Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-01-14

Teche parishes, and in the parishes between
Red and Ouachita Rivers. And the aboy
acts resorted to by this White League organi
cation to carry out their purpose were clea
violations of both State and United States
laws, and would subject the perpetrators @
these acts to Imprisonment in the Penitenti
airy.
These acts Of intimidation, which pre-
vented fair, free and peaceable election in
the parishes of st. Mary and Grant, were
so general and overwhelming that the Board
felt compelled to throw out every box in
these parishes, and in many other parishes
where There was satisfactory proof that in
timidaton had been used at designated polls
as to prevent a fair, free and peaceable
election at such polls, they were excluded
from compilation as the law requires. When
the friends Of a political party, such as the
White League organization is, clearly and
| generally violates the laws of the country to
control an election in their interest, it is but
| just and proper than when they are shown
to have brought such acts to bear on an cleo
ton they should not be permitted to profit by
1t, and such is the intention Of the law The
Board, however, in this case, did not exclude
| any poll from compilation except on satisfac.
tory proof that such violation had been perpe-
trated, and that it had the effect of intimdat-
ing sufficient number Of voters to change
the result OF the election. AS all these acts to
produce intimidation had been perpetrated in
favor of the Democratic party and against the
Republican party the polls excluded from
compilation generally gave majorities in favor
of the Democratic party and their
exclusion from compilation reduced
the vote of that party, and in
some instances had the effect Of return.
ing representatives and other officers OF the
opposite party different Nom the returns made
by the Supervisors. This is the natural result
OF an Illegal attempt to accomplish such an OBJ
ject, and mo fault of the Board
The counsel Of the Democratic party pro.
tested against the counting of certain polls in
the parishes Of Natchitoches and Bossier, on
the ground that United States troops were
expected at the polls on the day Of election.
or did actually visit the polls on the day of
election, in order to assist the United States
Marshal to arrest persons charged with viola
ton of United States law, and that, in conse.
quence. a great number of Democrats did
not attend the polls and vote for fear Of arrest
by the United States troops. Even If such
facts had been fully proved, as alleged, we do
not see that there was any violation of law in
United States troops doing So Certainly,
person charged with crime against the
United States law cannot say he is inundated
by the fact that United States Marshal was
trying to arrest him. 1t is his own fault if he
Is guilty, and he cannot urge his crime as a
protection, and persons not conscious of their
guilt would not flee from the presence of
United States Marshal and his posse of United
States soldiers. This was preposterous, and
we did not consider this a good ground of
intimidation.
There were no returns of the election from
the parish OF De Soto by the Supervisor of
Registration, as the law req aired. Persons
interested produced the Clerk of the Court,
with such papers as were by law intrusted to
him, and offered them as returns for the
parish. The Board decided they could not
receive, canvass, and compile such returns
The parties interested applied to the proper
court for mandamus to compel the Board to
receive the canvass and compile these re-
turns, but upon trial the court sustained the
ruling of the Board. The same principle was
acted on in the Terre Bonnie case. There was
no Supervisor in the parish of Vim, the one
appointed for that parish having been ex-
PEELED from the parish, and an unauthorized
person assumed to act. They could not
recognize such lawlessness The Board sub
mits to the Legislature and people of this
State the result of their investigation with
consciousness that they have properly dis
charged their trust
(Signed) j. MADISON WELLS, President.