The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-02-24

/
tee, armed In some cases with blank war
rants of arrest and aided by federal troops,
made constant arrests before the election,
but not afterwards. The oversight of the
election aud returns were In the hands of
Gov. Kellogg's officials. Their account
and return did show twenty.ninc majority
Of members of the lower house elected by
the conservatives, without any protest
whatever except In three parishes, al
though 1t was their province and duty to
protest in any case where violence and in
timidaton or fraud existed Indeed, the
direct evidence as TO the election o. 1874,
as well as circumstances, indicate a peace
able, fair election. In fact, after the visit
Of the first committee and the revisit of the
special committee the Kellogg party, with
all their machinery for collecting evidence,
were unable to produce in the entire state
more than half n dozen persons to testify
to anything impeaching the freedom
and fairness of the late elections,
who were not otlice-holders or connected
with oilice-holders. Against such facts it
seems to us idle to assume that the disturb
ancts so wildly pictured by the minority
could have kept up throughout this state
'uch feeling of intimidation as would JUS
! tify the assumption that but for that feel
ing the state would have gone republican.
| Ali experience shows that the result of the
! a1prtinp IN 1914 ;,, 4
TO the returning board, was natural, and to
| be only accounted FOR by the reasons we
| have given. We hold, therefore. that in
November 1874, the people Of the state of
Louisiana did fairly have free, pcaceable
and full registration and election, in which
clear conservative majority was elected
to the lower house of the legislature, of
which the majority Of the conservatives
were deprived by the unjust, illegal, and
arbitrary action Of the returning board.
To the resolution reported to the house
from the committee rs to the action of the
returning board We are all agreed We I'M
dcrstand the committee to he unanimous in
finding the fact that the action OF the
returning board has defeated the will
OF the people as expressed by them at
the polls on the 81 day OF November, 1874.
The people then elected TO the lower house
of their Legislature "A ma iorily of rousorva-
tive members, A portion of the conserva-
tive members thus elected were refused
their certificates. This is an act of great
injustice 10 individuals, Of gravest danger
TO the state and free government, and
ought TO be Immediately corrected by any
power competent to correct IT, The reso-
luton recommending the recognition of
Gov. Kellogg is based upon impression,
not upon evidence. On this point no tes-
timony was taken either by the committee
or any part Of it. kellogg may or may
not have been elected in 1872, tut there is
no evidence to show the fact, or if there
be, it has been neither sought nor found by
this committee. Messrs. Foster and Phelps
think that the popular belief is, taking
both conservative and radical circles, in
clincd on the whole to justify Kellogg and
PENIS claims. aud that as Kellogg is and
has been the acting governor of Louisiana
for the past two years, to deny his rieh
and install another in his place after thii
lapse Of time, might involve in
calculable mischief to the legal an(
political interests of the state. TX
avoid the mischief aud confusion of {
change the majority of the citizens of Lou
siana seem willing 10 accept as Il compro
mise Kellogg's recognition and restoration
and the conservatives of the control of tin
lower house. For these reasons Messrs
, Foster and Phelps do not wish to propos
the recommendation that the adminstra
ton of Gov. Kellogg be recognized neithc
in view of the fact that they knew nothing
r of the merits of the case as judged by com
8 petent evidence, do they wish to be under
stood as urging 1t. They only wish to re
, cord their agreement with those of thei
associates, who believe that such com
promise might, by making Termination
, of the uncertainty in Louisiana,
s on the whole less impolitic than IN
present situation of that distrcsse
: people, but to any resolution recognizn
3 Kellogg. Messrs Potter and Marshall ar
: utterly opposed. They find nothing to jus
{ tify the belief that Kellogg was elected
i That he seized the government by the al
S of federal troops, through void and fraut
/ ulent orders, which preventing the coun
+ ing and returning of votes, should be
c standing presumption against him. Wbc
: the people, outraged by the abuses of h
9 government, had successfully regaincd I'll
+ office he had usurpcd, he was again rcscato
|, by federal power. Through forms Of Law
once more sought TO nullify the choice
Il the people at the late election, and to thi
# end called in federal troops 10 bica
It up the meeting OF the Legislature
g For congress to recognize usurpt
e ton 80 gross and so oppressive i
l. they think, to establish prcccdei
n by which, under prctcxts that can readi
be found, any state government may
lc overthrown, the will of the people null
], fed, fraud and violence made permanent
y and republican forms perverted 10 desire
IS liberty. In their judgment all that
&c needed in Louisiana is to Withdraw Il
&c federal troops and leave the people of In
n state TO govern themselves.
re (Signed) WIN. WALTER PnELr,,
O. CHARLES FOSTER,
n CLARKsoN n. POTTER,
:" SAMUEL $. MAEsuALL.
G.