Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-02-26
LOUISIANA.
Summary OF the Hoar Sab~Commit-
tees Report.

conclusions arrived at by Messrs.
Hoar, Frye and Wheeler, from their
investigation of Louisiana affairs:
On the whole we are of opinion
/. That there has been and is, on
the part of the party calling them
selves the White Mans party in Lou
isiana, purpose to take possession
by force and fraud of the State gov
eminent, without regard to the ques-
ton of who may have the numerical
majority at a fair election.
3. That in the execution of this
purpose, the White Mans party have
refrained, and will refrain, from the
use of no instrument which they
think designed to accomplish it,
whether those instruments be MUIR
der, fraud, civil war, or coercion of
laborers by employers.
5. While there are many men in
their party of more moderate views
who do not themselves use or approve
of these unlawful means, such men
desire the accomplishment ofthe same
end and are powerless to restrain
their more violent associates.
4. Three causes have made it
easier to unite SO large a number OF
the whites of Louisiana in these pur;
poses, and have rendered it more diff
ficult to unite the best men among
them in opposition: The fact that
the administration. party in Louisiana
is made up by massing together al
most the whole negro vote, with a
few whites, largely from other States;
the fact that there has been great
maladministration by Republican Off
Gals; the belief honestly maintained
by large numbers of the white people
of Louisiana that they have been
twice defrauded Of the results OF
elections in which they had been sue
cessful.
5. While all these things are
great evils, much to be deplored, and
likely to exasperate any people, the
course of the whites themselves has
tended to bring them about and in
flame them. The simple and peace
full remedies of obedience to law, ar
gument, and decent treatment of
their opponents, would, if they
had pursued them, proved effectual
long ago.
6. While we believe Governor
Kellogg to have received a majority
of the votes in 1872, and while we
believe there was violence and fraud
which frustrated the will of the peo-
pie in many parishes in 1874, the il
legal order of Judge Durell, and the
illegal conduct Of the Returning
Board in attempting to cure one
wrong by another, naturally intiamed
the popular discomfort, and lentplaus-
Utility to the complaints.
I. There has been much dlshon-
esty, much corruption in State and
local administration in louisiana
For this the Republicans, especially
under Warmouth's rule, are largely
responsible, although in numerous
instances their opponents have been
equally to blame.
s. The effect of all this has been
to put an end to the authority of law
over large portion of Louisiana, to
deprive the negro Of his freedom of
suffrage, and wholly to destroy the
value of the methods provided by
law for securing fairness in elections,
or ascertaining their result. This
state of things overthrows republican
government in Louisiana, and seri-
ously menaces it III the whole coun-
try.
8. A new election at this time I'M
der national authority is not desira-
BILE. 1t is not asked for by either
side, and would inflame and aggra-
vate the evils now existing.
10. 1t is the duty of Congress to
use such powers as are vested in it
by the Constitution. 1t should rec
ognize the lawful Governor of Louis
lana by express resolution. We think
William Pitt Kellogg the choice of a
majority of the voters of Louisiana,
and that he should be recognized ac-
cordingly. 1t should provide further
safeguards for holding elections and
ascertaining the result, if any can be
devised.
II. But these remedies are at best
temporary and superficial, curing the
symptoms, not the disease. Efficient
aid to the State to establish public
education would have gone far to
prevent the evil, and may yet do
much to effect cure. The public
sentiment of the rest of the country,
without distinction of party, may do
much to remove, as it has unfortun-
ately done much to aggravate, the
trouble in Louisiana. That people
should be made to understand that
all the authority lodged in the gov
eminent to preserve republican gov
eminent, and to protect the rights of
all its citizens, will be kindly but
fearlessly and steadily cxerte1, and
that no party in this country will ac-
cept the alliance of men who are
seeking power by such methods as
we have been compelled to describe.
Unless this can be done the free in
situations of the whole United States
will not survive the destruction OF
those in the South.
The following are the conclusions
of that portion of the report which
relates to intimidation:
We cannot doubt that the effect of
all these things was to prevent full,
free, and fair election, and to intimi-
date the colored voters and the white
Republicans. The very formation of
white mans party was menace OF
terrible import to those who remem-
Der Colfax and Bousier The press
was filled with threats of Violence
The agreement to discharge laborers,
the suggestion that wild beasts are
tanned by hunger, was evidence Of the
general spirit. The overthrow of the
State government by the White
League on the 14th of September,
the turning out of large numbers of
parish officials in the county by COM
polling them to flee for their lives;-
the fearful lesson of Coushatta; the
| Gown, o+:o,, oru,;,,cr ond drillin,e Of tho