New-York tribune., 1875-02-17

$1,000 coored males q years OF age tne regis
ration lists contain the names Of over SoOo IN 1871
and 9O78l in 1874 OF course the NUMBER
of properly registered voters ought 10 po
less than the census number OF the quar-
flied voting population, for from the lat-
ter tho aged bedridden, absent, and, II you
please the intimidated ought to be deducted on
the other hand. the white male population. accord
ing TO tho census, numbers 87,066, whereas IN the
year of tho census its voting strength was
only $1,000 This would seem to indi-
cate that the intimidation shoe had Deeh
placed on the wrong foot by Gen. Sheridan
and the party whose side he has espoused
OF the four Reconstruction registrations in New
Orleans S6s. 1870, 1872, and 1874 DR.. Chaie SAYS
"the whites were never once registered even as two
10 One while in three Of these years 1853 1870 l'
more than two colored voters were registered to
every three whites; yet the census reported 10
1870, and our graveyaIds reported, doubt not,
that the colored males twenty-one years Old and
over, both live and die here about one to every
three white males" 1t is noticed too, Of the per-
centage of voters in Louisiana and other States,
that while Massachusetts in 1872 cast 100 votes
to every l63 males twenty-one years old and over
and Illinois 100 to every 1N Louisiana cast lOO 10
every III in the year Of the great intimidation -
1874 Dr. Chaile says II any Of these statistics be
inaccurate the responsibility rests the officials Re-
publican, who prepared them) not on me. who dis
charge the office simply of compiler and commenta-
tor" The article by DIR. Challe was published In
The o-OrleGns Medical and Surgical Journal for
March.
When the country wanted lawyer at the Geneva
Court of Arbitration it might probably have got
cheaper than Mr.. Evarts by advertising for him.
1t wants doctor for the mouths of the Mlssls-
sippi. The plan proposed by one of the most noted
and successful civil engineers of the country was
secuted by the army engineers, but by the per-
sistence of Capt Eads it has been forced upon the
attention of a competent board, bas been approved,
and seems sure of success now in some form OF
other Thereupon there is talk among those who
favor it of the necessity of advertising for compe-
titon in the execution of this plan in order to avoid
charges of jobbery On the whole this seems to us
tolerably small piece of demagOgism. This plan
has been before the country for years. and has
been more or less discussed in every newspaper.
Does anybody suppose that moro effective adyer-
tisement can be given by the Secretary Of Warf If
anybody were ready and able to do it for less, has
he not had the opportunity to step forwardf
Capt. Eadss original proposal was to do
the work for about one-half less than the
Engineer Board estimated to be necessary He asks
for money at all until he shall have accomplished
his undertaking, and leaves part even then in the
hands of the Government for some years as
guarantee of the permanence Of the work. In all
the time this matter has been under discussion, no.
body has thought of offering to do it for less nobody
has objected to the price, and the opponents of
the plan among the army engineers admit that it ID
about oue.haf lower than they themselves thought
needful Under these circumstances, it seems to MS
that it would be rather moro decent treatment of
Capt Eads to reject his proposal altogether than to
accept it and then advertise for competition The
chief danger. however, in the matter is that such
an advertisement in of this moment, where
80 much depends on the skill and known ability as
an engineer of the person undertaking it, would
entail the risk, known to every one who undertakes
any large building operations, of finally giving the
work to unskillful, otherwise incompetent, per-
sons.