The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-24


elections and ascertaning the result, if any
can be devised.
IL. But these remedies are at best tenn
porary and superficial, curing the symp
toms, not the disease. Efficient aid to the
State to establish public education would
have gone tar to prevent the evil and may
yet do much to effect cure.
The public sentiment of the best of the
community, without distinction of party, may
do much to remove as it has already unfor-
tunatey done much to aggravate the evil in
Louisiana. That the people should be made
to understand that all the authority lodged in
the National Government to preserve repub-
llcan government, and to protect the rights
OF all Its citizens, will be kindly, but
tearlessly and strictly executed. and
that no party IN this country will accept the
| alliance OF men who are seeking power bv
such methods as we have been compelled to
describe. Unless this can be doneithe free in
situations of the whole United States will not
! long survive the destruction of those in the
South. G.. +. HoAR.
NJ A. WHEELER,
w. 2. FRYE
The majority, Messrs Foster, Phelps, Pot
ter and Marshall, say
l. 1t became the interest of the Conserva-
tives, at least at that election, not to intimi-
date, but TO acquire, by every talr means, the
colored vote
It was plainly their own interest to avoid
the setting aside of their votes. Local co n
binatons against the Kellogg government
We're made IL many parishes by men Of all
parties and c0lors. la several parishes a
| union ticket OF coiored Conservative voters
was voted for and elected. These causes and
feelings naturally united to swell the Con
~ "a Ia Il ~
dictated by the returns.
In the absence of any direct evidence that
the late election w;ss not full ana fair, the as
sumption that IL was not, is So violent as not
70 be received, if other causes can be found
eSpecl lily as the returns show that in COlfdx
and Coushatt. parishes, where the outrases
occurred tul kellogg ticket was elected by
increased Republic Ii me.jorities. Other causes
are found.
2. The total registration was 167, 604-of
these l46 523 voted This is larger proper
ton Of registered voters than usually vote in
the Northern States. In an agricultural State,
spar,ely settled where long journeys had to be
made to reach the polls, it is unreasonable to
suppose that greater proportion Of the
registered blacks would have voluntarily
turned out to sustain a government I'M
der which the prosperity of the State and
their wages and the value of their shares Of
production, had steadily declined than usually
vote at elections.
}. 1874 was wear of political changes in
which the vote throughout all the States was
seriously affected against the Republican
party-a change which exceeded the true col
ored vote. The registration machinery was
all in the hands of the Republicans, and only
in three parishes did they make complaint OF
unfair or insufficient registration. On the
other hand very great complaint was made by
the Conservatives, who specified with proof
900 cases of conceded false registration in
New Orleans alone, and the Conservatives
who had been cooperating in Joint party
committee to secure Il free registration gave
up the effort in despair. The census of
1870 showed S107S whites, and Sc, 9l3
colored males over twenty-one years OF
age, and there was nothing before the COM
mittee to show any change in this proportion
il favor of the blacks, yet the regis
tration OF colored voters exceeded
The evidence certainly indicates no general
intimidation Of colored voters, and such in
timidation as did exist in the Safe was rather
IN the interest of the Republicans than the
Conservatives. The United States Marshals,
whose chief was chairman of the Republican
State committee, armed in some cases by
blank warrants, and aided by Federal troops,
made constant arrests before the election. but
not afterwards.
The oversight of the elections and of the
returns was IN the hands of Gov. Kelloggs
officials. Their count and return did show
twenty-nine majority of the members of the
Lower House elected by the Conservatives
without any protest whatever, except in three
parishes, although it was their promise and
duty to protest in any case where violence,
or fraud existed.
Indeed the direct evidenceas to the election
of 1874, as well as the circumstances clearly
indicate a peaceable and fair election. In
fact after the visit of the first committee and
the revisit Of the special committee the kel-
logg party with all their machinery for col
Letting evidence were unable to produce in
the entire State more than half dozen per-
sons to testify to anything impeaching the
freedom and fairness of the late election, who
were not office-holders or connected with
office-holders. After further comment upon
the subject the committee say: We hold,
that in November, 1874, the people
Of the State of Louisiana did fairly have
free, reaceable and full registration, in which |
a clear Conservative majority was elected to
the Lower House of the Legislature, OF which |
maj orlty, the Conservatives were deprived by |
the unjust, illegal and arbitrary action of the
Returning Board
To the resolution reported to the House
rom the committee, as to the action OF the |
Returning Board, We are ali agreed; we I'M
lerstand the committee to be unanimous in
finding the fact that the action of the Return
ng Board has defeated the will of the people
IS EXPIRE 5sed by them at the polls on the Sd
If November, 1874. The people then elected
% the lower house of their Legislature a ma
ority Of Conservative members
A portion of the Conservative members
5hus elected We're refused their certificates |
This is an act of great injustice to the midi
'iduals, OF the grayeSt danger to the States
md free government, and ought to be i'm
corrected by any one competent to
correct it.
The resolution recommending the recog-
alton Of Gov Kellogg is based upon general
and not upon evidence. On
his point no testimony was taken by the |
or any part Of it.
To avoid the mischief and confusion OF a |
,hange, a majority of the citizens Of Louisi-
ma seem willing to accept as a compromise
tellogg's recognition and the restoration to
hal n Of 1a re- ho T