc it became necessary that the pa
pcrs received from tho polling places should be care
fully examined Tacre wcrc over $50 polling places IN
State aud there was large list OF candida cs, 80 IT
became very labOrous duty, which occupied tho Doaru
nearly month, laborng from II III. to D. in.' anu
from To II p m every day. Tho law requires that In
such canvass and compilation Returning Board o:nccr5
shall observe the following Ordcr Tney shall compe tho
first statements all polls voting places 1T when
there shall been far, free and pcaceaoo regis
tratOn election. Whenever from any poll or FOts
place there has bean any riot tumu acts of Vioehce
intimidation, ned Disturbances, bribery or corrupt
influences which prevented or tended to prevent l'''
free and pcace;blc vote OF all qualified electors rnttcd
to vote at such poll voting place. SGch Returning
Offers shall not canvass, coant, nor compile s'a"
Iucnt Of votos from such poll or voting place until
statements from all other polls or vo'InS places shall
have been Canyds5cd and e0'Dpl!cd. Inc returning
Board OF officers shall then proceed t. investigate 'ho
statements OF riot, tumult, acts ol VoIehce' lhti'hu
ton armed disturbance, bribery, or corrupt hhueoces
at any such poll or voting place
The Board has followed this requirement. OF the ia"
as It was their imperative duty to do and M examining
the proceedings OF the Commissioners OF Election Ior
wardcd to 1t by the Supervisors when either OF the
counsel appointed by tho political parties obected 10
tho count Of any polls, and laid before the Board any
evidence to sustain such oh oct0ns, such pols were
passed over and not canvasSed until tho Boaru had
comp,d tue vote from all the polls not objected to- In
the prOgres OF the cxamihitOn Large number OF pos
we're objected to, including Some IN ~ OF the par
| ,shes, and in sOmo OF these parishes al Vi
Tho polls were then objected to. The grounds OF
objection to some Of the polls were the ia'iure
OF substantial compliance with tho law in conducting
the election making tho returns TO tho Supervsors
IN some that the returns the Commissioners had been
changed they had been made 10 the SupefVSorS
and to the greater number that tue voters nau oCoh
iptimlatcd that they did not register OF Vote OF
were compelled to vote differently from what they de
sired Had the Board decided that anytnIn% ike slct
compluce with tho forms Of Law in holding tho ccc-
ton and making the returns 10 the supervisors W0uiI
DO required, the eff ct would have been tat 50 many Vi
the rolls would have been thrown out th't tcfc wouiu
have been election IN tho state. The B)drd tien
adopted rule that when tho Supcrvr'or Iau re'uiheh
any evidence showing election was held, although IL
only be q tay-shCet, uns ncd or sworn To, tat IN tue
bscnce OF fraud or intimidation, II wonJ compile inc
vote as shown by such evidence dOclinent II 1t may
be called evidence. This decision disposed or u go'd
many protests tho reception OF poll, but when SUD-
santial forms OF Law had not been Observed ana eV
deuco of fraud ornmldaon was produced the failure
Of substantial compliance with the forms OF law was
considered badge OF fraud and the poll was rejected
We believe tins to bc Just and Die rule andthe
Board strictly adhered TO 1t.
ALLEGED INTIMIDATION by TIE WHITE LEAGUE
Tn the case OF Carroll, st. Helena and st. james
parishes where It was charged and proved that The
returns made by the Commissioners to the Supervisors
had been changed after they came into the haHas OF the
Supervisors the Board took evidence to ascertain the
true state OF the vote and made the compilation accord
ingy The question raised against the greater number
of the polls was on charge OF intimidation TO prevent
yotors from voting aud forcing them to
vote against their wishes. TO establish this charge
great mass OF atdaUts was taken some applicaoe 10
the whole of the parishes and some to particular po
and mass Of counter. .aidavits were also filed. The
facts proved this point estaolsn that aoout
NAV 1874 a military organization known as the White
League was established In this State and permeated
every neighborhood that the object OF this organza
,on was TO prevent coored from voting unless they
could be controlled vote the Democratic Ticket and
TO prevent them from holding Office; anu further To
compel the Republicans holding Office under the present
State Government to abdicate their offices, and to
prevent the Republican party In this State from
orpanizipe with o view Of concentrating their
marty at the late election, aud expel the white
Repub,icans from the State unless they would
desst from organizing the Republican party IN this
State and withdraw from the active support OF that
party The taken By this White League organic
aton to accomplish the above purposes arc shown to
have been by threats that tho coored voers did not
vote the Democratic ticket. they should be expelled
from the plantations on which they were farming. be
deprived of their crops be excluded from renting lands
being employed, and deprived Of their
rati0ns or credit obtain them and leading coiored
man were threatened with death II they persisted In
organizing the Republican party and white Repub-
were threatened with personal Violence prescription IN
a. tha luaa ald aulilia aId