The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-02-16


last week, Matt. Carpenter took up the af-
fairs of Louisiana for discussion and pre-
sented, in short and graphic narrative, the
history of the political disturbances in that
state. he laid particular stress upon the
evil effect of the patent constitutions which
were provided for the Southern common
wealths during the era of reconstruction.
and which were designed more to per-
petuate the administration party in power
than TO secure good government. With this
end in view, powers were granted to the ex-
ecutivs which made him in reality the su.
preme ruler of the state. This fatal defect
was even more noteworthy in the conetitu-
ton which President Grant is endeavoring
to reinstate in Arkansas, than in the consti-
tuition Of LoUisiana; but the evil was so glar-
ing in both that the Sentinel did not hesi-
tate in discus sing the matter last summer. to
maintain that neither commonwealth DOS
sessed a republican form of government.
such as the federal constitution prescribes
The system of reconstruction, in fact, set up
anumber of satrspies, instead of free states
OF the method in which affairs were carried
on in the most unhappy of these prov
inces, Carpenter SAYS: 'The dispute
springs from the election in 1872. In
that election Gov. Warmoth had the entire
machinery of the election under his con-
troll. Northern men can hardly under
stand how they do things in the Southern
states. In my opinion the present consti-
tuition of Louisiana Is not republican. The
governor can appoint registrar for the
state. That registrar appoints his deputies
in the several parishes as they are called
there, and they are removable by the regis
trar. So the whole force are removable at
the will of the governor. That makes
them completely his servants"
The whole pretense upon which the claim
of the present state officers of Louisiana rests.
is simply this: That Wsrmotb, who turned
renegade, used the power vested in him to
atKellogg, turning the weapons which
were furnished him for the intimidation of
the democracy to the discontinue of the re-
publicans. The administration leaders,
however, refused to abide by the laws
which they had made, when turned against
They asserted that War
moths registrars opened polling places for
the convenience of the democrats, aud in
to exclude republicans, thus
decreasing the vote of the latter by
thousands. 1t was also declared that the
creatures of Warmoth so manipulated the
returns as to increase McEnery's majority.
There was one thing clear, however, to-wit:
that the election returns were submitted
TO Wsrmoth's board of canvsssers in
accordance with the forms of law, and that
according to the doctrine now preached by
the republican party, it was the duty of KEEL
logg and his associates to submit ouietly to
the workings of the machinery which they
had put in operation. The first revolution
airy step taken was their attempt TO over
turn the results of the election, as declared
by the proper authorities. A Kellogg re-
5urning board was set up, and went to
work, backed by federal authority,
10 select the rulers OF the state. This
Illegal body and its mode of procedure is |
shus described by Carpenter: "The Kellogg
board didn't get single return, and they |
never had one. The returns were all made |
to Warmoth. The kellogg board went to |
work and took testimony, without a single |
return before them, as to she number of |
votes in Ke.logg's favor. In some eases
they took mere newspaper statements. In
one county they canvassed 1900 sffid |
avits Of men who swore that they had been |
deprived of voting. These were counted as /
votes. The members of the board stated |
that in several parishes they estimated the
vote from their knowledge of the political /
complexion Of the district. 1t was by such
a canvass that Kellogg was determined
the elected governor of the stste.''
And it is this bsrefaced fraud that the
United States government now sustaining
1y force of arms. 1t is clear that it was an
outrage to !oist upon the people of Louisiana
constitution which gave the governor
power to defeat the will of the citizens. But
or that outrage the republican party was re-
,ponsible. 1t is clear that having made the
aw the republicans should have abided by |
is workings. The attempt on their part to
vet aside its legitimate results was the be-
ginning OF the present political anarchy.
If the action of the present rulers in Louis
ana was inconsistent In 1872, how much
more regardless of decency has been their
conduct during the past year. Instead of
the power ofthe executive, from
he unjust exercise Of which they proiessed
70 have suffered so much, they doubled it.
instead Of exercising forbearance in tsmper-
ng with elections, they deliberately set to
work to reverse by means of every conceiv-
able fraud, the popular verdict at
he polls. In 1872 the governor was against
hem and they asserted that ne had beaten
hem unfairly by the use OF his almost
supreme power,i in favor OF their adverssries.
IN 1874 the governor was with
hem AID they claimed that they /
we're beaten by the terrorism of a
minority which paralyzed the majority, the
influence of the state government, and tbs
of the United States, though as