Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-01-07
NO.. 7
Statement of the LOuisianaa Returning
Board.


Statement of the Louisia,.a Returning
Board.
New ORLEANS, December 25.-1he Re-
turning Board have made statement in clos
ing their work. The points are as follows:
The election has been loosely conducted by
the Commissioners of Election in registration
matters The tally sheets and reports to the
Supervisors and Returning Board of the re-
turns were carlessly gotten up by the officers,
who sometimes even failed to swear to them.
The Board has had to compile returns from
$50 polls, and has worked over Il month nine
hours daily to accomplish the work. Dis
puted cases had been deferred, until at last
the Board had adopted rule that when the
Supervisors had returned any evidence show
ing that an election was held. although it be
only a tally sheet or sworn to- that in the
absence Of any evidence Of fraud or intimi-
lation, it would compile the vote as shown
by such evidence or document, if it might be
called evidence This decision disposed Of d
good many protests to the reception Of polls,
but when substantial forms of law had not
been observed, and evidence of fraud or in
| timidation was produced, Or the failure OF
substantial compliance with forms of law was
| considered badge of fraud. the poll was
rejected. This just rule they adhered to
strictly in several cases, which they cite In
| regard to some of these they say that the
general facts prove that about May, 1874,
military organization known as the White
League was established in this State, which
extended to every parish in the State and
every neighborhood. The object of this
organization was to prevent the colored men
from voting unless they could be controlled
to vote the Democratic ticket, and to prevent
them from holding office; and further, to
compel the Republicans holding office under
the present State government to abdicatc their
offices, and to prevent the Republican party
in >s-:- e+~+~ --s~,i7ing. with view to
concentrating their party at the late >,>otion.
and to expel the white Republicans from the
State unless they would desist from organic
ing the Republican party in this State and
withdraw from active support of that party.
The means taken by the White League to ac-
complish the above purposes are shown to
have been threats-that if the colored voters
did not vote the Democratic ticket they
should be expelled from the plantations on
which they were farming; be deprived OF
crops: be excluded from renting lands here
after, or being employed; to be deprived of
rations. Or credit to obtain them; and the
leading colored men were threatened with
death if they persisted in recognizing the Re-
publican party, and the white Republicans
were threatened with personal violence, pro-
scription in business and socially, Of Them
selves and families, and with hanging, il
they persisted in organizing the party with
view to the late elections. This Or
, ganization, in armed bands in many Of the
parishes in the State, carried their threats OF
personal violence into effect by killing some
of the Republicans, and whipping and ILL
treating others, and compelled the parish Of
ficers holding Office under the present State
Government to abdicate their offices. This
was particularly the case in all the Red river
parishes. These acts of violence were clear
:, violations of the State and Federal Laws, and
would subject the perpetrators to imprison-
ment in the penitentiary. In several Of the
parishes the Board was compelled to throw
out the whole ballot because intimidation was
80 apparent and overwhelming. When the
friends Of political party, such as the White
League is to the Democratic party, shall clear
ly and generally violate the laws of the coun-
try to control an election in their interest, it
is but just and proper that when they are
shown to have brought acts to bear On an
election they should not be permitted to
:, profit by it, and such is the intention of the
, law.
The Board, however, only excluded from
the count those polls where intimidation was
clearly proven. Itappearsthis violation oflaw
changed the result of the election in favor Of
the Democrats in every case. The exclusion,
, therefore, of these ballots was invariably in
4 favor of the Republicans. There was no
8 proof of the alleged prcseneesof troops at the
: polls in Natchitoches parish, where the Dem
f ocrats assert they were intimidated, but even
+ if proved it would not be a violation OF the
United States laws, for troops were only
there, if at all, to arrest persons charged with
violation of the United States laws. This
is not intimidation, for if guilty he should be
: arrested. if not he has no fear. The Board
q submit the result of their work with con-
\ sciousness that they have. properly discharged
:, their trust. The returning Board adjourned,
4 subject to call of the president.
Gov Kellogg states that the returns shO"