The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-01-22

dllSud5t- W t. TIE Ul41CESlRlltu .ttl
;hants of the city of Shreveport, alive {
he great Importance Of securing goo
and honest government TO the State, i
agree and pledge ourselves not TO aC
vance any supplies or money to an
) planter the coming year, who VIII Civ
employment or rent lands TO labor T
who vote the Radical ticket in the com
, ing electionr"
THE RETURNING BOARD.
have no information of the proceed
ings of the Returning Board for the salt
/ election, which may not be found In il
: report, which has been published, bu
! 1t is matter of public information tia
great part of the time taken to can
vass the votes was consumed by the az
guments OF lawyers, several OF whom
represented each party before theBOarll
There is no evidence that the proceed
|. iDgs of dashboard were not iii accordance
with the law under which they acted
Whether in excluding from their cOuT
certain returns they were right or wrong
lis a question that depends upon the evi
ldence they had before them; but it
very clear that the law gives them pow
Ter, ifthey choose to exercise il, OF decid
ing that way. and primGJ Jaeie, the per
sons whom they return as elected ar
entitled to the Offices for which the!
we're candidates.
FEDERAL INTERFERENCE WITH THE Lex
ISLATCRE.
Respecting the alleged interference..U!
the military with the organization OF I'll,
Legislature of Louisiana, on the 4ti
Inst, have no knowledge or informa
ton. which has not been received b!
me since that time and published. II!
first information was from the paper
of the morning of the 5th of January.
Ibid not know that any such thing wa
Ianticipated, and no orders and no sug
gestions were ever given to any militar!
officer in that State upon that subject
prior to the occurrence. | am well awar'
that any military interference, by Til
officers or troops of the United States
with the organization of a State Legis
iature, or any ofits proceedings, or witt
any civil department of the Government
is repugnant to our ideas of govern
ment. | can conceive Of no case, no
Involving rebellion or insurrection
where such interference by the authori
lty of the General Government ought tC
be permitted or can be justified. Bu
there are circumstances connected witt
the legislative iInbroglio in Louisiana
which seem to exempt the military from
any intention OF wrong in that matter
knowing that they had been placed il
Louisiana to prevent domestic vioieEc,
and to aid to repress it.
| NuaS ornrornntlv titpT Il
it is believed, not really abandoned, ,auc
the cry of Federal usurpatiOn aHC
tyranny in Louisiana was renewed will
redoubled energy. Troops had been SEN
to the State, under the requisition Of tlI'
Governor, as other disturbances seemed
Imminent. They were allowed to r.
main there to render the Executive sUci
aid as might become necessary to enfOrc'
the laws of the State, and to repress til,
leontinued violence which seemed iue
vitable the moment the Federal supper
Ishould be withdrawn.
WHITE LEAGUES.
Prior to, and with a view to thr lati
Ielection in Louisiana, white men aSsCci
ated themselves together in armed bod
lies, called White Leagues, and ~ tii'
lSillllt llllit lllIttilS hClC It4tlNt III lAi'
Journals OF the State that the election
lshould be carried at all hazards, which
very naturally, greatly alarmed the col
ored voters.
i By section S OF the act OF FeHruar!
l2S, 1871, it is made the duty of tn
I ttstfit-tl -Stsstss Lorshals and their deDu
tiles, at the polls, where votes are cas-
for Representatives in Congress, to keel
order and prevent any violation of tin
so-called enforcement acts and other OF
lfenses against the laws of the Unite,
State, and, upon a requisition OF tin
Marshal of Louisiana, and in view O
the armed organizations and the pOrten
tous circumstances, l caused detaeh
lments of troops to be stationed in variOu
localities in the State to aid him in til
performance of his official duties.
For the enforcement of the State laws
the officers and troops of the Unite,
Estates may well have supposed that i
was their duty to act, when called upoI
by the Governor for that purpose. Eacl
branch of q Legislative Assembly is Tn,
Judge of the election and qualification
of its own members, but if a mob or
body of unauthorized persons seize aal
hold the Legislative Hall in a tuinultu
Gus and riotous manner, and so preven
any organization by those legally re
turned as elected, it might become tn
duty of the State Executive to interpOs
if requested by a majority Of the mem
bers elect, to suppress the disturbanc
and enable the persons elected to organ
iZe the House. Any exercise of thi
power woud be justifiab!e under the mos
ordinary circumstances, and it woul,
then be the duty of the Governor TO cal
upon the constabulary, or, if necessary
the military force of the State.
| But with reference to Louisiana. it i
/ to be borne in mind that any attemp
by the Governor to use the police fore,
of that State, at this time, would IN
doubtedly precipitate a bloody confiic
with the White League, as it did on til
18th of September. There Is no doub
that the presence of the United State
troops On that occasion prevented blood
shed and the loss of life. Both partie.
appeared to have relied upon them Al
lconseryatorS of the public peace.
THE CALLS FOR TROOPS,
The first call was made by the Demo
Gratis to remove the persons obnoxious
/ to them from the Legislative Hall. anC
the second was from the Republicans. t
remove persons who had Usurped seat.
| in the Legislature without legal certifi
Gates authorizing them to seats, and suf
ticient in number to change The majority
Nobody was disturbed by the military
who had legal right. at that time, t
Ioaa,,,- n cot IN fba ooicIofura rpl,o,
the Democratic minority of the HOus,
undertook to seize the organization by
fraud and violence; that in this attempt
they trampled under foot law; that they
undertook to make persons not returned
as elected members, so as to create &
majority; tia they acted under pre-
concerted plan, and under false pretense:
introduced into the hall men TO support
their pretensions by force, if necessary
and that the conflict disorder, and riot
GUS proceedings following, are fact:
which seem to be well established, and
am credibly informed that those violent
proceedings were part of a premediated
plan to have the House organized in thi:
way, to recognize what has been called
the McEnery Senate, then to Gepose
uON- hehoSS, anu nO leNOlutiOAAA~S bile
State Government.
Whether it was wrong for the Cover
nor, at the request of the majority oi
the members returned as elected to the
House, to use such means as were in hi:
power to defeat those lawless and reyo
iutionary proceedings, is perhaps a de
batable question, but it is quite certain
that there would have been no trouble
if those who now complain Of Illegal in
reference had allowed the House TO b,
organized in lawful and regular man