The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-04
LOUISIANA.
Reports of the Investigating Commit-
tee.


been arrived at;
The undersigned majority of the Committee on
the State of the South respectfully report that
they cannot agtee TO the report made 10 the cem-
mittee by Messrs. Wheeler and FRYE. The laws ir-
imieai to the colored people of Louisiana referred
70 in their report, have been repealed for years
Except during the schism Of Gov, Warmoth- in
ls12 the Republican party has long had control of
the machinery OF the State The late registration
shows an excess OF the eolored over the
white voters, giving s0,7S1 colored to To-
S23 white. In INC absence of any di-
rect evidence that the late election was
not free and fair the assumption OF the minority.
that enough colored voters must therefore have
been prevented from voting at the late election by
the recollection of the ColfaX ard Coushatta kill
ings (the causes and circumstances of which
disputedl, and by other acts which occurred years
before, to have changed the result of the election
throughout the State. is an assumption vio-
lent, when it is recollected that both those par
ishes elected the fun Kellogg ticket by increased
Republican majorities, as not to be received If
any other cause for the vote of the State can be
found. Such causes exist and are obvious.
Among them
First-The registration was incorrect, and ex-
ceeded the true coored vote. The registration
was wholly in the hands OF the Kellogg officials.
with whom a Republican committee, with United
States Marshal Packard at their head, co-operated
u only three parishes did the Republican Super
1sors OF Registration make any complaint OF un-
fair or insufficient registration. On the other
hand, very great complaint was made by the Con-
seivatiVes, who specified with proof, 20j cases
of conceded false registration in New Orleans
alone, and those Conservatives who had been
operating in the Joint Party Committee to secure
fair registration gave up the effort in espair. The
census of 1870, the correctness OF which is not
impeached, showed Si.0S6 whites and S6,9l3 col
ored males over twentyone years OF age. All the
statistics and evidence before US IN
dicated no change in this proper
ton in favor of the colored voters. Yet
the registration Of colored voters exceeded by
1900 the total number of adult males returned by
the census, while the registration of white
10000 less.
Ssfo.1 The ph ole pumhpr of vntars starad
WAS l67,GG7. Of these 1868 voted. Tins is
larger proportion of registered voters than usual
ly vote in any of the Northern States. In an
agricultural State, scantily settled. where long
Journeys had often to be made to reach the polls,
it is unreasonable to suppose that greater pro
portion of the registered blacks would have turned
out TO sustain the Government under which the
prosperity of the State and their wages and the
value Of their shares of production had steadily
declined than usually vote at elections North or
South.
THfrd-1S74 year of political change in
which the vote throughout all t,,- States
riuusiy affected against the Reg..tliYar party. a
change resulting largely from finsreial distress
of the people, and which should therefore natu-
rally have been even greater in Louisiana than
elsewhere.
Fourth-It became the interest Of the Con-
servatyea at least at the last election, not to in
tllnidate, but to acquire by every fair means the
colOred vote. Parties who were alleged to have
threatened The blacks even with refusal of EN-
ployment were subject 10 prompt arrest 1t
known that pretext would be sought to de-
prive the Conservatives of the result if they
prevailed in the election. 1t was there
fore their interest 10 avoid giving anv
such pretexts. Accordingly. they determined
everywhere 10 cooperate with and conciliate the
blacks. They voted down the propositions
suggestions which were made in the carly part of
the campaign for refusal to employ those col
ored voters who would not cooperate with them,
and generally sought by combining with colorcd
voters TO carry the election. Local combinations
against the Kellogg candidates were made in
many parishes by men of all parties and co-ors.
In hos a,nI
Conservative voters was voted for and elected.
An intelligent cOlored witness testified that he
- desired better government" and to that end
= WAS willing to swallow the white man if the
white men would swallow the colored." These
canses and feelings naturally united to swell the
Conservative vote in such localities a. indicated
by the returns.
Fifth-The entire want of any direct evidence to
show any general Intimidation of colored voters.
