Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-03-04
arts of the Louisiana Committees.

IL the House, TINS morning, tue MAJOR
,enort of the Louisiana Investigating
n,uittee. signed by Messrs. Foster,
b S,J Potter and Marshall, was pre-
Ned The following conclusions have
cen arrived at:
rho Undersigned majority OF the Committee on
~ S,ste of the South respectfully report that
kew cannot agree to the report made to the COM
l i,' s'b nv Messrs. Wheeler and Frye. The laws
njcal to the eolored people Of Louisiana, re-
.,aS 10 In their report, have been repealed for
5ta Except during the schisIn Of Gov. War
Sih in 1872, the Republican party mas long 9g haa
.5istration shows an excess Of the colored
- the white voters, giving 9O,7Sl colored
"a VA white In the absence of any
o,t evidence that the late election was
II free and fair, the assumption OF the minority,
.onouch colored voters must therefore have
Zen prevented from voting at the late election
M recollection of the Colfax and COushatta
iuin,s (tne causes and circumstances of which
~ Sispnted), and by other acts which occurred
- before to have changed the result of the
lion throughout the State, IL an assumption
5,ient, when it is recollected that both those
shes elected the full Kellogg ticket by IN
asrd Republican majorities, as not to be re.
Nod if asv other causes for the vote fthe State
Nv he found. Such causes exist and are obvi-
M Among them are:
ErxtLThe registration was incorrect, and ex-
oa5ed the true colored vote The registration
s wholly in the hands of the Kellogg officials.
m whom a Republican committee, with United
ates Marshal Packard at their head, cooper
I'd In only three parishes did the Republican
rnerysors of Registration make any complaint
Unfair or insufficient registration. On the
iber hand very great complaint was made by the
ouscryatiyes, who specified, with proof, 1900
ses of conceded false registration In New Or
S,ns alone and those Conservatives who had
e,p cooperating in the Joint Party Committee
d secure fair registration gave up the effort in
Eespair The census OF 1870, the correctness of
= had hon .A
nd S6ql3 colored males over twenty-one years
Il age All the statistics and evidence
efore us indicated no change in this proper
on in favor of the colored voters. Yet
he registration of colored voters exceeded BY
nu The total number of adult males returned by
he census, while the registration of white voters
! - l0,uW less. ..
Ssr0ad-The whole number of voters registered
ksas l61 60T. OF these 1883 voted. This is
orrer proportion of registered voters than usual
vote in any OF the Northern States. In all ag-
kicultural state, scanuly settled, where long
Eouneys had often to be made to reach the polls.
Ef J. unreasonable to suppose that "A greater pro
HORTON Of the registered blacks would have turned
En- TO sustain the Government under which the
Prosperity of the State and their wages and the
Ealue Of their shares of production had steadily
South.
| Tbird-1e74 was a year of political change, In
(which the vote throughout all the States seri-
|ca,ly affected against the Republican party,
hi the people, and which should therefore natu-
|rally have been even greater in Louisiana than
Elsewhere.
FOu,th-It became the interest of the Conserv-
hives al least at the last election, not to intni
hate, but to acquire by every fair means the col
bred vote Parties who were alleged to have
threatened the blacks even with refusal of en-
|y.oyment we've subject 10 prompt arrest. 1t was
Known that preteXts would be sought to de-
|giye the Conservatives of the result If they
Prevailed in the election. 1t was there
fore their interest TO avoiS giving any
.uch pretexts. Accordingly, they determined
tytrywhere to cooperate with and conciiate the
blacks They voted down the propositions or
,gggestions which were made IN the early part of
the campaign for refusal to employ those col
oed voters who would not cooperate with them,
and generally sought by. combining with colored
voters to carry the election. Local combinations
against the kellogg candidates were made in
many parishes by men of all parties and colors.
In several parishes union ticket of colored and
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
causes and feelings naturally united to swell the
Conservative vote in such localities as indicated
by the returns.
Fiuh-The entire want Of any direct evidence
10 Show any general intimidation of coored
voters. OF course. IN so large State ii would be
impossible there should be no instance of refusal
90 employ, or of intimidation. such occur III
every STATE: out the evidence certainly indicates
no general intimidation of colored voters, and
ihst such intimidation as did exist in tie State
vas rather in the interest of the Republicans
tdsn Of the Conservatives. United States Mar
,aas, whose chief was the Chairman OF the Re
publican State Committee armed, in some cases,
with blank warrants of arrest, and aided by Fed
eral troops, made constant arrests before the
election, but not aiterward. The oversight OF the
election and returns was in the hands of Gov.
Kellogg officials. Their account and return did
show twenty nine majority of members of the
owcr 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-
ION, or fraud, existed Indeed, the direct evil
aerce as 10 the election of 1874, as well as the
circumstances, clearly indicate a peaceable and
Alr election. In fact, after the visit of the first
committee and 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-a- dozen persons
10 testify 10 anything impeaching the free
dom and fairness Of the late election who
we're not CilCeholders or connected with
1heehOlders, Against such facts it seems to us
iN.e 10 assume that the disturbances so wildly
pictured by lhe minority could have kept up
4locshuut their State such feeling of intimida-
loA a. would Justify the assumption that but for
ilA' feeling the State would have gone Republi-
AA. al experience shows that the result of the
., tt'Inn OF 1874 IN Louisiana, as returned to the
returning Board, was natural and TO be easily
counted Tor by the reasons we have given. We
hhd, therefore. that in November. 1874, the peo-
.' OF the State OF Louisiana did fairly have
ne peaceable and full registration and election,
I'D watch clear Conservative majority was elect
p 70 the lower house of the Legislature, of
'Aleb majority the conservatives were deprived
y 'le unjust, ilega! and arbitrary action of the
~ urDiHg Board.
- 10 ihe resolution reported TO the House from
IRE committee as TO the action of the Returning
'-Ia We al agreed. We understand the com
-.I'ee 10 be unanimous in finding the fact thar
I'D
. VIII Of the people as expressed by them at the
- IL November, ls4. The people then elected
.4e'ower house Of their Legislature majority
l"Aserybtiye members. 4 portion OF the Con
. N4Iyc members thus elected were refused
.- certificates. This is an act Of great inus-
.' Individuals, Of the -.;."Sst danger to the
-.s ana free government, and ought to be i'm
.'a.eIY corrected by any power competent TO
'-F re-olutl0n commencing the recognition of
Wv. Asi.p-- J. based upon the general impress
-. not upon evidence. On this point TO testi-
ny Fls taken either BY the committee any