The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-01-30

none The affidavit was dated - day o
December, 1874 II appeared that Governor
Wells was not himself in the parish on tho
day of the election, and though at the open
ing of the first session your COMMITTED
declared their intention to examine into the
action of the Returning Board, Governor
Wells never came forward as witness. a,
the close of our proceedings leave was asked
tbat his deposition might be given. This We
declined, and Mr.. Wells was invited to appear
before the committee, but he never came
Leave was also given for taking his testimony
by commissioner II he declined to appear
hut this was not availed OF. Your commit
tee, therefore, are constrained to declare that
the action of the Returning Board in TAG re-
lection OF these returns in the Parish OF ia
pdes, and giving the seats Tor that parish 10
the Republican candidates, was arbitrary, un-
fair, and without warrant of law. III the com
mttcc were to 60 behind the papers before
the board and consider the alleged charge OF
intimidation upon the proofs before thc com
mittee their finding would necessarily be the
same 1t was asserted in Governor Weiss
affidavit that the McEnery officials had US.
urped the offices of the parish, and thereby
intnidated voters Immediately after the
14th of September, when the Kellogg author
tiles in New Orleans were put out by the
Il
in some of the parishes. When the news
from New Orleans reached these parishes the
McEnery officers demanded their places OF
the Kellogg officials, and they were at once
given up When the federal government in.
tervened and unscated the McEnery authori-
/ ties, the Kellogg officials demanded and re-
ceived back their places, but some time seem.
ed to have elapsed before the Kellogg officials
took their places back Indeed, the McEncry
Register of Deeds was still acting as such
when your committee were in New Orleans,
the Kellogg Register never having come to
reclaim the place, which was said to be worth
nothing now. In Rapides Parish the Kellogg
Clerk was Mr. Weiss son, who, having yield
ed his place TO the McEncry competitor in
September, does not appear to have reclaim
ed it, ana he was accordingly sent for after
the election to come from his residence, some
miles distant, to sign the returns of the cleo
tons which he did. Your committee are at
a loss to see in their action any intimidation
of Mr. Wells, still less of the electors Of the
parish.
ABOUT INTIMIDATION.
1t so happens that this parish was taken
as sample parish of intimidation, many wit.
nesscs from which, Of both parties, were ex-
amncd with references to it. They show be-
yond question that there was free, full, fair
and peaCeabe election and registration there
there was no evidence OF any intimidation OF
voters practIsed on the day of election. Al
though it was asserted that intimidation of
coloied men before the election had been eff.
fected, by the threats Of refusal TO employ
them, or to discharge them If they voted the
Republican ticket, no evidence either of dis
charge or ofreiusal to employ was produced.
Certain witnesses themselves, every one an
oflice.holder, testified generally to such &C
ton; but hardly any one was able to specify
a single instance in which he heard an employ
er to threaten or discharge any voter, or
know of any employee being SO threatened
or discharged. Not one single coored man
throughout the entire parish was produced
to testify either 10 such a threat or to the cx-
ecution of such purpose, whether before or
after the election The action of the Return
ing Board IN the Parish of Rapides alone
changed the political complexion of the Low.
er House, and their action in the other par
ishes was equally Objectionable. For in
stance, Iberia Parish it was claimed before
your committee that the vote by Poll No. l
in that parish had been rejected on account
of intimidatio IN, but the papers produced by
the clerk of the board showed no such proof
whatever. One of the COUNSEL, Mr.. Ray, pro-
duced some ailidaviis which he declared had
been submitted the board by another of the
counsel, General Campbell. The conserva
tive counsel insisted that these papers had
never been before the board, when the oppor'
tUnl,y was given the Republican counsel to
show that the paper had been submitted, but
the testimony offered rthat purpose by them
so far, however, from establishing that fact,
established the reverse. 1t was thea asserted
that the returns were rejected because the &C.
counts of the election were not delivered to
the Supervisor of Registration within TWEEN.
ty-four hours after the close OF the election
which was 6 O'Clock en- the Sd day of No
vcmber; whereas, it appeared that both in
the morning and afternoon of the Sd of No
vember search was made for this Supervisor
of Registration for that parish, in order to de-
liver TO him these returns, and he was not to
be found until after 6 o'clock; but that as
soon as he could be found, on the evening OF
that day, they were offered to him and again
the next morning, but were refused to be re.
ceived. Yet this same Supervisor Of Regis
ration received other Republican returns,
after he had refused to receive these conser-
va;gc ones on the ground that they were too
late, and the Returning Board, although it
had held, as to other pCls in the state, that
The returns were not 10 be rejected merely be.
cause they were sent too late, rejected the re
turns .rora this poll, thereby changing the
representation of the parish from conserva-
tive to Republican.
THE ALLEGED OUTRAGES.
Upon the general subject OF the state of al
fairs in the south. and rs To whether the al
legged wrongs To colored citizens for political
offences are real, or were asserted without due
foundation, your committee took snch proof
as the opportunity offered. Both parties
agreed upon four parishes rs samples of the
condition of affairs in that respect in III.
state. OF these, owing 10 the lmpoSsibility OF
procuring witnesses from the locality in time,
your committee were obliged To contine their
special examination 10 two parishes. They
received ali the testimony that was offered,
and in addition they received all the tcstlmO-
ny that was then ON hand in New Orleans, of.
lered by either party, as 10 the condition of
affairs in other parts OF the state. As whole
they are constrained TO say that the intimida-
ton charged Is not borne out by the facts be
fore us. No general intimidation of republi.
can voters was established No cOlorcd man