Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-02-05
More About Louisiana.

In your last issue Is an article from +.
j. b." upon the Louisiana question which
seems to merit II reply. The greater part of
his communication is taken up with an ac-
count of the organization of the Louisiana
House of Representatives on the 4th oil Jan
uary and the interference of the United
States troops Herewith. That account is
doubtless in tho main correct. No one con-
tends that the course pursued by the conserv-
atives on that occasion was strictly legal IN
form, but it may appear when all the facts
are known that there had been illegal action
by another party, and that the conservatives
were justly and legally entitled to MAORI
ty in that hsuse.
4" L. j. b." gives such part of the history
of the matter as tends to substantiate his
view of the case, but us he does not probably
wish to convey wrong impression or mis-
represent in thd matter, it will be a profitable
If not n pleasant task for him to post more
fully in the recent history of the Louisiana
affair. For that purpose he will do well TO
attenlively study the report of Messrs Eos
ter, Phelps and Potter,-a majority of whom
are republicans In good standing in the par
ty,-who recently visited New Orleans for
the purpose of getting at the facts in regard
to the late election. According TO their re-
port the election returns gave the conscrva-
tives n majority Of 90 members out OF II total
of II members. These returns passed into
the hands OF n set of men styled the return
ing board who were clothed with absolute
power over election returns. This board
was illegally constituted and partizan in
character. Afler working many weeks,
they finally announced u republican majori-
ty of three in the House. This result
was arrived ut by such gross frauds that the
committee were constrained to declare
that the action of the returning board on the
whole was arbitrary, unjust, and IN our opn-
ion illegal, and that this arbitrary, unjust
and illegal action alone prevented return
by the board of u majority Of conservative
members to the lower house" But il will he
affirmed that the election was carried by in
limitation, by threats Of assassination, and
dismissal from employment. After taking
such testimony rs they were able TO obtain
in regard to two parishes taken rs samples, and
in New Orleans offered by either party in
regard to other parts of the state, the COM
mittec say that on the whole the intention
charged Is not borne out by the facts before
us. No general intimidation of republican
voters was established No colored man
was produced who had been threatened or
assaulted by any conservative because of
Aiach rgaI from, lou
ment, or refused employment" The intimi-
dation stories We're mostly hearsay, and the
witnesses who testified upon that point were
nearly every one Off ce holders.
The conviction is general among the
whites that the government of Kellogg and
his ring is n usurpation; this conviction has
been strengthened by the unjust acts of the
Kellogg legislature which have served to
vest in the governor of the state " n degree
of power scarcely exercised by any sover-
oign in the world.n There " is want of
confidence in the existing state nd local
officers, II want of confidence equally in their
persons and their personnel which is accom-
panied by the paralyzing of business and de-
structiou of values, there is no prosperity.
nc stCullNluS VI lho hltltc utNc ltlltH llOul
10 or 80 to %; of the city OF New Orleans
from 80 or 80 to 30 or 40.
within the parishes MS well us ut New
Orleans the taxation had been carried al
most literally to the extent of coniscation.
In many parishes all the white republicans
aud all the Office holders belong to single
family" Through the rural districts of the
state the negroes having immunity from
punishment from the nature of the local ofli-
cials had come to filching and stealing fruit,
vegetables, and poultry so generally that tho
raising of these articles had to be entirely
abandoned to the great distress Of the white
people"
"As the people saw taxation increase and
prosperity diminish, Ms they grew poor while
tho officials grew rich, they became natural
ly sore. That they loved their rulers cannot
be pretended"
Tho committee say that the action Of tho
United States marshals and the apprehended
action of the returning board "served to put
the conservatives on their good behavior,
and the result was that In November, 1874,
the people of the state Of Louisiana did fair.
" have II free, pencable, and full registration
and election In which clear conservative
majority was elected to the lower house Of
the legislature. Of which majority the con-
servatives were deprived by the unjust, ille-