New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-27

are to be-, either here or throughout the
State. until the morning of the election;
and the testimony goes to show that they
were scattered and located and placed
in such positions that the poor, ig-
norant colored men had to travel twenty
odd miles in some instances TO find where
they. had the opportunity, to vote, while
every Democrat in the stan knew exactly
where to find his hole. But our voters were
not to be deferred in that way; against all
difficulties they asserted their rights and
were not foiled by such practices.
Now let us look at soma Of the marvellous
mathematical results of these proceedings.
In 1870, in sixteen parishes in my State,
sixteen exclusively Democratic parishes.
the majority for the Democratic ticket was
1900. Those are what are known as Demo.
cratic strcngho!ds. Those same sixteen
parishes in 1872, the election upon
jority for the Democrats. In parishes
exclusively Democratic, the Democratic
vote fell off. The Republicans gained
ground in the Democratic strongholds,
but how did they figure out results in the
Republican strongholds Now l want to
take my listeners to another part of the
country; want to take them to the thirty
six Republican parishes Of the State and
show the legerdemain that was practised in
order to give the Democratic candidate a
majority. The remaining thirty-six par
ishes CT the State, our Republican parishes.
were all carried by the Republicans in 1870
by majority of 81, 6l6, and the Democratic
board IN 1872 gave an actual aggregate ma
iority of 1850 for their ticket. In other
words. at an election which showed large
Republican gains all over the United
States, which showed in q certain portion
OF our State Republican gains over the
Democrats in their own strongholds, an
astonishing gain of "a coo in the opposite
direction, with no assisnable cause for the
change, was claimed in tie exclusively
Republican parishes Of Louisiana by a
board which admitted Republican gain in
the exclusively Democratic parishes. Where
they did not need an opportunity to practice
this legeydemain, this infamous practice
upon the returns of an election, they. lost
ground; and where they did, they entirely
turned the tables upon Us. Can anybody
believe that such was the actual result
1t is incredible. We can 60 into their own
strongholds and legitimately defeat them;
they can come into ours and cheat us out Of
the expression IF the will Of our people.
Reference has been made in this discus
sion to the forged returns of fOur parishes.
1t is admitted that they were forged. The
opposite counsel did not deny it. The true
returns would have given 1000 ma jOrity for
the Republican ticket. We lost 1000 there.
Six parishes were rejected by the Fusion
board, and it is remarkable coincidence
that they were all Republican parishes.
Those six parishes polled by the registra.
ton $500 majority for the Republican ticket.
There are $500 votes of Democratic figures
whistied down the wind.
%1,oE rs <t~n
turns that l rely; it is not to the figures Of
the returns that advert; but am calling
the attention of the Senate and asking them
to 60 back 10 what they believe was the de-
sire and the wish of the people, and I ask
them if we are not in this situation, that for
two years we have been defrauded OF our
legitimate political rights9
The Senator from Maryland lNlr. Whyte)
pleaded the admission of the Democratic
candidate for Congress at large to the floor
of the House. and to the privileges Of mem
b arship just prior to the adjournment of that
body, and cited it as evidence that in the
Judgment of that committee and in the
ind gmeat of that House he had received
if the Congressman at
large on the Democratic ticket was elected
the Republican Governor was defeated.
Did he know the circumstances OF that con-
test! Did he know that the Republican
contestant was a claimant for a seat on this
floor, and that his appearance in that body
jeopardized and imperiled his
right to seat here Did he know that the
very committee which reported tie fact
says that Pinchback failed to take any
within the time given in the reso-
luton Did he not know that neither by
himself nor by his counsel did he put in an
on the occasion I! Do not the
c0Inmittee il their report admit that? They
say:
"The present contest does not either
necessarily or actually involve the SO called
Louisiana question or settle the matter al
Issue pro or con of the legality OF the pres
cut State government of Louisiana, as will
appear from the several considerations
suggested by the facts and testimony before
the committee.
sFirst-The contestant was Liberal Re
publican candidate, and received in addi-
ton to the full strength of the vote of what
was known as the Fusion party large
vote.F'
There was no Liberal Republican can
didate for Governor. This man was q
Liberal Republican candidate, and he did
get some Republican votes, and this very
committee that reported to seat him report
ed that he got large vote from the Re-
publican side, and that their determination
in no way affects the main result as between
Kellogg and McEnery.
Let me here say word il justice to the
for this seat He has been held
up lere as target for two years to be
laughed at, receiving al! the shafts of scan.
dial, calumny, rivalry and jealousy. His
personal character is not impugned, but
there is something in his official character
that should be known. He was selected as
the Republican candidate for Congress at
large for that State in October, 1872. He
was voted for as Congressman at large in
November. He was taken up by his party
friends and voted for as Senator in January
following. Is the fact that he was selected
as the standard bearer of his party on one
occasion throughout the State to be pleaded
in detriment Of his right to q seat here! On
the contrary, il shows the estimation in
which he was held. He is spoken
of as an adyenturer who is willing
to let his foot rest on any soil
that will give him pap and einolument. He
is denounced for appearing in that House,
and he is condemned for presenting himself
here. Is he not, from what | have said,
fully and entirely justified for this double
two-horse act Of his! 1t is not his selection.
He Is here in obedience to the wish of the
majority of the people of louisiana and
no feHeclon SHOULD De cast upon
him, because in that case it would apply
equally to any one of US who assumes the
duty 10 which he aspires.
MIR. Saulsbury-Will the Senator allow
ne to ask him question!
Mr.. West-With pleasure.
Mr.. Saulsbury-I wish to inquire OF the
Senator if Judge Dibble. OF Louisiana, was
Dot one of the counsel who advocated the
claim of the claimant to a seat in this body
before the Committee On Privileges and
Elections, sDd whether that judge has not
recently published letter in which he de-
,lares that the existing government of
Louisiana was obtained by revolution
Mr.. West-TEere is some truth il what
he Senator states. The judge appeared on
me side, but, like q good many other poll.
ciaua. he is rAaOY II ilImn ON tlle otI,ar