Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-01-22

Louisiana.
IHE SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT.
The report Of Messrs. Foster. Phelps and
Potter, the subcommittee on Louisiana
affairs, made in the House On Friday, and
ordered to be printed. Is too long for our
columns. The following is an abstract oft:
The report says The committee examined
% witnesses and took n large amount Il
documentary c,iionce, amounting IN all 10
over SOC printed pages Tho committee
undertook no investigation OF the election
OF 1872. As TO the returning board, the
law provides that il shall consist Of five
persons. representing all parties. lt con-
sisted at the opening Of its last session Of
five Republicans. Upon the resignation Of
Gen. Lonstreet, Mr.. Arroyo, q Conservative,
was taken 10 fill the vacancy. Mr.. Arroyo
resigned before the labors o. the board were
concluded. and his place was not filed, so
the committee think the law as to the con-
stitutiOn of the board was not complied
with. The committee say they arc con-
strained TO declare that the action Of the
returning board in the rejection Of the re-
turns IN the parish OF Rapdes, aud giving
the seats for that parish u the Republican
candidates, was arbitrary, unfair ana witt
out warrant of law. X the committee were
to 90 behind the papers before the board
and consider the alleged charge Of intimida-
ton upon the proofs before the committee,
their finding, they say, would necessarily be
the same. IL so happens that this parish was
taken as sample parish OF intimidation,
many witnesses from which, Of both par
ties, were examined with reference to it.
They showed that there was 4 free, fall,
far and peacoable election and registration
{ ~ M IL
timidation Of voters practiced on the day oi
election, although it was asserted that in
limitation of the c0loTed voters before e.cc-
ton had been Effected by threats ct refusal
TO employ them, or 10 discharge them ii
they voted the Republican ticket. No
evidence either to discharge or O.! refusal ID
employ was produced. Certain witacs-Cs,
every one ofice-ha.ders, testified generally
to such action, bat hardly any one IVES able
to specify n single instance IN which no
heard any employer 50 threaten orcischarsC
any voter, or knew u any cmployc beng
80 threatened or discharged. Not one
col0red man throughout tac entire parish
was produce! to testify either 10 such effect,
OF to the execution OF sach purpose, before
or after the election. Ias action of the
returning board in tie parish OF Elp.teS
alone changed the political complexion "a
the lower house. In IBERIA parish Il vas
claimed before the committee that the yU,r
Of poll No. ], in that parish had been r.
| iected on account OF Intimidation, uut tlo
| papers produced BIZ the clerk OF tie iaes:
/ showed no such proof whatever. Alter
/ reference 20 other parishes, tae camuittsf
say We are constrained % declare ih2t
the action OF the returning board on the
whole was arbitrary, unjust, ant ia our
opinion. Illegal. and that This arbitrary
l } ID "a. f|s Frsrf. ~ r..
! the return hy the board of o majority OF cI1-
/ sorrative members to the lower house.
pon the general subject of the state ai
affairs in the South and as - whether ilc
alleged wrongs 10 yolorgd citizens iur rs-
| lit:cal Offences are rea! or wer0 asserted
without due foundation, tie committee sag
they took such p.lot as the opportunity oi-
Grrcl. A. whole they are constrained % /
saw that DO general intimidation oi hcpua- +
lita- voters was established; no c'lared man +
was proGucei who he'd been threatened us +
assault ed by any Conservative because 1i 7
DoIticu. cpiuiou. or discharge ..lD CIR +
playmcut. or refused employment 't ali F.
rho-. WHO testified - intimidation iac.c .
WIS hardly any one. who, % Dps o"n know T.
ledce. could specify rCIlt.1 Instance 10 T
such acts. AID of tie white men who were .
produced to testify generally OF $500 -a.-
iecis very nearly ali. ID no. every single one. .
was the ho.l.r %! an office. IhrouElou; tie f
rural districts ct the State the number cd .
white Republicans are Fe-y lew. :, hardly
extends beyond those Au,"4i-- once az lA''e
connected with them. IN tHf ht.ii'' "ie
colorcd man was ssoc for LiasIuI CaL-grv-
aiiys speech. ana in New Orleau-i4epp raf-
Cd from testimony that c9.'ret ucs "aa
sought to cooperate VITA tAe i"i-t i'-ti'e'
were Subject 20 - M-eA ai--; ii'.h '-a
police and otherwise t--- -ii l7--' .'-i''l ''
lawyers yolrnt-l- O. '-
with LITTLE ciect.
The committee -lG-a 10 ..a-t- .3 t.-
general condition -- rltif- 'a louisiana
The Kellogg government c.aiu- - itvr lc-
duced taxation. th.s hes Been t--i.'
part by establishing beard iI 'uuG que
debs OF the State 30 900 per cehe % lhe fac,
value. This measure aroused Erc-t h'--
uIty- not so muca because OF tHe rtu..tl--'-
OF It's acknowledge aett' rs n--AlS, Do gave
- the funding board. W1I-e l1Ne.- seem 2
lie absolute and without fc'.c" discretion
AIRY authority 90 admit 90 Pee landed some
81, GOO coo Of debt alleged O. 0' i-lril-
lent.
The rcductiln 90 wage. tie nQI-iI--...-
ment 81 personal or poul'e-i pledges, the
malieasGnce OF hone and local officials, dis
putes among the leading c3loret persons. IN ,
some eases Of the school funds. the failure {
Of the Freedmen Bsuk,-1u combined g. 5
divide the views % thc ca.o-ei voters dur
ing the late campaign. IN olort was are ,
made by the Conservatives 70 ac- y
luire a part of the negro vote. Nitl that J.
new it was sought in many quarters o. pro- O.
)itiatc them. The frequent arrests by the q
nitod States nar-hal- for int.miI4ti "a or "a
threats %! ACKNOWLEDGMENT, and thc apgrc- J,
tension that was ieit that the roturuin. c
'oard would count out ineir nen il nu cx- a
use ioT SUCH course were Oh red. all COM
'ined, especially after tic litl of 0.ptem-
yer, 70 put the Conservatives on their good
ehayior. and thcrcsuit was that in Nlya..-
'er, ISL, the people of the state of Louis
ana did iairly have free. peaceahIc and
oil registration and election, in which
lean Conservative majority Wa elected il .-
DC lower liCuse OF the Legislature. ci which -
iaJorlty the Conservatives were deprived iv m
be arbitrary action OF the returning board. "a
Il j. conceded hY I'll parties tbat che k.l- ~
'se government Is only upheld hy TIE Fed -
-al military. Gov. Kellogg says This is IN
wing to the doubt that Congress has per-
lifted about the legality OF bis government ,e
ne Conservatives say. that tins Is not only ~
'caGse his government l. Illegal. buy be-
-usc if las becn abusive and corrupt
in tins connection the committee refer g.
lie " hite League. In the last campaign '''
Louisiana The opposition was compo-ai
Democrats, Re!ormers, dissatisfied Eepub-
,ans, Liberal Republicans Oh Whit~.
e., and IA order % induce the cl-1pcra- IL
IN OF all. some OF whom refused % unit. ;,.[
ian an organization called Democrats they In
Ok the name. in some localities. o. tho ag
party. ia Others e" the white Sb,
an party. IN Others the White sio,
asuo and had political clubs under the
GO names 'hfensh0dt the r'rai districts, tior
.eSe must NOT. however. b. r3niorrl,5 IT,.
tn the White League of the citv of H.,
~ Orleans. This league Is an orrauizl- H.
n composed of different clubs. numbering eli
all between $500 and :, 500, the lncui- in
r of which have provided arms f,s them sa.,
ANtl