The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-03-10
ADD r ESS
The CITIZENS OF RAPIDES PARISH,

George W. Stafford and James JEFF
fries to represent you in the Legisla
ture of the State of Louisiana. The
Returning Board saw fit to reverse
the verdict rendered at the polls, and
declared elected the three Radical
candidates - Conaughton, Crawford
and DeLacy.
The evidence, if any, upon which
they acted has never been made
known to me; the motives controlling
them in declaring men elected who
had been VIGOROUSLY defeated, can be
surmised by you.
Uponth the organization of the House
under the Speakership of Hon. L. A..
Witt, a committee on elections and
returns was appointed, and their re-
port being adopted, myself and col
leagues were admitted to our seats
and were duly sworn as members of
the Legislature. a-
Ineed not recite to you the story
Of the invasion of the Hall of the
House of Representatives by the sol
diery of the United States and the
dispersion of the legal Legislature;
it will suffice to state that /, with nv
colleagues, Notwithstanding our pro-
tests, were forced to retire by de-
tachment of soldiers under command
Of General P. R. DeTrobriand, Uni
ted States Army.
Upon the preparation of this out
rage, the entire body of Conserva-
tives, headed by the duly elected
Speaker, retired from the Legislative
Hall. e..... .-......
The Conservative members met
Immediately after in a room in the
neighborhood and solemnly pledged
themselves that they would in no
event recognize as legal House the
body organized with Mr.. Hahn as
Speaker.
1t was known, that even according
to the returns of the Wells Board, no
quorum had been left in the State
House and we had good reason to be-
lieve that any assertion of our right
full position by sitting, as the House
of Representatives would have in
duced further interference on the
part of the military and would have
brought about that which our enc
mics apparently desired, collision
between the people and the army Of
the United States.
A detailed statement of these
events 1.-THE Conservative Memorial)
was prepared and duly signed by the
members and transmitted to the Con-
gress of the United States.
A committee of Congress consist
ing of Messrs. Foster, Phelps and
Potter were then holding session in
New Orleans and engaged in the ex-
animation of the election; they had
been present at the meeting of the
Legislature, and we deemed it best to
await our vindication through their
report, though it was known that
Messrs. Phelps and Foster were Re
publicans. .
That committee had, at the sug-
gestion of the Radicals here, taken
up the Parish of Rapides as a sample
to prove the intimidation and out
RACES. charged against the Conser-
vatives.
Their report to Congress complete
ly vindicated our people, and ex-
posed the ecceRtricity of the Return
ing Board.
Another Committee was sent from
Washington, composed # Messrs.
Hoar, Wheeler, Frye and Marshall,
three Republicans and one Democrat,
(Mr. Marshall
Impressed with the justice of their
claims, the Conservative members in
caucus, invited the gentlemen of this
Committee to take up the returns of |
1874, with all fair and revelant testi-
mony, and to decide who had been
elected to the General Assembly of
the State of Louisiana.
We did not deem that the hand
that had borne so heavily against us
In injustice and wrong, would be pow
.erless to afford relief.
The gentlemen Of the Committee
received and considered this offer,
out made no exact statement of their
conclusions. In general terms they
supported the former Committee in
eondemning the Returning Board.
The caucus had no response to
their frank proposal, but through and
perhaps at the solicitation of certain