The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-01-27

general intimidation of Republican
voters was established; no. colored
man was produced who had been
threatened or assaulted by any Con
sentative because of political opinion,
or discharged from employment or
refused employment.
Of all those who testified to sintim-
idation hardly any one who of his
own knowledge could specify relia-
BILE instance Of such acts, and of the
white men who were produced to tes7s
tify generally on such subjects very
nearly all if not every single one was
the holder Of an Office. Throughout
the rura! districts of the State the
number of white Republicans are
very few. 1t hardly extends beyond
those holding office and those con-
nected with them. No witness, we
believe, succeeded in naming in any
parish five Republicans who support
ed the Kellogg government, who were
not themselves Office holders or rela-.
ted to office holders, and those hav-
ing official employment.
On the other hand applications to
United States Commissioners in the
various parishes, only for alleged
crimes, but because Of alleged threats
Of discharge, non employment, or
other interference with political pres
ference, were frequent. Upon these
applications warrants were often is
sued and white citizens arrested and
bound over for trial. 4 ] 3T$5
In many localities Federal troops
were detailed for service under mar
shals and deputies, and not only made
large arrests Immediately before the
election, but reports that they were
coming to particular neiglrborhoods
about the election time for the purpose
of such arrests, served, as the Conserya-
tives claim, to intimidate, and some
times even to c,produce- a stampede
among the white voters. How differ
emily the two parties look upon the
same fact will appear from the testilno-
ny of Mr.. Riddle.
He was a United States Commissioner
in the Parish Of Iberia. Shortly before
the election, upon the application 81
colored persons, he issued a large NUM-
Der of warrants. He considered it his
duty. upon the arrest of the persons
charged to require bail from slreties
who possessed landed estate within the
Parish certified to by the assessor Of
the Parish to be of sufficient value and
of which the title was approved by the
register of deeds. This rule necessarily
produced delay to procuring bail for
the persons arrested, and he was waited
on in one case by a procession Of citi-
Gems who offered him bond, signed BY
every man in the procession. ,s '...-s.41s.
This he regarded as in derision of his
proceedings, and refused toreceive the
bond. He was called as a witness to
prove the intimidation that existed in
that Parish. He had no knowledge Of
any act of the kind except this process
sion, which he thought was calculated
to intimdate the cOlored voters. He
had no idea that arrests made Upon his
warrants and the proceedings under
them had any effect in Interfering with
| the Conservative vote. ....-. -..E -r.a,-~F
On the other hand, the Conservatives
in that neighborhood thought about
this just the reverse. Indeed, the re
ports of the military officers in COM
mand of the forces of the United States
in the country, though generally indi-
eating a condition of quiet ard order,
take sometimes different view of the
situation. On the other hand, it was
in evidence that the blacks who sought
to act with the Conservatfye 4 party
were, on their part, sometimes exposed
to enmity aud abuse. In the interior
one colOred man was Shot TOR rndkinsSa
Conservative speech. ..-,.s. ,r-s,.a,
In New Orleans it appeared that col
ored men who sought, to cooperate
with the Conservatives were subject to
so much abuse from the police and
otherwise, that an association of law-
yers volunteered to protect thcnl,, but
with little effect. The general co,1di-
ton of affairs in the State Of Louisiana
seems to be as follows: The conviction
has been general among the whites
since 1872 that the Kellogg Government
was an usurpation.
This conviction among them has been
strengthened by the acts OF the Kellogg
Legislature abolishing existing courts
and judges and substituting others, pre-
sided over by judges appointed by Kel-
logg, having extraordinary and exclu-
sive jurisdiction over political ques-
tons; by changes in the laws, centrali-
zing in the Governor every form of po-
litical control, including the suspension
Of the elections by continuing the Re-
turning Board with absolute power of
the returns of elections; by the extraor-
binary provisions enacted for the trial
Of titles and claims to office; by the
conversion of the police force main
tanned at the expense of the city of New
Orleans into an armed brigade of State
Militia, subject to the command of the
Governor by the creation in some pla-
ces of monopolies In markets, gas max
ing, water-works and ferries, cleaning
vaults, removing filth and doing work
as scayengers; by. the abolition of
courts, with the election Of judges, and
the substitution of other courts, with
judges appointed by Kellogg, in viola
ton of the Constitution of the State; by
enactments furnishing criminaIly all
persons who attempted to fill official pO-
sitions, unless returned by the Return
ing Board; by unlimited appropriations
for the payment of militia expenses and
for the payment of legislative warrants.
vouchers and checks, issued during the
years 1870 to 1872; by laws declaring
that no person in arrears for taxes, af-
ter default published, shall bring any
suit in any court of the State, or be al
lowed to be witness in his own behalf;
measures which, when coupled with
the extraordinary burdens of taxation,
have seemed to vest, in the language of
Gov. Kellogg's counsel, degree of
power in the Governor IF a State scarce
ly exercised by a sovereign in the
world. "-