New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-27

l
of the Republican candidate. What does
the report say!
The colored population of that State
outnumbers the white, and in the last cleo
ton the colored voters were almost unani.
nous in their support of the Republican
! ticket"
Corroborated by the testimony that 1
have quoted, ccrroborated by the testimony
of a man familiar with the politics of that
State, familiar with all the proceedings of
| that canvass, even down to their absolute
iniquity, he tells you that in the main the
colorei men of that State cast their votes
for the Republican ticket. and he tells you,
and this report tells you that they are
largely in the majority in that State. So
| outraged did this committee feel in their
| examination, in their researches of the
frauds perpetrated there in the name and
on behalf OF Democracy, that they brand the
! whole proceeding as an infamous fraud, and
| they say the attempt to foist McEnery on
| the people of Louisiana was contrary to
! the wishes and contrary to the expressed
wishes Of the majority Of that people.
Senators are here upholding that fraud,
unwittingly l admit, according to their
| conscientious convictions OF duty-they are
! here upho!ding fraud today that was SO
| pronounced by committee Of this body over
! two years ago.
Ali the frauds are on the part of the
Republicans, says the Senator from Con-
| nec:icut; the whole claim OF Kellogg and
| thu Republicans is based on infamous
| outrage and fraud. Sir, base the right of
| the Republicans upon the expressed will of
| the sovereigns Of that State, who undoubt-
| edly cast their votes for that man. There is
| something else in an election besides the
| returns. Something else constitutes an
election. The primary cause OF an election
| is the intention, and it is the expressed
~. NO till
| his choice, that mainly constitutes an cleo
| ton.
Now, Mr.. Pre- sident, let me say one thing
| in regard to the election laws Of my State
in regard to the election law that prevailed
and controlled the election of 1872. 1t was
| law passed by the Republican party,
will admit-passed to protect Republicans
| from the scenes of violence and intimida-
| ton that were practiced in that State in the
Presidential election in 1868. 1t had accom-
plished its purpose. 1t was deprecated by
Republicans and by Democrats, and there
was a universal demand for its repeal Or for
it's modification. The Governor of that
State at that time had on three successive
| occasions, according to my recollection, ap-
pealed to the Legislature to relax the strln-
gency Of those laws, and he had deprecated
their existence. The Legislature, yielding
to the justice Of the demand, yielding to the
equities of the demand, during a preceding
session Just prior to this election had modi
fed and repealed that law and modified
many of its obnoxious features. Was the
repeating act approved! Was it allowed to
go into operation SO as to give one party or
the other the same opportunity for an equal
and fair election9 No, sir: but it was
quietly kept for an opportunity for its USE
an opportunity for its use which is well
known to this Senate, and certainly must
be known to the new members here. Ac-
cordiDg to the testimony in the report there
was a law that had been denounced from
one end of that State to the other as obnox-
ious, oppressive and infamous, and de-
nounccd by the Democratic party, accord
ing to their admission. Then what was
their proceeding! They made terms with the
Governor who had the manipulation Of that
law, and this very thing which they had
denounced, which they stated themselves
was an alliance with an infamy, that was
worse than infamy itself, they Rugged to
their bosom and they undertook to prac-
tice the frauds that it admitted. On the
ratification of what is called the Fusion
ticket there was a mass meeting held, and
speakers from that stand announced that
that law was to be used in favor of the
party that had for years denounced it. All,
they said, this is a glorious law; give il TO
rs now and we will carry the State for the
Democracy; thus prostituting all their pro-
icSslpDS vi IcpIkunuCo III O.ueI tii.t1 stiCCtss
might follow such prostitution. What did
one of the speakers say!
Now. propose to tell the people OF this
city, and through the press represen ted here
the people of the State, the simple, plain
reason that do not sign these laws. In the
first place, they make no material mudi1ica-
ton Of the old election and registration
laws. In the second place, it was intended,
when the repeal of these laws was forced
~. II 81, ,c
them General Grant should use his election
law upon the people of this State; and then,
besides that, the great mass OF the PEG
ple''-
To whom was he speaking at the moment.
To the Democracy as represented at q mass
meeting in the city of New Orleans
1.-THE great mass OF the people who have
so long demanded the modification or repeal
OF these laws have changed their minds"
All, it makes a very great diff renee whose
OK is gored. These were laws TO be de.
nonnced when operated in tho interest Of
the Republican party, but Oh! what sweet
and wholesome things they were when they
could be diverted to the fraudulent purposes
OF the Democratic party. And l have just
this one apology to make to my friends in
using that term: 1t was not the Democratic
party of Louisiana that originated or per-
pctuated these frauds; it was few political
avn CibulCIS tE5 Ciouh Va
Deme crazy to enhance and advance their
own views. Through them, and by them
the Democratic masses OF the State Of
Louisiana have been made to believe, and
do this day believe, that they have been
outraged. Here were the instructions sent
out by the authorities having control of
these election laws as TO how proceedings
were to be managed under them:
STATE OF LOUISIANA
Office OF State Registrar Voters.
New Orleans, October "a, 1872.
SIR-ln addition to the instructions con-
tanned il circular No. 6, from this Office, You
are instructed
"First-In counting the ballots after cleo
ton, count first the votes cast for presiden-
tial electors and members OF Congress,
keeping tally lists on the form No. |, pro
vided for that purpose, and making up and
completing the statement for each poll upon
form No. l. Then close the boz, reseal it
and proceed in {; similar manner until all
the national votes have been counted.
Then proceed with the counting Of the
State and parish votes, bearing in mind the
fact that the United States supervisors of
election and deputy marshals have no right
whatever to scrutinze, inspec, or be
present at the counting Of the state and
parish votes"
Here are the facts, and hera are the
practices pursued in that case The super
visors appointed by the United States Judge
were allowed to remain as witnesses of the
count OF national votes, aud the Inoment it
became necessary to practice hocus pocus
on the boxes in order to get in Democrats
they told these gentlemen they had 70 legal
right there. They excluded them from
witnessing the count, ami they went on and
consummated their fraud. The Hepubli
cans were not allowed to have {; man there.
assert it as a fact that there was not Il Re
publican officer of election throu -hou5 that
Whole State On that day, except these SUI
pervisors OF election, and they were ex-
Guided Immediately after tle national