The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-03-04
-- el;y 3aS
LOUISIANA.
The Majority Report ON Louisiana a fairs,

The Majority Report on I-oui siana a fairs.
WAsHINGToN, Feb. 23-ssTiie under
signed, majority of the Committee
on the State of the South, respectfully
report that they cannot agree to the
report made to the Committee BY
NJ essrsA Hoar, Wheel Ell. and Frye. The
laws inimical to cOlored people refer
red to i'll this report hasbeen repealed
for years, except during the. schism of
Governor Warmohtil in 1872. The
Republican party has long had control
of the machinery of the State. The
late registration shows. IN excess of
the colored over the. white voters,
giving 9O,7S1 colored to 76, ,S23 Whites,
In the absence OF evidence that the
late election was not free aud fair, the
assumption by the minority that, al
though the colorcd voters must there
tore have been prevented from voting
at the late election by the recollection
of the Colfax and Coushatfa Killings,
causes and circumstances of which are
disputed. and by, other riots; which
occurred years before, TO have changed
the result of the election throughout
the State, is an assumption so violent
when it is recollected that both those
Parishes elected the full kellogg ticket
by increased Republican majorities, as
not to be received if any other cause
for the vote of the State can be found.
Such causes exist and are obvious. q,
Among them are, first, the registra-
ton was incorrect and exceeded the
true colored vote. The registration
was wholly in the hands of Kellogg
officials with whom a Republican
-, al 4
Packard at their head, co-operatet.
In only three Parishes did the RepuA;-
lican supervisors of registration make
any complaint of any unfair. or iisuf-
ficient registration. On the iothar
hand very great complaint was made
by the conservatives who specified
with proof 5 200 cases Of Il, conceded
false registration in New 'OtIta'ns
alone, and those Conservatives who
had been co7operating i'll a joint party
Committee to secure a fairregi
gave up the effort in despair. The
census OF 1870, the correctness OF
which is not inpeached, sho Ied ST.
7O5 whites and sc 9l3 coiored males
over 81 years of age. All Statistics
and, evidence indicated no change in
this proportion iii favor of the colored
NOtSES. L CT tuC VI COIpT-
ed voters exceeded by four thousand
the total number of colored adult males
returned by the census, while The reg
istration of white voters was l .0O0
less. '"''' go. -.
Sccond-The whole number of votes
registered was l67 ,504. OF these 24S,-
523 voted. This is larger proportion
cf registered voters than usually vote
in anv of the Northern States. In an
agricultural State, sparselyi settled,
where a long journey had often to be
made to reach the polls, il is unrcason-
able to suppose that the greater pro-
portion of registered blacks would
have voluntarily turned cut TO sustain
the Government under which the pros
yerity of the State and their wages
anu value OF their shares OF produc-
ton had steadily declined, than usual
iy vote at elections North or South.
Third-lSI4 was Il year OF political
change in which the vote throughout
all the States was seriously affected
against theRepublican party-a change
resulting largely from the financial
distress of the people, and which
should therefore naturally have bee II
even greater in Louisiana than else
where.
Fourth-It became the interest of
the Conservatives, at least at the last
election, not to intimidate but to ac-
uuire by every fair means the colored
vote. Parties who were alleged 10
have threatened the blacks even with
the refusal of employment were SUBJ
ject to prompt arrest. 1t was known
that pretexts would be sought to Ce-
Drive the Conservatives of the result
if they prevailed i'll the election. 1t
was therefore to their interest TO avoid
giving any such preteXls. According
ly they determined everywhere to CO.
operate with and conciliaie the blacks. !
They voted down the propositions |
which were made in the early part of
the campaign tor refusal to employ |
those colOred voters who would CO.
operate with them, and generally |
sought, by combining with them, to /
carry the election.
Local combinations against the kel- |
lo9g candidates Were made in many /
parishes by men of all parties and /
colors. In several parishes u Union |
ticket of colored and Conservative can
didates was voted for aud elected. An