The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1875-05-22
pie have come on there and entered
lands as homestead-ws have public
lands there

out OF every four OF the black reg
istered, that that would he fair {!
A. l could not say.
Q. What would you think would
be fair proportions
A. l think, if you would give me
time, | could give you figures.
Q. The population Of six thous and
and nine whites and nine thousand
and forty-three blacks. Now, the
registration shows two thousand two
hundred and eighty three blacks, and
thirteen hundred and eighty two
whites ?
A. ! cannot give you that.
z. Does every voter have to apply
for registration every yeari
A. 1t has not always been the case
that We had to register from year to
year only in case Of a new legisla-
tive act; such as when the parish OF
Red River was formed.
Q. Who appointed the Commits
sioners Of election I You com
planned about names being misspellt I
A. The Police jury appointed them.
Q. How was the Police Jury COM
posed
A. Of Democrats and Republicans.
Ono Of the Republicans they would
not allow to serve. Where there not
two Republicans aud two Democrats
on tho Board I
A.. Yes.
Q. Did they not give an equal di.
vision between Republicans and De-
mocrats III appointing commissioners!
A. l believe there was; but they
were placed about go that things
went right at some places an at 9th.
ers not. l don't think they had any
thing to do with writing the names
on the poll book. 'a..@e -
Q. They had to do with deciding
whether q man had q right to vote or
not
A. Yes. '
Q. Then your party had an equal
number of commissioners
A. l don't think that those Repub-
licans who wanted to give them q
chance to vote would argue the ques-
ton very long. Isaw some 60 right
up aud one Of the Republican com.
Misioners Of election was present. l
saw a colored man go up before me
with his registration papers in his
hands and be was turned off.
Q. Who was the Supervisor of
Registration I Was 10 appointed by
Kellogg1 r..
A. Yes.
Q. Was he a Republican,
A. Yes, colored man.
Q. So the machinery ofregistration
was in the hands Of the colored peo-
ple?
A. No, on the contrary, 1t was in
the hands Of the white people1
Q. Hsw was that3
A. There was 40 Assistant Super
visor who was a Republican and one
Assistant Supervisor who was a Demo-
crat, the first assistant.
Q. Is there any provision Of law
in regard to clerks.
A. Yes, one is to he q Democrat
and one a Republican. The Demo
cratic clerk, in many places, took
charge of the machinery and run it.
Q. Then You mean to say that the
Republican did not perform his duty
A. l don't think it would have been
very healthy for him. / know that
while the registration wac going on,
he would not interfere. l now that
while at Clontieryille, he came to me
and told me he could do nothing.
@. Was there not a large majority
of colored people registered I
A. There was niue hundred and
one colored majority registered.
9. You spoke about the taxes Of
that parish, and I understood you to
sav that q portion Of these fraudulent
warrants were issued by Democrats
Is that statement correcti
A. | didn't say anything about tue
issuance Of warrants.
@. Or parish scripsi
A. l did not say any thing about
the issuance Of any. l said that il
was tho Democratic Police Jury that
had levied q parish tax Of twenty
mills, which was reduced one. hall
by the Republicans.
@. What Police Jury was that
A. The Simmons Police Jury.
@. In what year was that i?
A. In 1873.
Q. How long were they In power
A. l think they were in power all
the year Of 1873, under the compro.
mise in May. / think it was some.
time in May that tho Compromise
was effected, and Mr.. Simmons, Mr..
Breazeale and Mr.. Jennings were re.
turned az democratic members of the
Police Jury.
G. You spoke of an attack being
made on you by some ono in Alex.
andria. IL not that man Who made
the attack, ono who quarrels with
every body when he is in liquora
A. I don't kuow-I don't know
how be came. to know me.
Q. You spoke about tho Boullt's Of
thst parish being high-toned, respec
table people, and having resided there
always; did not they remove to the
parish Of Winn before tho warl
A. They had = plantation in VIM
parish, right in the corner of Saline
bayou; Natchitsches aud VIM cor.
uer, there at that bayou.
| Q. Dou't you know tho fact that
tho Boullt's were obliged to leave
Winn parish on account Of the burn
ing Of tho Courthouse, and the sssss'
sination Of . prominent lawyer, and
that = record burnt would show q
mortgage against themi
A. Ikave never hard anch a cl,arrs