New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-10-30
Settling the BALLOT Box Question.

III 6us"eE 10 tno deStef " Mayor r.. a.
Burke repudiating the arrangement for the
division OF the ballot boxes. Governor Kei.
logg addressed the following letter to him:
STATE OF IeuisiANA.)
Executive Department,
New orleans. October %. 1871
Z. A. Burke. Esq. Chairman Committee Regis
tration, Den. .ocr.tic and Conservative Party:
SIs-YOnr letter OF yesterday. in reply to
mine OF the same date. was received last
night.
desire 70 call your attention to Your
communication Of October y. in which.
after referring to conversation had the
previous night at my house between Mr..
Packard. you and myself, wherein the sub.
ject Of having two ballot boxes was Incl.
dentally discussed, you Indicate that you
are willing to consent that the votes OF all
persons naturalized in the Secold District
Court be deposited in separate ballot box.
Ehs was the first written communication
that passed between US on this subject. !
replied on the following day, putting the
proposition in what l regarded as a more
practicable form. lou rejoined on the
,wenty-seventh Of October. accepting the
proposition, with modification tha: instead
Of two boxes being used, one box, divided
by partition. should be substituted. &c.
cepted the modification in my letter of the
same date.
The question Of challenging, which is now
brought so prominently forward. :s clearly
not material, for in your letter OF October 25
! you assign as q ground for the proposition
| Ut having two boxes that there is differ.
ence of opinion as to the legal effect" OF
| vOtes by persons naturalizeI in the Second
District Court. and in asserting to a double
| ballOt-box you yourself make q discrimi.
| nation against them for the purpose. as you
! say, Of preserving the rights Of all parties
! interested
| This is the whole story. Your communi-
cation last night, which is simply a labored
effort to raise false issue, in order to cover
your retreat. was entirely unnecessary.
You were anxious to have the proposition
| contained in your letter o. tie tWenty.sey.
enth accepted. / acceded to it. and you
now. for some reason, recede from yonr 20.
sition. AL that need have been said under
the circumstances was that you desired to
be relieved OF your agreement.
! This question OF the jurisdiction Of the
| Second District Court did not originate
| with me. had given the matter no special
4 atte ntion, and had no other thought but 20
avoid complications and dithculties-a dis.
| position which has actuhted me during the
! whole canvass. In view of all the facts
! aud circumstances-takirg into ccusidera.
| tiOn thar there is a great diversity Of cpin.
ion among leading lawyers upon this ques.
| tion-that much i'll feeling has been engen.
dered. and the further fact that as the
names "f all persons naturallzed III the
| Second District Court have been designat.
ed upon the poll lists. as was mutually
| agreed on. SO that their identity can be
easil; established, and as ind it has been
| decided by the courts that in u contest for
| office no person can be exempt from testify.
| in. what candidates he voted :Cr. am OF
f; opinion that there is n" necessity either fer
separate boxes. as agreed in your letter o.:
| October %. or partitioEed boxes. as pro
posed in your communication Of Oe.obar
y. amin favor Of allowing all the ballots
to be cast in the same box. it being cy iden.
| that with the precautions taken the only
| object had III view, namely. 1.-THE protee5-
ing the rights Of all parties." can be as
ef-ctually attained il tlis way as BY any
other plan.
| ! regard as \ more serious matter the
| number of fraudulent naturalization pa.
| pers issued by the Second District Court.
! where, in a series OF instances. naturaiiza-
| tion paperA have been issued upon the ,es.
| timOny OF the selfsame two witnesses to per-
! sons OF different natiHCalities residing N re.
! mote parts of the city. The attentiv,. attract
ed to this subject, and the precautions taken
in consequence, will enabic the nuthD:iti.s
/; the more effectually TO expose and prosecute
I the perpetrators Of these frauds 10 the salts.
faction. ] am sure. of al good citizens.
I regret you did not lnnce maturcly con.
! slider this matter. as i: would have saved
you much perpiexity. which. as a candidate
laudably anxious 70 pleas' all parties. :;is
ditiicnlt question has naturally brough.
down upon you. Mach in your letter of
yesterday is uncal!ed ior; ont as the whole
letter is evidently intended to gegaiu sc,ne
advantage you appear to have lost. make
due allowance for it. and for the cmbar:ass.
ment which the signing Of SO ;ll.temp,red I.
letter must have caused to one whose N.
! stinc:s are. as some of his admirers believe.
SO essentially Republican that he finds grea:
drin ;y,o ~ the Rsnnhcan na,tr ''a wan
yonr latest position On the naturalization
question will be satisfactory 70 your sup.
| por:ers. and induce them 70 foy... ,he
| course you pursued toward General Beaure.
| gard aud his friends in the election o: 49,.
Very respectfully.
KELLOGG.