New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-13
G. Casanave and L. NJ. Kenner the Repub-

y lcan party"
9 Until the final conclusion of the labors o
t that board J. Madison Wells, the Liberal
r T. C. Anderson, the Conservative, and Osca
Q Arr0y o, the Democrat, constituted ma
= jority of that board. and there were but tw'
2 genuine Republicans on it.
: Mr.. Pratt-By whom was the board ap
2 pointed!
: Mr.. West-That board was elected by tn
t Senate of the Legislature. So, as l said il
3 the outset, this report dealt with PROPOSE
3 tons at variance with it's own facts; an(
. then the committee proceed to say thai
t they think the law as to the constitution o.
| the board was not complied with because
the Democratic member on the last day OF
the session withdrew and left them, as they
} said, without a representative. | do not
think that proposition is exactly sound
but | want TO show what those gen
, tlemen who take exception to that action
did in somewhat similar case when they
! were lett III the vOcatlye by some OF the
Republican members Of board retiring a
little earlier, in 1873. Another Senate
because we run double headed machine
down in Louisiana sometimes sometimes a
conflict between federal and State authori-
ty, and sometimes conflict between State
authorities-a little earlier in 1873 rump
Legislature, that sat at one Tina in the up
| per story of an oyster saloon in New Or
leans, elected a returning board to canvass
the votes of that State. They elected
Archibald Mitchell, B. Il. FOrman, s. NJ
Thomas. .. +. Hunsaker and S. NJ. Todd; five
men. What the politics of the first three are
l can not say in the confusion down there
between Conservatives, White Leaguers and
Democrats. All know is that they were not
Republicans; but the other two men, o. +.
Huasaker and S. NJ. Todd had always been
classed as Republicans, and had been
elected as Republicans to the Senate. That
board assumed to convene, and in less than
twelve hours after it was created it pre-
sumed to count the votes of over 600 polling
| places in the State of Louisiana, and to
transmit them to the Secretary of State as
the true and lawful and correct result of the
| election just previously held. l say pre-
sImed to transmit them. because l hold in
my hand a copy of the affidavit Of two
members Of that board that they never
signed that report; that they never exam
lned or compiled those returns, and the
whole foundation made by the Senate Com
mittee On Privileges and Elections on the
returns OF the board Of Louisiana,
upon which the claim Of Mr.. Nc
Emery is based, is proved here to
have been a fraud and forgery, and
the case is without foundation utterly. l
will have that affidavit read so that it can
be seen that the great returns which are so
often claimed here as the basis for the le-
gitimacy OF the McEnery government are
proved to have been forged or signed only
by two members of the Returning Board;
and the third Democrat stands ready and |
does say to-day that he never signed them. |
will read the affidavit:
"Sworn statement of Oscar F. Hunsaker, |
chairman of the Fusion Warmoth Return |
ing Board. and Samuel NJ. Todd, a mem
Der OF the same board. (See canvass Of |
Fusion returns published in Senate |
report. pages eightyone, eighty-two and
elghty-three, purpOrting to have been |
signed by Hunsaker and Todd.l
Estate of Louisiana, city of New Orleans. |
This day personally appeared before me,
William Grant, United States Commits |.
sloner Samuel NJ. Todd and Oscar +.
Hunsaker, residents of the State of Lou
isiana, who, being first duly sworn, de-
pose and say: That they were members
OF the State Senate of the State of Louisiana, |
sitting in the Mechanics Institute on the
ninth day OF December, 1872: that after
ward, to wit, on or about the tenth day of !
December, 1872, said Opponents left the
Senate sitting at the Mechanics Institute,
and united with the assemolage known as
the McEnery Senate, sitting at Lyceum
Hall, in the City Hall building of the city
OF New Orleans; that the Senate of the
said McEnery assemblage proceeded to or
ganlze, and that on or about the date last
named said Senate proceeded to elect
returning board or board of canvassers
who were to correct, canvass and COM |
pile the returns of election for State |
officers, presidential electors. etc, under
act approved by, H. c. Warmoth, Novem-
Der 20. 1872; and said Opponents, to wit:
5. NJ. Todd and o. +. Hunsaker, together
with s: NJ. Thomas, b. NJ. Forlnan
and Archibald Mitchell, were elected as
said board; that the said board proceeded |
to organize by the election of o. F. Hun.
saker, one Of said depOnents, president !,
thereof; that the said returns were then
small room. on an upper floor Of the St. :
Charles Hotel; that said returns were ,
brought to said room by one o. d. Drag
Ion, who appeared to be in possession of
he same; that said returns had been opened, ;
compiled and canvassed before they came
ntO the possession of said depOnents and
he other members of the board; that ,
although said deponents did carefully :
examine said returns and made themselves .
'ognizant Of the nature of the same and the ,
node and manner in which said returns :
we're compiled, and the result sought to be :
hown, yet said deponents, neither jointly ;
Tor separately nor in any way whatever, :
lgned or authorized any person to sign for ,
hem the purpOrted canvass of returns =
lnown III the Congressional report on =
louisiana affairs as the 'Forman returns !
lated December IL, 1872, by which re. :
urns It was made to appear that John | .
lcEnery was elected Governor and that | q
he Fusion State ticket was elected; neither J.
I'D they or either of them at any time q
onsent or agree that said purported can n
ass was or is correct, or authorize the 3
OF the same in any manner | a
whatsoever; that soon after the meeting of q
aid board of canvassers above referred to
ne of said board, to wit: S. NJ. Thomas ! a.
eft the city, and if he ever resigned as a | i
lember OF said returning board it was =,
OF known to either Of said deponents, NOR +,
id said y. F. Hunsaker, as president of a.
aid board, ever at any time receive any 81
ldication or communication of the resigna- Il
on or withdrawal of said S. NJ Thomas | ~
'Om the said board of canvassers; and that ~ -,
either OF said Opponents ever met or par ri
clpated in any canvass of returns after ~
aid S. NJ. Thomas left the city, nor did they N
yer complete the canvass OF said returns, | p;
or did they ever authorize any person or Or
ersons to do 30 for them. Said deponents n
lrther state that by the pretended canvass in
said returns, as published without the 80
le following parishes are shown to have h,
een entirely thrown out, to wit: st. Martin. 70
,eria, Iberville and st. James; that the
i'd parishes were and are well known to II,
; largely Republican, the two parishes of 70
J. James and 1berville alone giving more mr.
AN $500 Republican majority; that there M
az no sufficient proof or good reason why or
i'd parishes should have been omitted; | oh
at had the vote of said parishes been in hi
uded in the publication Of said purported nc
turns, as of right it should have been, it 60
Duld have added several thousand votes no
the Republican ticket; and Opponents IN
rther say that fair, proper and correct off
nvass of said returns would have shown hi
at William P. Kellogg was elected Gov m,
- ,snS- IL L. u