The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-01-28
THE ALLEGED INTIMIDATION.


the laborers employed by them include aim
all the adult colored men of the State.
- some sections the owners and employers
~ all white, while the laborers are eXcluslv
y negroes. The number employed varies frt
one to several hundred The white own
are generally Conservatives or anti-Kadlcal
politics the negroes, who are voters, hay
until the last election, voted for Radical /
: publican candidates almost invariably.
: say they "have voted, butt is more accura
4 to say that "that they have been voted
since their votes have been dictated to the1
!, and in manner enforced upon them.
!. 1t is well known that the grown male n
groes throughout the State were bande
together in secret associations or clubs, o
Radical; all bound to obey the central Rad
cal authority; all secret and exclusive Of a
whites, except Radicals, and all the member
not only pledged, but aolemnly sworn to ODE
all orders which might be sent to them by cel
tain recognized chiefs of the party. The
were likewise sworn to vote at any cost o
time and to vote only the ticket which SHOULD
be put into their hands by the chief or presi
dent of the local club or league. They were
| commanded to refrain from conversation witt
white men, not Radicals, upon political mat
| ters. They were industriously harangued by
| their own men at their secret meetings, but
steadily refused to hear a Democrat on any
political subject.
On election day, regardless of weather or
distance, they all went to the polls, and all
silently and solidly voted the straight Radical
ticket. An enrolled member of one of those
clubs exercised no discretion or personal
volition in voting he simply "obeyed Or
ders, as he had promised and sworn to do.
stealth and at his imminent peril
The discipline of this organization was as
strict as that of the Federal army after which
it was closely modelled, SO that its general
officers in New Orleans could at any election
be sure that ninety-nine negroes out Of every
hundred would vote the tickets which had
been forwarded to them from headquarters.
The effect of this solidiication of negro
votes, and Of this implicit sworn obedience to
orders emanating from the Radical chiefs in
New Orleans, was to take from the Conserva-
tiyes all means Of reaching and persuadine
the negroes by argument or otherwise. The
further and well known effect was to elect bad
officers and bad legislators, leading to enor |
nous increase Of taxes, the accumulation of a
'tupendous public debt immense fraud and
and all the evils of bad govern
nent Thus, more than fifty thousand negro
aborers, for series of years, voted in a COM
'act body directly against the wishes and
irectly to the injury of their employers
oted to take money from the pockets of the
wners Of the soil, in taxes which went at
nee into the pockets Of our enemies and OPP
ressors voted to perpetuate the vilest of !
ynasties; voted to fill every place with men |
II the most part ju7tly odious to their en- {
loyers. ,
But i'll 1874 the white planters, landowners c
Id employers gentlemen deeply interested t
the proper and economical government of r
10 State-in pursuance of their just rights, l
d, in some localities, lawfully peacefully
I'd openly agree that they would not counte- \
'nce, harbor or employ men whom they be.
wed would vote, as usual, directly to their
mage. They had no secret meetings. The =
nple agreement was openly exposed for y
luntary signatures. Intelligent negroes =
IRE invited to their counsels and to them q
9 purpose and resolve of the employers a.
re fairly and candidiy told. Such in SUBJ q
nee was the so-called White League, and "
ch the nature and extent of the "intimida- Sd
n used. The very "head and front of -
Dir offending" went no further ~
70 condemn this self-protective action is to
,demn the uniform, well known and -
en- declarations and practice Of all the
ger manufacturers, builders, contractors lis
corporations in New England, the North
the West, wherever property interests are ii'
stake in any election. The owner of fro
lnsylvania furnace wants his hundred en- on
yees to vote as he votes, and he sees that APP
y do it. The man Of many thousand spin A
5 expects his carders, spinners and weav-
to vote the ticket which helps the factory,
owner being the judge. He whose capt.
employs and sustains labor will not suffer Gel
Sc whom he thus supports to damage his sa a
mess by their votes if he can help it, as by
Usually finds way to do. hef
his rule has been acted upon almost uni us
ally. 1t is considered among large North IN
employers as the bad license and mere mes
Sc of suffrage when the hired laborer votes an
INST the will and interests of his chief from =,
IN he gets his subsistence Those who
, tavors to grant will prefer their friend.
leir enemies
the influence Of employers over laborers, 1
III prevents the latter from voting to the tioi
age OF those who feed them. is, or has Cor
been. Justitiable, it assuredly needs no hay
ogy from the planters Of Louisiana. mos
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