The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-03-05
LOUISIANA AFFAIRS.
Majority Report ofthe Committee ON the
state OF the south.

LOllSlANA AffAIh>.
Majority Report fthe Committee ON the
state OF the south.
The undersigned, majority Of the Committee
on the State of the south respectfully report that
they cannot agree 20 the report made 20 the com
mittee by Messrs. Hoar, Wheeler and Frye. The
laws inimical 10 the coored people OF Louisiana,
referred 10 in this report have been repealed for
years, except during the schsm of Governor
Narmoth in ls73. The Republican party have
long had control Of the machinery of the state.
The state registration shows an excess Of the col
ored over the white voters, giving -, sl colored
IL 20, s23 whites. In the absence of any direct
evidence that the late election was not free and
fair, the assumption Of the minority that enough
coiored voters must therefore have been prevented
from voting at the late election by the recollection
Of the Coax and Coushatta killing cases, the cir
cumstances Of which are disputed, and by other
riots which occurred years before, 10 have
changed the result of the election throughout the
state, Is an assumption - violent, when Il u
r-coected that both those parishes eleeted.a full
Kellogg ticket by an increased Republican ma
iority, as not to be received, IL any other cause
for the vote Of the state can be found. such
causes exist, and are obvious. Among them are
l. The registration was incorrect, and exceeded
the true colored vote. The registration was Who'll
~ In the hands Of the Kellogg officials, with
whom Republican Committee. with United
states Marshal Packard at their head, CO.
operated. In only thrHe parishes did Republican
supervisors Of Registration make any complaint
Of unfair or insufficient registration. ON the 9TH
er hand, very great complaint was made by the
Conservatives, who specified, with proof, ! 800
cases of conceded false registration In New
Orleans alone, and those Conservatives who had
been co operating in joint party committee to Sc
cure fair registration gave up in despair. The
census OF $50, the correctness Of which IL not inn
peached, showed y O76 whites and - 1913 colorei
males over twenty one years Of age. All statis-
tics and evidence before us indicated no change in
this proportion in favor Of the coored voters yet
the registration Of colOred voters exceeded by
1, 600 the total number Of colored adult males re-
turned by the census, vi lille the registration OF
white voters was ~ 900 less.
?. The whole number Of voters registered was
l4I ,6Df Of these lst SIS voted. This ~ larger
proportion of registered voters than usually vote
in any OF the Northern states. lnan agricultural
state, sparsely settled, where long Journeys had
often 20 be made 10 reach the polls, IL ~ unreason
able 20 suppose that a greater proportion Of reg
lstered blacks would have voluntarily turned out
10 sustain a government. under which the pros
perify OF the state, their wages and value Of their
shares Of production, had steadily declined, than
usually vote at elections North or south.
8. 1s1t was year Of political change, In which
the vote throughout all the states was seriously
affected afainst the Republican party. change
resulting largely from the financial distress OF
the people and which should therefore naturally
have been even greater in Louisiana than else
where.
4. II became the interest Of the Conservatives,
at least al the Last election not to intmidate, but
20 acquire by every fair means, colored votes
Parties who were alleged 10 have threatened with
refu sal of plOyment were subjected TO prompt
arrest. IL was known that pretexts would be
s0ught to deprive the Conservatives Of the result
IL they prevailed In the election. IL there
fore their interest 10 avoid giving any such pre-
text. Accordingly, they determined everywhere
to cooperate with and conciliats the blacks.
They voted down the propositions or suggestions
which were made in the early part Of the cam
paign for refusal % employ those colored voters
who would not co operate with them and gener-
ally sought, by combining with colored voters, TO
carry the election. Local combinations against
Kellogg candidates were made in many parishes
by men Of all parties and colors. In several par
shcs a union ticket Of colored and Conservative
voters was voted for al! elected. An intelligent
colored witness testified that he desired better
Government, and 20 that end was willing 70 swal-
low the white man, II the white men were will
ing TO swallow the colored. These causes and
feelings naturally united 10 swell the tOnserva-
tive vote in such localities as indicated by the re-
turns.
5. The entire want Of any direct evidence to
show any general Intimidation of colored voters.
of course, In so large state IL would be imposs-
BILE that there should be instance of refusal to
employ or Of intimidation, such occurring in
every state, but the evidence certainly indicates
no general intimidation Of colored voters, and
that such intimidation as did exist in the state
was rather in the interest OF Republicans than OF
Conservatives. United states Marshalz, whose
chief was chairman Of the Republican state Com
mittee. armed in some cases with blank warrants
Of arrest, and aided by Federal troops, made
constant before the election but not after
wards. The oversight Of election and returns
were in the hands OF Governor kellogg's officials
Their account and return did showa majority of
twenty nine OF the members OF the Lower House
elected by the Conservatives, without any pro-
test whatever except In three parishes. although
twas their province and duty To protest In any
case where violence and intimidation fraud ex-
existed. Indeed, the direct evidence as to the
election of ls74, as well ar the crcum Instances,
clearly indicate peaceabe and fair election. In
fact after the visit u the first committee and the
revisit OF the special committee the Kellogg party
with all their machinery for collecting evidence,
were unable to produce in the entire state more
than half dozen persons 20 testify to any thing
impeaching the freedom and fairness Of the late
elections who not Office -holdersor connected
with Office holders.
Against such facts II seems to ms idle 10 assume
minority could have kept up throughout their
state such "A feeling 81 intimidation az would
Justify the assumption that but for that feeling
the state would have gone Republican. All ex-
perience shows that the result Of the election OF
ls54 in Louisiana as returned To the Returning
Board was natural, and 70 be only accounted for
by the reasons we have given. We hold, there
fore, that, In November, 1874, the people OF the
state OF Louisiana did fairly have a free, peace
able and full registration and election, in which
clear Conservative majority was elected TO the
Lower House Of the Legislature, OF which ma
jority 81 Conservatives were deprived by the un-
just illegal and arbitrary action Of the Return
ing Board.
To the resolution reported 10 the House from
the committee as 10 the action OF the Returning
Beard We are all agreed. We understand the
10 be unanimous In finding the TACT
that the action OF the Returning Board has de
feated the will Of the people ne expressed ~
them az the polls on the Sd Of November, 1874.