The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-01-01
Statement of the Returning Board.

last, 1t is but just and proper thai the
returning officers should give a state
ment of the difficulties attendant on
their labors and the principles laid
down, drawn from the law, to direct
them in the discharge of their duties.
In the first place, this election was
very loosely conducted by the commits
sioners of election-so much so, that at
not one-tenth of the polls in the State
were the forms required by law OBJ
served.
The law requires the supervisors OF
registration to forward to the returning
officers, first, the list Of votes kept by the
commissioners of election; second, the
statement OF the persons voted for and
the number of votes received by each
and third, the tally sheets all of which
the commissioners of election are re-
they to forward to the returning officers.
In many cases no lists of voters were
by the commissioners, or if there
was they were not forwarded to the Re-
turning Board by the supervisors, and
many that were forwarded to the Re-
turning Board were not signed or sworn
to, as the law requires. In many cases
there was no statement of the persons
voted for and the number of votes re-
ceived by them forwarded to the Re-
turning Board, for the reason that none
were furnished by the commissioners of
election to the supervisors, and many
that were returned were neither signed
nor sworn to, and in many cases there
were no tally sheets forwarded to the
Returning Board to enable them to test
the accuracy of the statement of votes,
and in some instances only the tally
sheets were returned to the Returning
Board without the list of voters or the
statement of votes, and they not signed
or sworn to as the law requires. This
being the case, it became necessary that
the papers received from the polling
places should be carefully examined.
There were over $50 polling places in
the State, and there was a long list of
candidates. So it became a very labor
ious duty, which occupied the board
nearly a month, laboring from II A. NJ,
to 4 2. M, and from Z to II P. NJ, every
day.
The law requires, "That in such can
and compilation the returning Off
GERS shall observe the following order:
They shall complete first the statements
from all polls or voting places at which
there shall have been q fair, free and
.peaceable registration and election.
Whenever from any poll or voting place
there has been any riot, tumult acts of
violence, intimidation, armed distur-
Dances, bribery 0 + corrupt influences
which prevented Oh tended to prevent a
fair, free and peaceable vote of all
qualified electors entitled to vote at
such poll or voting place, such returning
officers shall not canvass, count OF COM
slnfn 4ha c%nknn1n,,f "a uofoc fuOn1 os5oh
poll or voting place until the statements
from all other polls or voting places
shall have been canvassed and compiled.
The returning officers shall then pro-
eeed to investigate the statements of
riot, tumult, acts of violence, intimida-
ton, armed disturbance, bribery or COR
rupt influences at any such poll and
voting place.
The board has followed this require
ment of the law, as it was their impera
tive duty to do, and in examining the
proceedings of the commissioners of
election forwarded to it by the super
yisors, when either of the counsel APP
pointed by the political parties objected
to the count of any poll, and laid before
the board any evidence to sustain such
objections, such pollstwere passed over
and not canVassed until the board had
compiled the vote from all polls not OBJ
to.
In the progress of the examination d
large number of polls were objected to,
including some in twenty-seven of the
parishes, and all in some. The grounds
of objection to some of the polls were
the failure of a substantial compliance
with the law in conducting the election
and making returns to the supervisors;
to some that the returns of the COM
missioners had been changed after they
had been made to the supervisors; and
to the far greater number, that the vo-
tiers had been intimidated, so that they
did not register or vote, or were com
to vote differently from what
they desired.
Had the board decided that anything
like a strict compliance with the forms
OF law in holding the election and MAX
ing the returns to the supervisor would
be required, the effect would have been
SO many of the polls would have
been thrown out that there would have
been no election in the State. The
board then adopted the rule that when
the supervisor had returned any evil
dence showing an election was held, al
though it be only a tally sheet unsigned
S8O1A@ US bFtsb III UtlJ 1bDSEIC6 OI# dIH
evidence of fraud or intimidation, it
would compile the vote as shown by
such evidence or document. If it NAV
be called evidence, this decision dis
posed of a good many protests tothe re-
of polls, but when the substan-
tial forms of law had not been observed.
and evidence of fraud or intimidation
was produced, the failure of the SUBJ
stantiaI compliance with the forms of
was considered a badge Of fraud.
and the poll was rejected. We believed
this to be a just and reasonable rule,
and the board strictly adhered to it.
In the cases OF Carroll, st. Helena and
St. James parishes, wherei it was charged
and proved the returns made by the
commissioners to the supervisors had
been changed after they came into the
hands of the supervisors, the board took
evidence to ascertain the true state Of
the vote, and made the compilation
accordingly.
The question raised against the great
II number of polls was the charge Of
intimidation to prevent voters from
and forcing them to vote against
heir wishes. To establish this charge
! great mass of afffdaFits was taken
some applicable to Whole parishes and
sOme to particular polls, and q d of
counter afidavits was also fled.
The general facts proved on this point
that about May, 1874, a milf
organization known as the White
was established In this State,
which extended to every parish of the
State, and permeated every neighbor-
rood that the object of this organiza-
ion was to prevent colored men from
unless they could be controlled
d vote the Democratic ticket, and to
prevent them from holding office; and
arther. tocomnel the Republicans hnld-I