The People's vindicator., 1875-01-30

I'D Mr.. Ke''oss's Returning Board,
and if the radicals in Louisiana can
find any comfort in it, they are well
come:
But that portion of the Sub Com
mittee's report which sums up tho
evidence before it exhibits a most
lamentable condition of things in
Louisiana. In regard to the general
condition Of business and society in
that unhappy State, they find that
Gov. Kellogg is vested with u degree
of power scarcely exercised by any
sovereign in the world,' that the
want OF popular confidence in his
"gi.antic fraud Of Il Governorsl'lp IS
so general that it sis accompanied! by
the paralyzation Of business and dcs,
truction of value"; that houses ana
stores in New Orleans care to be had
for taxes"; and that taxation has
been carried almost literally to the
extent of conGscation." The claim
that Kellogg has reduced tho debt by
funding it at 60 cents (which was par
tial repudiation) is met by the asser-
tion that the arbitrary powers con-
ferred upon the Funding Board en-
abled it to admit S6,00O,O0O of fraud
ulent debt, thus increasing the oblisa-
tions of the people to pay money they
did not owe under pretense OF reliev
ing them from obligations to pay
money which they did owe. The de-
plorajle condition of the people of
Louisiana, politically and commercial
", has never heen more strikingly
described than it is in tho report Of
this Sub Committee.
Coming to the examination of the
Returning Boards action, the Com
mittee find that it was "arbittary,
unjust, and illegal; and that this ar
bitrary, unjust, and illegal action
alone prevented the return by the
Board Of majority Of Conservatives
members to the Lower House, This
conclusion Is reached from the evi.
dence which was taken before tho
Committee, who examined over nine
ty.tiye witnesses, and elected testi'
mony which fills more than l,5O0
printed pages. The original returns
gave the Conservatives majority OF
twenty-nine out Of Ill members, and
the Sub. Committee say that there
was, on the whole, IA free, full, fair,
aud peaceahle election and registra'
tion,n and that "there was 70 evi'
dence of any intimidation Of voters
practiced on the day Of election" YET
the returning Board, not examining
the returns in parishes where there
was a protest uatil after the unpro.
, tested parishes were counted in, re-
turned an equal number Of Republic
!, cans aud Democrats as elected, leav
ing five vacancies undetermined fo
2 2 the House to fiji. The Committe,
, give samples of the pretexts on which
I votes were thrown out. In Rapide'
. Parish, three Conservatives wer|
Q elected and their election was no
r contested. At the very last session
. of the Returning Board, without Civ
J. ing the Democratic counsel time t
II contradict tile statements, an at1ida
- - vit of ex.Gov. Madison Wells, til
" President of the Returning Board
ID was introduced it set forth that ther
,e had been intimidation in certain part
{. Of tire parish, and 80 the three Repnt
licans were declared elected! I'll
% Congressional Committee has ev
% dence before them showing that ex
RI Gov. Wells was not in the parish
tc all on tho day Of election, and
-. ot!.er evidence Of intimidation coul
=" be found. III the Parish of DeSot'
20 a Conservative WAS elected by ov'
y 1000 majority, but the Board refuse
4. to count the votes. The Election Ia
provides that the Supervisor sl'a
- make the returns. In this case til
rs supervisor braught them to New Oh
10 leans and gave them to a woman
Ia bad character who offered to sc
a. them for $1,000. The Conservative
=" caused the duplicate returns, filed
ol the Secretary Of States office accor'
d, ing to law, to be produced before Il
n Board, together with the tally-sheet
poH.lists, etc. These confirmed Il
Conservative majority, but the Boa'
g, refused to recognize them. Thus
'ls Kellogg official was enabled to VI
ty seat q Conservative elected by
i. thousand majority by bis individn
~ violation Of the Election law. 9th
'u instances Of the same procedure We
found in other parishes, duly detaile
J in the report, in which the same vi
tie laiuy had been practiced. The Ia
it. is such, therefore, that the oficia
"A appointed by tho Governor, togsth
\, with the Returning Board, also q
.0 :. pointed by the Governor, may at AZ
lie time defeat the Opposition, no matt
Ter what majority Of the votes it mi
Bf- have polled.
4 IL 1t is only fair to state that the Ke
5" logg faction in New Orleans ha
We telegraphed to the President, al
ill caused to be promulgated tbrougho
nv the country, that the Congression
!. SUBJ Committee heard only one 81
= = Of the case, ind that they adjourn
10 aud left New Orleans before the 9th
o. side could getin their evidence.
~ equal fairness it must he stated til