The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-01-07
Tie Louisiana Returning Board
Conservative Protest.

Inc IOHOWlng Is Ine text OF the protest
entered by the Conservative committee,
which the Louisiana Election Board al
Lowed to be filed, but refused to hear
read in their presence:
The undersigned committee, on behalf Of
the Conservative Democratic party of the
State Of Louisiana, beg leave to present the
following final protest against the action of
the Board in refusing to decide upon and pro-
nulgate the returns from the parishes of
Aoielles, Bos sier, Ascension, Assumption,
Carroll Conc1rdia. Natchtoches, Red River
and ST. Tammany, and the contemplated ref
erence of the same to the Legislature.
The protest here extensively reiter-
ates IN forcible terms the grounds where
on the Board failed to perform its duty
in relation to these parishes, heretofore
published, and says:
The action of this Board heretofore in so re-
ferring the contested cases, intimated by
them, TO the Legislature, would be unwar-
ranted by law and unprecedented, and shame
ful and disgraceful as the proceedings of the
lynch Bovee Board Nor has the alleged
action of the Board been confined to the inn
proper consideration of subjects in the man
ner Of its procedure, but its decisions seem 10
be guided by no other will than party interest
In the case of the Parish of De Soto the
Board claimed to receive and canvass the
duplicate of the original returns lodged by
it would seem for the very purpose to supply
the loss of those forwarded through the
Supervisor Of Registration, when 1t was es-
tablishcd that the taiier had been fraudulent
ly made away with by the dishonest Super
visor of Registration. In the case of Carroll,
while fraudulent al d forged returns were re
jected so far as they concerned Republican
candidates, they were received and counted
against all Democratic candidates. In the
case of Avoyelles, the Board went outside of
the returns to canvass and allow round ma
jority of l59 in favor of the Republican candi-
Gates, baSing their action on estimates and
coujectures. In the case of Natchitoches,
Assumption, ST. Tammany, Red River and
other parishes, the returns from polls lnvarl-
ably and largely Conservative have been re-
jected on insufficient Ddrte testimony, con-
tradicto"V in its nature, so to give the Re
publicans 'naiOrities in parishes unquestion-
ably Conservative.
In most Of these cases the Republicans have
been allowed 10 interpoate evidence after the
testimony was closed so as not 10 allow OF its
rebuttal; and the evidence filed by the Con
servativc committee has been abstraCted or
purposely mislaid so not to be before the
Board in lis deliberations In all these de
liberatlons the Board seems to have been
guided bv no fixed rule of right, but has
varied its action so as to promote the Repub-
lican interest and defeat Conservative ma
joriues, involving itself in a mass of contra
cltW to lis comprehension, save the steadfast
devotion To the purpose of returning Republi-
cans whether they have been elected or not
Not single protest filed by this committee
has been sustained, although it is notorious
and established by irrefutable testimony that
in many Of the parishes of the State the United
States army, under the direction of the Chair
man of the Republican State Central Com
mittee, were used on election day to in
tinidate Conservative voters and drive them
from The polls.
The committee now think it their duty to
declare that they reluctantly drawn to
the conclusion that this Board as court Of
elections, for such it is under the decision Of
the Supreme Court, has entered into a corrupt
and revolutionary conspiracy with the pres
ent usuTping Governor of the State to over
throw the duly-elected General Assembly of
the state, and TO substitute therefor one Of
Its own creation and manufacture For these
reasons this committee feel now compelled
TO withdraw frcnfurther participation in the
councils and deliberations of this Board
Doing so this committee deem it 10 be the
sacred duty of the people Of this State to SOL
emnly protest against the decision of the
Board as reE OlutiOnary in effect If not in its
design Of overturning the legally-elected
Legislature Of the people by surrendering to
a partisan minority Of the persons
voted for the power of deciding who
saall compose the majority in fill
| ing the complement required by law. The
responsibility for such step, striking at the
root Of our form of government, as ii does,
! is grave one, and such an usurpation has
always reacted in terrible manner wherever
il has been adopted in America, and this
COMMITTEES trusts that its gravity has been
well weighed by your body, as it alone bears
! it-as this committee can share no part OF the
burden by either continuing its connection
with your body when lending a seeming
acquiescence by lis continued presence
Having exhausted by this final protest a
| last means of resistance to this revolutionary
/ decision, as we regard it, the committee now
retire, leaving the responsibility where it be-
| longs, to complete its duty by surrendering
| its trust to the constituency whom il repre-
sents, and placing before the people Of the
| State and Union in its proper light the action
! OF the Board aud this committee, for them to
pass on as a political court of last resort, TO
/ judge the cause OF Louisiana, and decide the
| question and decree the consequence thereof.
F. c. SEACHARIE,
". r. WHITAKER,
{. 1AvANACH