The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-01-22
Report of the Louisiana Sub-COmmit,
tee

ADNa
The subcommittee appointed to visit
New Orleans for the purpose of inves-
tigation has reported to the general com
mittee. After giving a full account of
the action of the returning board, the
committee report they are constrained
to say that the action of the board in the
rejection of the returns in the parish of
Rapides, and giving seats for that parish
to Republican candidates, was arbitrary,
unfair and without warrant of law. If
the committee were to go behind the pa
pers before the board and consider the
alleged charge of intimidation upon the
proofs before the committee their find
ing would necessarily be the same. Rap
ides parish was taken as a sample parish
of intimidation, many witnesses from
which of both parties show beyond ques-
ton that there was free, full, fair and
peaceable election and registration.
There was no evidence of any intimida-
ton of voters practiced ON the day of
election, although it was asserted that
intimidation of Solored men before the
election had been effected by threats of
refusing to employ them, or to discharge
them, if they voted the Republican tick
ct. No evidence either of discharge OF
refusal to employ was produced. Ger
tain witnesses, themselves every one
Office holders testified generally to such
action, but hardly any one was able to
specify single instance in which he
heard any employer so threaten or dis
charge any voter, or knew of any. en-
plOye being so threatened or discharged.
Not one single colored man throughout
the entire parish was produced to testify
either to such threat or to the execution
of such purpose, whether before or af-
ter election.
The committee allude to nunHrous il
legal acts of the Returning Board, and
say: Again we are constrained to declare
that the action of the returning Board on
the whole was arbitrary, unjust, and in
our opinion illegal, and that this arbitra-
ry, unjust and illegal action alone pre-
vented the return by the Board of ma
jority of Conservative members to the
Lower House. Thecommittee confined
their Investigations to two parishe, and
find that no general intimidation of Re
publican voters was established No
colored man was produced who had been
Threatened or assaulted by any Conserv-
ative because of political opinion, or dis
charged from employment, or refused
employment. OF all those who testified
to intimidation; there was hardly any
one who of his own knowledge could
specify a reliable instance of such acts,
and of the white men who were produc-
ed to testify generally on such subjects.
very nearly all, if not every single one,
was holder of office.
No witnesses, we believe, succeeded
in naming In any parish five Republic
ans who supported the Kellogg govern
ment who were not themselves office
holders or those having official employ
ment. On the other hand, applications
to the United States Commissioners in
various parishes not only for alleged
crimes, but because of alleged threats of
discharge and unemployment, or other
interference with political preference,
were frequent. Upon these applications
warrants were often issued and white cit
liens arrested and bound over for trial.
In many localities Federal troops were
detained for service under marshals, and
not only made many arrests Immediately
before the election, but reports that they
were coming to particular neighborhoods
about the time of the election, for the
purpose Of making such arrests, served,
as the Conservatives claimed, to intimi-
date and sometimes even produce a STAN
lpede among white voters.
How differently the two parties look
upon the same fact will appear from the
Testimony of Mr.. Riddle He was United
States Commissioner of the parish OF
Iberia. Shortly before the election,
upon the application of colored persons
he issued large number of warrants.
He considered it his duty upon the ar
rest Of the person charged to require
bail from sureties who possessed land
estates within the parish, certified to by
the assessor of the parish to be of suffi-
cient value, and of which the title was
approved by the register of deeds. This
rule necessarily produced delay in pro
curing bail for the persons arrested, and
he was waited on in one case by a pro
cession of citizens who offered him a
bond signed by every man in the process
sion. This he regarded as in derision of
his proceedings and refused to receive