Of course, in so large State it would be impossi
BILE there should be no instance of refusal to
plov. or of intimidation. Such occur in every
State; but the evidence certainly indicates
general intimidation of colored voters and that
such intimidation as did exist in the State
rather in the interest Of the Republicans than of
the Conservatives. United States Marshals. whose
chief was the Chairman of the Republican State
Committee, armed. in some cases, with blank
warrants of arrest, and aided by Federal troops
made constant arrests before the election
but not afterward. The oversight of the
kelloggs officials. Their account and return did
show twenty-nine majority of members of the
lower house elected by the Conservatives with
out any protest whatever except in three parish
es, although il was their province and duty to
protest in any case where violence and intimida-
tion or fraud, existed Indeed. the direct evil
denCe to the election of 1874. well as the cir
cumstances. clearly indicate peaceable and
fair election. In fact, after the visit of the
first committee and revisit of the special commit
tee, the Kellogg party, with all their machinery
for collecting evidence, were unable to produce
in the entire State more than half-a-dozen per-
sons to testify TO anything impeaching the free
dom and fairness of the late election who
were not officehOldcrs or connected with office
holders. Against such facts il seems TO us idle
to assume that the disturbances vividly pict-
ured by the minority could have kept up through
ont their State such a feeling of intimidation as
wonld justify the assumption that but for that
feeling the State would have gone Republican.
All experience shows that the result of the cleo
tion of 1874 in Louisiana, returned to the Re
| turning Board, natural and to be easily
accounted for by the reasons we have given. We
| hold therefore. that in November, s14. the peo-
! pie of the State of Louisiana did fairly have a
free peaceabe and full registration and election,
in which clear Conservative majority was elect
| I'd TO the lower house Of the Legislature, of
which majority the Conservatives were deprived
by the un ust, illegal and arbitrary action Of the
Re,l-nng Board.
| TO the resolution reported TO the House from
| the committee as to the action of the Returning
Board We all agreed We understand the com
/ mittce to be unanimous in finding the fact that
| the action of the Returning Board has defeated
! the will OF the people as expressed by them at
| the polls in November. 1874. The people then
elected to the lower house of their Legsl, ture a
the CONSERVATIVE members thus elected were re-
fused their certificates. This is act of great in
Justice TO individuals. of the gravest danger TO
| the State and free government. and ought to be
| Immediately corrected by any power competent
| to correct il.
The resolution commencing the recognition OF
! Gov. Kellogg is based upon the general impress
sion, not upon evidence. On this point no testi-
mony taken either by the committee or any
! part of II: Kellogg may. or may not have been
Iafa tod -h.aras Il
the fact ii there be it has been neither sought
| nor found BY this committee.
| Messrs. Foster and Phelps think that
the popular belief, taking both Conserva-
! tive and Radical circles, inclines ON the
whole to justify Kellogg's claims, and
that, as Kellogg is and has been acting
| Governor of Louisiana for the past two
| years, to deny his right and install an
! other in his place after this lapse of time
might involve incalculable mischief to
the legal and political interests of the
! State.
The committee conclude as follows:
To avoid mischief and the confusion Of a
change the majority of the citizens of LouisiaRs
seem willing 10 accept, as compromise. Kel-
ogg's recognition and the restoration TO the Con-
seryatiyes of the control of the lower house. For
I these reasons Me-srs. Foster and Phelps do NOT
1 wish to oppose the recommendation that the ad
ministra1ion of the Governor. Kellogg. be recog-
| Iized. Neither. in view of the fact that they
| know nothing of its merits as judged by compe-
| tent evidence. do they wish 70 be understood as
| urging ii. They only wish TO accord their agree
ment with those of their associates who believe
such conference might By making termina-
! tion TO the uncertainty in Louisiana be, on the
whole. less iniolerable than the present situa-
ton of that distracted people, but. TO any reso-
lntion recognizing Kellogg, Messrs. Potter and
Marshal. are utterly opposed They find nothing
| that he seized the Government by the aid Of the
Federal troops. through void and fraudulent or
| der. which prevented the counting and returning
of the votes. SHOULD be a standing presumption
/ against him When the people, outraged by the
| abuses Of his Government, had successfully re-
l sradf ich h. had