Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-12-13
Statement Of the Louisiana Returning
Board.

NEW ORLEANS, Dee 5.
The subjoined statement shows the
grounds acted upon:
The Returning Board of the State of
Louisiana claim, first of all, that, under
the provisions of the law, they are return.
ing officers of all elections held in said
State; that there are in law and in fact no
returns of any election held in said State
until first examined, canvassed and COM
piled by them; that statements furnished
by Commissioners OF Election are simply
statements OF votes purported to have
been cast, and that until the fairness and
legality of the voting at the poll or pre-
cinct have been passed upon by the re-
turning officers, no validity attaches to
amy such statement.
In strict compliance with the laws of
the United States and of this State the
returning officers of the State of Louisi-
ana have proceeded to examine, canvass
and compile the statements of votes pur
porting to have been cast in this State at
the general election for President and
Vice President of the United States, held
on the It'll day of November last. The
votes purperted to be cast in the Parishes
of Grant and East Feliciana have been
ignored entirely in the official canvass.
In Grant Parish not one form of law
was observed. There were no legal
Supervisors or Commissioners of Elec.
ton, and the vote taken was us informal
as the vote taken on railroad train. In
East Feliciana the returning officers were
unable to find one poll at which, from
the evidence before them, they could GER
tify that a full and free, far election was
had. In the Parish of East Baton Rouge
the returning officers canvassed and com
piled the votes of three polls situated in
the City of Baton Rouge, where there
was military protection afforded, and also
three other polls situated Immediately on
the river, where there was comparative
immunity from intimidation. The evl-
dence as to intimidation by murder, hang
ing, whipping and other outrages, as
affecting the vote at other polls. was so
conclusive that the returning officers
unanimously rejected votes stated to have
been cast at those polls. In the adjoining
Parish oeWest Felicana six polls were
rejected on similar conclusive evidence :.
In the Parish of Ouachita, eight
polls were rejected, whilst in the City
of Monroe, the Parish seat of that
Parish, the statements of votes cast were
accepted, because the voters there were
measurably protected from violence
by the presence of United States troops
The United States Deputy Marshal, in
charge of the ballot-box at one of the re-
jected polls, was shot, and throughout the
whole Parish there prevailed systematic
intimidation, murder and violence toward
one class of voters, white rs well as black,
of such character as 10 have scarcely a
parallel even in the history of this State.
In the adjoining Parish of Morchouse, the
statement of votes reported to be cast in
six polls were rejected on similar evil
dence. Polls were also rejected in the
Parishes Of DeSoto, Bossier, Franklin,
Claiborn and Calcasen, upon clear evil
dence of fraud not rebulted by evidence
offered before the returning officers.
j. MADISON WELLS,
THOMAS G.. hNDhKsoN,
q. CAsANAvE,
LOUIS NJ kENNER.