New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-16

as samples Of the condition of affairs in tn,
respect in the State. OF these, owing
the lmpossibility of procuring Witness
from the locality in time, your cemmittt
were obliged to cOnfine their special exam
nation to the two parishes most accessible
AS to these they received all testimony ths
was offered, and in addition received a
testimony that was then on hand in Ne
Orleans, offered by either party, as to th
condition of affairs in other parts of til
State. As q whole, they are constrained I
say that the intention charged is not born
out by the facts before us. No general il
timidation of Republican voters was estal
iished. No colored man was produced VII
had been threatened or assaulted by an
Conservative because OF political opinion
or discharged from employment o
refused employment Of all those VIII
testified to intimidation hardly any on
who OF his own knowledge could specify
white men who were produced to testif
generally on such subjects very nearly ali
II not every single one, was the holder o
an office. Throughout the rural districts O
the State the white Republicans are yer,
few: it hardly extends beyond those holllinl
| office, and those connected with them. NJ
witness, we believe, succeeded in namins
in any parish five Republicans who sup
| ported the Kellogg government. who wer,
not themselves office holders or related ts
office holders, and those having official EN-
ployment. On the other hand, application
to United States commissioners in the va
rious parishes, not only for alleged crimes
but because of alleged threats Of discharge
non employment, or other in reference with
political preference were frequent.
Upon these applications warrants were
often issued and white citizens arrested and
bound over for trial. In many localities
federal troops we're detailed for service
under marshals and deputies, and not only
made large arrests Immediately before the
election, but reports that they were coming
to particular neighborhoods about the
election time, for the purpose of such ar
rests, served, as the Conservatives claim, to
intimidate and sometimes even to produce
stampede among the white voters. How
differently the two parties look upon the
same fact will appear from the testi-
mony Of Mr.. Riddle. He was a United
States commissioner in Iberia. Shortly
before the election, upon the spplia
tion of c0lored persons. he issued large
number Of warrants. He considered it his
duty upon the arrest of the persons charged
to require bail from sureties who possessed
landed estate within the parish, certified to
by the assessor of the parish to be of suffi-
cient value and of which the title was ap-
proved by the register of deeds. This rule
necessarily produced delay to procuring
bail for the persons arrested, and he was
waited on in one case by procession of
citizens, who offered him bond signed By
every man in the procession. This he re-
garded as in derisi0n of his proceedings and
refused to receive the bond. He was called
as witness to prove the intimidation that
existed in that parish. He had NO
knowledge of any act of the kind
exceDt this procession, which he thought
was calculated to intimidate the cOlored
voters. He had no idea that arrests made
upon his warrants and the proceedings un-
der them had any effect in interfering with
the Conservative vote. On the other hand,
the Conservatives in that neighborhood
thought about this just the reverse. In
deed, the reports Of the military officers in
command of the forces of the United States
in the county, though generally indicating
condition of quiet and order, take some.
times different view OF the situation.
On the other hand it was in evidance that
the blacks who sought to act with the Con-
servative party were on their part sOme-
times exposed to enmity and abuse. In
the interior one cOlored man was shot for
making Conservative speech. In New
Orleans it appeared that colored men who
sought 10 CO operate with the Conservatives
were subject to SO much abuse from the
police and otherwise, that an association of
lawyers volunteered to protect them, but
with little effect. The general condition of
affairs in the State Of Louisiana seems to
be as follows:
The conviction has been general among
the whites since 1872 that the Kellogg gov
was usurpation. This cOnvic.
non among them has been strengthened by
the acts of the Kellogg Legislature, abolish.
ing existing courts and Judges and substi-
tuting others presided over by judges
appointed by kellogg. having extraordinary
and exclusive jurisdiction over political
questions; by changes in the laws, central
zing in the Governor every form of
political control. including the supervision
Df the elections; by continuing the Return
ing Board with absolute power of the
returns of elections; by the extraordinary
provisions enacted for the trial of titles and |
claims to Office; by the conversion of the |
police force. maintained at the expense
,f the city of New Orleans, into |
o the command OF the Governor; by the |
'reetion In some places of monopoiies in |
markets, gas making, waterworks and |
erries, cleaning vaults, removing filth and |
loipg work as wharfngers; by the abOli- !
ion Of courts with elective judges and the |
ubstitutlon Of other courts with Judges |
appointed by Kellogg in violation of the |
of the State; by enactments
criminally all persons who
ttempted to fill official positions
nless returned by the Returning |
he payment of militia expenses, and for
he payment Of legislative warrants, vouch
RS and checks, issued during the years 1870
0 1877, by laws declaring that no person in
rrears for taxes, after default published,
hall bring any suit in any court of the
tate, or be allowed to be witness in his
wn behalf; measures which, when coupled
18th the extraordinary burdens of taxa
on, have seemed to vest, IN the language
Governor kellegg's counsel, a degree
power in the Governor of State
,arcely exercised by q sovereign in
70 world. With this conclusion is
eneral want of confidence in the integrity
the existing State and local officials;
want of confidence equally in their
urposes and in their personnel, which is
by the paralization of business
nd destruction OF values. The most hope
Il witness produced by the Kellogg party,
lille he declared that business was in q
'under condition than ever before because
There was no prosperity" The sureties |
the State have fallen in two years from |
'venty or eighty to twenty-five; of the city
New Orleans from eighty or ninety to
lirty or forty, while the tall in bank shares,
Iilway shares, city and other corporate
'mpanies, have in degree corresponded.
Throughout the rural districts of the
ate the negroes, reared in the habits of
lance upon their masters for support, and ,
community in which the mem bers are
ways ready to divide the necessares of
U Of har mt 1
tion as very evil. and having immunity ,
On punishment from the nature Of the
Cal officials, had come to filching and ,
ealing fruit, vegetables and poultry SO
nerally, as Bishop Wilmer stated, with
t contradict ton from apv source that the | ,