New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-26

6ence in; that was On . Saturday, two days
before the board was to close its work; Is
that was granted them, l deemed that the
Republicans had the same right; therefore
did not put in one protest or affidavit unit
the next Monday; had put in that afida,
Wit earlier, our contestants might have seen
| 1t and attempted to obtain re5utting testi-
mOny; the board did not throw out single
box, except for frauds; the supervisor of
De Soto parish failed to make any
returns; the Democrats caused the
supervisor to be arrested and taken
! before a United States commissioner; he
then and there had the returns, but he was
discharged; afterward a lewd woman de-
| manded $1,000 for the papers. but she did
| ward appeared with bundle of papers,
which were presented to the board as dupli-
Gates of the election returns of De Soto
parish; the board could not accept those
papers, not knowing whether the documents
were genuine or not; the Democrats sued
out writ Of mandamus, which was of no
effect, the court sustaining the board;
the same question arose in Terrebonne
parish, the supervisor having failed
in Iberia parish failed to return
poll No. I, so the Returning Board Is not
responsible in any manner for that mistake;
there were affidavits to show that intimida-
ton had been used at that poll; the board
did not entertain those atfidavits, and it is
evident to me that the subcommittee did
not clearly understand the state of affairs
in the parish of Iberia.
The committee here adjourned at four
o'clock until P. NJ.
At the evening session all we're present,
and Mr.. Ray resumed his testimony:
In the parish of VIM there was trouble;
Randall. who had been appointed registrar,
had lett the parish because citizens had
threatened to take his life unless he disap-
peared without further notice; the person
who acted as registrar had no authority so
to do; he had not been appointed; entered
protests as to the returns of those parishes
where intimidation aud fraud had been
used; it is next to impossible for su-
pervlsOrs or commissioners to actually
witness acts Of intimidation or fraud
on election days; there may be a thou
sand ways to frighten oft voter
days and weeks before election day: it is in
consequence of this that the Returning
Board was bound to accept proofs of fraud
from other sources: persons in VIM parish
complained that they were prevented from
registering, and others asserted that they
could not vote after registering; others had
to flee from their homes to save their lives;
in the parish of jackson fully forty men
signed atfidavits that they had been pre-
vented depositing their ballots: there was
intimidation in Assumption and LafOurche
parishes; in the parish of Grant there were
evidences of intimidation where imprOvised
ballot boxes were used; in the parish of
Bienville the vote cast was 779; 784 Demo
Gratis were registered and 440 Republicans;
there was no Republican ticket and no Re-
publican votes were cast there; the Repub
lican tax collector of that parish was
forced to resign; in AvOyelles parish.
poll No. IL, the box was stolen by an
unknown person; the vote known to have
been east was largely Republican; poll No.
IL was counted in for the Republicans by
the Returning Board; there was intimida-
ton in Red River parish, beyond asdoubt;
in St. Tammany parish one poll was con-
tested because of great infOrmality; one
person who signed as a commissioner was a
Democratic candidate for Office and not q
commissioner: in Boesier parish objections
were made to the returns by both sides, but
the objections were not sustained; at the
Benton poll there was evident intimidation
To Mr.. Frye-On one occasion an in
trusive person entered the room of the
Returning Board and demanded of Gov
error Wells what he intended to do about a
certain parish; the man was dictatOrial and
offensive: he was elected: his name is Bailey
Vincent; Mr.. Casanave received an unsigned
letter threatening him with death; there
were rumors that members would be fOully
dealt with III case they made certain re-
turns; l was repeatedly warned not to go
on the streets at night and not to let any
body know where slept: on one occasion l
feel sure that the board would have been
mobbed had it not adjourned in time to
prevent such an occurrence.
j. Madison Wells, swOrn-I have pre-
pared long report to the Legislature.
which l think will cover all the points de-
sired by this committee. The document
was read and accepted as evidence. In
substance, the narrative goes over the same
ground travelled by Mr.. Ray, and gives a
condensed history of the Returning Boards
proceedings during its last session. The
document closes by declaration that an
attempt had been made in this city to as
sassinate him Governor Well). He also
expressed belief that most of the intimi
dalton could be traced directly to the
White League.l
Counsel for the Democratic side started
to offer proposition of some kind for Mr.
McEnery, but the committee did not seem
inclined to receive it. The document was
not read or given out, but it is stated that
it contains proposition to submit the
election Of 1872 to the committee for arbi-
tration or something of like nature.
The committee adjourned until ten o'clock
this morning.