New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-27
VOLUME X.--NO. ll8
A DEMOCRATIC DEMAND
GOVERNOR ANroINE's RESPONSE
REPUBLICAN GUARANTEE Of FAIR PLAY
Acting Governor Antoine received ON
Wednesday last the following communics-

Wednesday last the following communics.
ton:
Rooms STATE CENTRAL CoMMrTTEE
Democratic Con servative Party Of Loui lana.
New Orleans, August 23. 1876.
His Excellency c. C. Antoine, Lieutenant Governor
and Acting Governor:
S1R-On the part of the State Central
Committee l have the honor to ask that
You will appoint, at each registration office
in each parish of this State, and at each
ward of the parish of Orleans, one clerk OF
registration from the Democratic party.
Should you grant this request will furnish
You with list of names tor such appoint
ments. Your obedient servant, w p.rroN
President State Central Committee Demo
cratic Conservative Party.
He transmitted yesterday the following
reply: ,.n,.,
Executive Department., :
New Orleans. August rs. 1867
Hon. I. ". Patton, President State Central Com
mittee Democratic Conservative Party:
S1R-I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your communication of the
twenty third instant, asking the appoint
ment in the registration offices IN each par
ish of this State, and each ward OF the city,
of one clerk of registration from the Demo-
cratic party, to be selected from list to be
furnished BY you. presume this PROPOSE.
tion is made in the interest Of fair and
free election. Both political parties in this
State have put themselves on record as de-
airing such q result. The Republican party
is especially interested in asking that all
citizens shall be protected in the exercise
of the right to vote, a. guaranteed BY the
the fifteenth amendment, and that certain,
condign and effectual punishment" may be
visited upon all persons who shall "attempt
int Ia nj
otherwise to prevent the exercise OF the
right of suffrage" l, therefore, will con.
slider the matter as being presented in this
light. frankly say to You. as tho repre-
sentative of the Democratic party OF this
State. that, in my opinion, the principal
obstacle now existing to fair expression OF
the will of the people at the next election
consists in the. system OF terrorism
which members of your party, not form
ing, I admit, the most numerous or the
most respectable class, have established,
unrebuked by you, in some Of the parishes
of the State, where black men are nightly
whipped and shot at or even killed, where
they are prevented from holding Political
meetings and are deprived of all freedom
of political action. l trust the statement
contained in a circular recently issued on be-
signature, that 1--WE 1.-THE Democratic
partly, have the means OF carrying
the election and intend to use them," was
not meant to announce set policy OF In
timidation, such as was pursued in 1868,
and was only laid aside in the next pres
idential campaign for policy OF
fraud 1t is certainly susceptible Of
that construction when read in connection
with the other instructions contained in the
same circular, and in connection with the
existing condition of intimidation and viO-
lence which prevails in certain parishes.
and notably in that section of the State in
which the Democratic State nominating
convention was lately held.
With regard to the specific request con-
tanned in yorr letter, beg to remind you
that the law requires registration to be
opened on the twenty-eighth OF August. In
view of this fact it became my duty as act
ing Governor to take such steps as would
enable the registration offices in the distant
parishes of the State to be opened by the
day specified. For eight or ten days pre-
vious to the reception of your letter had
been engaged in making registration ap-
pointments, which we're daily published by
the press, and when your letter Of date Au-
gust % reached me the requisite appoint
ments had nearly all been made. No list Of
recommendations had been forwarded to
me by the Democratic committee. No such
list accompanies your letter. No llst had
been supplied to me by the Republican
committee, nor have l made any appoint
ments at their request. l acted upon such
as they did in most cases from residents in
the respective parishes and wards. found
in many instances recommendations on file
for the appointment OF Democrats, both as
supervisors and as clerks. In all such cases
where the applicants recommended ap-
peared to me to be competent and proper
persons ! appointed them.
1t is q theory of Republicans that the op-
position tn an adminiatrati0n which has the
conduct Of an election have the right to de-
mand . fair opportunity to scrutinizo tho
whole election, from the beginning of regis
tration down to the final casting and count
ing OF the votes. This right was peremp-
torily denied to US in 1872, but we are
entirely willing to accord it to our political
opponents. II it be made apparent that
the interests of fair election can be pro-
noted by changes or removals in the regis
tration appointments already filed, those
changes will be made; and any recommen-
datiOns which you may send will receive
their due weight. would greatly prefer.
however, that recommendations should pro-
ceed directly from citizens Of both political
parties resident in the wards or parishes
for which officers are to be appointed. They
have much better opportunities of knowing
the qualifications Of the persons selected
than can possibly be- enjoyed by the pre-
siding officers of partisan committees
In conclusion permit me again to assure
you that no proper effort will be wanting
on the part of the State government and
the Republican party to insure at the next
election q full, Tree and fair expression Of
the will OF the whole people of this State.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Lieutenant Governor and Acting Governor
of Louisiana.