New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-25
VOLUME V111--NO. 222
The ReeuYujug Beard.

The labors of this body were brought tt
a close yesterday evening, and returns no
previously promulgated will be found off
ciallv published in to-day's REPUBLICAN,.
The board met yesterday at eleven Oclock
! and ell the members being present bat Mr.
Arroyo, resolved itself into executive ses
sion and remained that way until its labors
cerned, we're completed.
The contests in the parishes Of Lafourche
Lincoln. Caddo, Bienville and Kapides we're
determined. and their returns ordered to be
I compiled.
| The returns from st. Martin, Grant and
tho board in the statement below signed by
! President Wella.
| The returns show that ffty-four Republic
ans and fifty-two Democrats have been elect
I ed to the House, and that Mr.. Dubuolet has
been reelected State Treasurer.
During the executive session. the resig1a
| ton of Mr.. Arroyo WAS received and ac-
| cepttd by the board. In connection with
I this act we may say that iJ was not entirely
| uUcAptCLcus d. LuC COAuuCI VI MI. AIIUyO,
many thought, add materially changed since
| he first became member of the board. 1t
| will be remembered that he " ~ first chosen
| as . Democrat, but ~ objections were
| raised against his remaining there as the
! representative Of the Democratic party, he
concluded to remain, not a. a partisan, but
/ as . fair man-ene who could do jus
! tioe 70 all parties. Ia thus consent
ing ~ remain as . member Of the
board he certainly could not have
expected that his opinion would pre-
vail over the opinion of the majority upon
board for decision. He was there ON equal
terms With the other members, and as he
had accepted the position he should have
remained until the work was completed,
voting ss he thought proper on all questions
brought before the board. Bg pursuing q
partisan feeling that was not to be ex-
pected from one who was not bound to any
party so far as his connection with the
board was concerned.
The board submitted the following answer
to Mr.. Arroyo's protest In the Natchitoches
contest:
The Hon. Oscar Arroyo protests against
throwing out the polls Nos. 5 and 6 Of the
parish OF Natchitoches, on the grounds
l. That intimidation of Republican voters
at those polls was only proved by cross
marked affidavits and defeated candidates
uncOrroborated by citizens Of the parish.
The testimony Of James Brown. George
T. Bavden, w. 7. Green, Robert Clark and
Eli Williams, who make their mark, and
Allen Hall, who signed his name, we believe
all colored men. proves the organization of
early as Nav, 1874, composed of white Dem
ocrats, having for its object the intimidation
of Republicans Of both cOlors, with q view
to prevent them from registering and
voting. and tho expulsion Of the legally
elected and appointed parish officers. and the
seizure of the muniments Of the officers BY
force; that the method of intimidation of
cOlored men was to threaten them if they
voted the Republican ticket they should be
expelled from the falms and rented land
and d dfprived Of rations, etc; that about
June, 1874, leading cOlored Republicans in
this parish, such as Elount, kaby, Vannier
aud others, were threatened with death if
they attempted to organize the Republican
party in this parish; that on the twenty
seventh of July, 1874, the Leaguere, to the
number Of several hundred armed, appear
ed in the town Of Natchitoches and c0m
pelled BOult, tax collector; Boult, Jr.,
parish Judge; Meyers, district judge, and
other GficIals to resign, and from this pc
riOd said White League organization DOM |
mated over this parish in utter defiance OF |
the law. |
That during the time of registration
members of said organization, with force, |
~ ntsef nOtn str oa5H rss s1 s,,l
ward No. 5, to the number of forty |
five. and in ward Six to the number of |
thirty legal votes.
That at the election said organization |
held possession of the polling places 1
five and six; that at poll No. S l07, and at |
poll No. 8 22l voters who attended with
view of voting the Republican ticket were
from doing SO by intimidation.
That the list of voters at poll tive was
made out the day after this election at
Na'chitoches. twenty-five miles from the
poll.
That James Brown and George T. Boy.
1en are residents Of ward five, and w. Il. |
Green, Robert Clarke. Allen Hall and Eli
Williams are residents of ward No. 6. and
that each was prevented from registering
~ said acts of said White League organ
zarion.
Ths above atidavits are supported by
'ther evidence and we can not be ignorant
# the history Of the action of the White
.eagne in this parish. made known through
ne Vindicator, Democratic paper aud
ther public sources tor the last several
months, beside the contradictory evidence
3 net OF character sufficiently convincing
0 shake our belief in the facts above re-
ated.
Mr. Arroyos chief objection is to cross
lark atfidavits When the atfidavits bear the
ertificate OF United States commissioner
hat they were signed and sworn to before
i'm it leaves no ground for suspicion that |
hey are forgeries. nor that the parties did | I
OF know their contents. and we do not see |
hat better witnesses could be produced to
le fact of intimidation than the parties
ho were intimidated.
The chief difficulty with the majority Of
le board was whether or not to turn ont
10 whole vote Of this parish, or only those l
,ecially designated. and the number of Z
,rsons intimidated, it was thought best !
lly to exclude them.
Mr.. ArrOyO's second objection is that be- g
use 1894 votes were cast in this parish, | .
I'd that of that number the Democratic n
'rty had fifty eight majority, that it showed
at there was no intimidation in this par
b, go as to prevent the voters from ex- Q
essing their choice.
The registration in this parish shows 1887 fl
hltes and 22S8 cOlOred voters. Now it is II
admitted and undeniable fact that the Ia
lored vOters, when uninfuenced by init
'dation. are almost unanimous in support n
the Republican party. Now, if in this II
Sc they had been left free to vote, who k
q doubt but that most of them would II
We voted and given their support to the Of
publican candidates, and that the Re- S
blican majority in this parish would have T
81 /