The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-01-26


written documents, and stated that he desire
to begin at the beginning, and show in tt
first place the reasons which actuated th
Legislature in passing the last election Law
and then follow down, calculating those SCI
tons governing the Returning Board. Muc
discussion occurred here as to what the valiar
successor of Barber should confine himself
It was finally settled that he should proceed
and pass over the reasons which urged til
Legislature to the passage of the law.
He affirmed that it became absolutely NJ
cessary to have new election law, becaus
in 1868 there were IS, 600 Republican voter
driven from the polls in twenty-five parishes
and that there were many murders committed
Republicans murdered simply because the
were Republicans. These murders were com
mitted by Democrats, to the end that the
might maintain possession of the election
machinery of the State and control elections
heCce it became necessary to devise a new
law, changing wholly the old system. n
thereafter expounded those sections of tn
law under which the Returning Board pro
ceeded, and quoted various clauses, con
frming, as he alleged, his ideas and the con
struction of the laws as claimed by himself
and associates.
He referred to various sections of the Law
in support of the position taken. There
after,
ATTORNEY-GENERAL FIELD
came forward and stated his ideas of the
proper construction of the law governing the
board. He said it was first necessary to i'm
press the committee with the fact that the
Constitution of the State guarantees tie voter
free exercise of his suffrage, and in pur-
suance of this guarantee, it devolved upon
the Assembly to legislate to the end that this
right might be secured. The election law
grew out of the necessity of the moment.
From this he drifted into an elaborate speech,
Illuminated for an hour and half or two
hours, on the Republican construction of the
law under which the board acted.
To reproduce all that was said by this
champion OF the usurpation, or to give q
synopsis of it, would take up more Of our
was an important speech, but only in this
sense, that i. clearly refuted good many Of
the points held by Hugh j. Campbell, and
was clear enunciation of the Conservative
idea relative to the construction of the law
governing the board, and further, went far to
stiblish the unconstitutionality of it.
This was evident from the very fact that
Campbell and Ray sat all the while making
wry faces at him. They felt that he was muir
dering the cause, and doubtless he has been
told SO by his confreres and politi-
cal friends. He allowed himself to be more
than once effectually nonplused by interro-
cations from members of the committee upon
points which he essayed to make; and, upon
the whole it can be said that he has advanced
the Conservative cause immensely.
JOHN RAY.
Is lawyer, and resides in Monroe, La. Was
appointed by the Republican State Central
Committee as one of q committee to be pres
ent before the Returning Board, in the inter-
est of the Republican party. Was present
during every session of the Board until it
vent into secret session.
The first objection raised by the Democratic
was that the board was illegally
ormed, all members thereof being Repub-
leans. Longstreet resigned, and Mr.. Sandidge
vas elected; Mr. Sandidge resigned, and MI.
Arroyo was elected in the place thus vacated.
There was no objection after this to the
organization of the board. Up to the time of
dr. Arroyo's election there had been no exam
nation Of returns made by the board. After
he board was thus organized some discussion |
vas raised as to the order in which the re-
urns should be taken up-Democratic coun-
el maintaining that the Congressional dis
riots should first be canvassed. It was
inally determined to take up the parish of
orleans, and had made but little progress
7hen it was discovered that many informal
ties existed.
As counsel for the Republican party and
ity having gone Democratic, witness protest
d, or made objections of all these informali-
les. However, the Board made an examine
ion of all these returns, and came to the
onclusion that unless there was some evil
ence of intimidation, the votes should be
according to the returns. Only
hree charges of intimidation were made but
My one Was sustained.
After getting through with the parish Of Or
cans, the parishes comprising the First and
econd Congressional Districts, and through
ut these it was found that the same infor-
lalities existed.
Witness made objection in all cases whore
1ese informalities occurred. In the parish
st. James the Democratic counsel discov-
red that upon the returns from one of the
oils, one hundred votes had been added in
.vor of a certain candidate. After getting
trough with the parishes composing these
70 Congressional districts, the board pro-
,eded to canvass parishes alphabetically. {
fitness explained the grounds upon which
IS protests were made, which consisted Of
the main, informally and intimidation. {
In the case of the parish of DeSoto, the Su- l
ervisor made no returns. Democratic coun- I
i applied to the Returning Board to coerce t
le said Supervisor into placing the returns i
,fore the board. The board had no power
do SO. The Supervisor one Bean, was ar l
sted and taken before Commissioner Craig (
th the returns, but did not surrender them. +
clerk of court from the parish of De Soto +
'peared before the board, and through Mr.
.royo presented number of sealed pack q
es, which he claimed were a duplicate of
e returns on file in the parish court. r
Witness made objection to these being '
ceived for the reason that if the papers y
re returns or duplicates, the Board could r
It receive them, because they had not come n
I'm the hands of the supervisor, and could t
ly pass upon papers coming from the said t
icer This was sustained by the Superior Z
strict Court. f
Several polls in the parish of Terrebonne "
re thrown out for q similar reason. Y
Evening Session.
TESTIMONY OF JOHN RAY CONTINUED.
The witness continued his testimony touch
! the action of the Returning Board in the
rious parishes, stating upon what grounds
,tests were made by the Republicans, etc.
lative to the parish of Carroll the contost CT