The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1875-02-26
IHEIOIiIsIANA REPORT.

The majority report OF the Louisiana
investigating committee was submitted
the sd inst. The main points of the re-
port are: the registration Of votes was en-
tirely in the hands Of Kellogg and his
party, and therefore the complaint that it
was inimical to the Republican
party is maniiestly unfounded; an
examination Of statistics and evidence
showed no change In the proportion of
white and colored voters since the census
of 1870, yet the registration of white vot-
ers exceeded by four thousand the total
number of adult colored males returned
by the census, while the legislation of
white voters was ten thousand less it
was the interest of the conservatives. at
the last election, not to intimidate but to
acquire the colored vote, for obvious rea-
sons; no evidence exists that there was
any intimidation on the part of the con-
servatvcs toward the blacks, all the indi-
cations showing rather that the intmida-
ton came from the other side and was
exercised by United States marshals and
Federal soldiers in the interest OF the Re-
publican party; the oversight of the cleo
ton and of the returns were all in the
hands of Gov. Kcllogg's officials;
these returns show clear majority for
the conservatives, and the "Kelogg
party, with all their machinery for COL
lecting evidence, were unable to produce,
in the entire state, more than half dozen
persons to testify to anything impeach-
| iuS ~ --,-... harness OF the late
elections, who were not oillceholders or
| connected with officeholdcrs.
The committee "hold therefore that in
November, 1874, the people of the state of
Louisiana didfairly have free, peaceable,
and full registration anil election, in
which clear conservative majority was
elected to the lower house of the lcgisla-
ture, of which majority the conservatives
were deprived by the unjust, illegal, and
arbitrary action ofthe returning board"
This report is signed by Messrs. Foster,
Phelps, Potter and Marshall.
In the body OF the report, for the rea-
son that ito avoid mischief and the con-
fusion of change, the majority Of the
citizens Of Louisiana seem willing TO ac-
cept' as compromise, Kellogg's recog-
milton and the restoration to the conser-
vatives OF the control of the lower house"
Messrs. Foster and Phelps record their
wish not to oppose the recommendation
that the administration of the Governor.
Kellogg, be recognized. Neither, in view
OF the fact that they know nothing of its
merits as judged by competent evidence,
do they wish TO be understood as urpipp
1t, and Messrs. Potter and Marshall are
utterly opposed to any resolution recog-
nlzlng Kellogg. In their judgment all
that is needed in Louisiana is TO with
draw the federal troops and leave the peo-
pie Of that State 10 govern themselves.
The minority report was signed by
Messrs. Hoar, Wheeler aud Frye. in
which the action Of the returning board is
condemned as Illegal and as defeating the
Will OF the people, and recommending
that Kellogg be recognized as the lawful
governor Of the State until the present
term expires. Upon the comparison of
the two reports II is found THAT all the
members ofthe committee report against
the action of the returning board, that
Messrs, Foster, Phelps, Potter and Mar
shall unite in the majority report that
there was no general intimidation in the
State, but free and fair election, which
resulted in favor OF the conservatives.
who were deprived of the result by the
wrongful action Of the returning board;
that Messrs. Hoar, Wheeler and FRYE
unite in minority report, and that Mr..
Foster assents,with Messrs. Hoar, Wheel
err and Frye, to a compromise recogniz-
Ing Kellogg as governor, and giving a
majority in the House to the conserva-
| tive delegates ~