New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-01
CONGRESSMAN FRYE ON THE RE.
TURNING BOARD.

CONGRESSMAN FRYE ON THE RE.
TURNING BOARD.
He Explains the Action Of the Congress.
sional Committee Of 1S75-The Crimes
Of Louisiana.
To the Editors Of the Lewiston, Maine. journal:
Tho Misrepresentation existing - to the
Louisiana Returning Board, ito duties, it's
history, personnel Of its members, and the
of the congressional committee of the Forty.
third Congress-, have been repeatedly
quoted in condemnation of it, are my apol-
cgy for this communication.
The barbarians of the "White Mans
Party" in Louisiana have never been under
stood or appreciated by the people of the
North. The Republicans have been un-
willing to give credit to tho terrible history,
and tho Democrats have studiously and
persistently denied and ridieuled it. It is
not the province of this article to review it.
but brief statement of the election of 1868
IL important in establishing the necessity for
the Returning Board.
In the spring of 1868 there was IN cleo
ton entirely peaceable, the Republicans
bsving Q majority of more than Is ,000 In
the summer the white Mans party" was
formed. In the fall occurred six bloody
and terrible maesacres, the Booster parish,
G00 d. A8UUEy, LILO OJ1o8U0s LILO N&OUV, LILO
Jefferson and the St. Bernard.
The following summary of testimony
will be found in Judge P0lsnd'e report bv
the F0rty-second Congress, No. 2, pages Il
and %:
1.-THE testimony shows that over 1000 per-
sons were killed and wounded within .
few weeks prior to the election; that half
the State was Overrun by violence; mid
night raidf, secret murders and open riot
kept the people in constant terror until the
Republicans surrendered, and then the
election was carried by the Democrats Tho
parish of Orleans contained 29.9l0 votes, of
which 5000 we're black. In the spring
that parish gave Is 973 Republican votes;
in the fall it gave Grant l17S. Riots pre-
vailed for weeks, sweeping the city of New
Orleans and filing it with scenes
of blood, while Ku-Klux notices we're every
where posted. warning the colored man not
to vote. In Caddo there were 1887 Repub-
lican voters. In the spring they carried the
gave Grant one vote. In St. Landry parish
the Republicans had . registered majority
of l07l votes; in the spring election their
majority was 678, while in the fall they
gave Grant NO vote, and the Democratic
cast the full vote. 47s7, for Seymour and
Blair"
In twenty-two parishes, and by parishes
l mean counties, IS 600 Republican voters
were driven from the polls. and only 1890
allowed to vote. Over 1000 voters. all
colored Republicans, were killed. II be-
came entirely evident that elections would
be only farces, or if the RApublicsns per-
slsted in trying to vote. bloody tragedies
under the old and ordinary system of hold.
ing them. To remedy this the Legislature
took the powers hitherto vested in commits
sioners of elections and vested them, 90 far
a. the counting of the votes and making
the returns was concerned, in the hands OF
five men, who were to be the returning off,
GERS of the whole State; and who clothed
them with one additional power, namely
in event of q condition Of things like the
above occurring 1t an election, they, act
ing in q body, ehould be authorized to hear
evidence, find facts, and if, in their judy
ment, such fraud, violence or terror existed
in ny parish a. to prevent the majority of
the legal voters from voting, then they
should have the power to declare it mob,
and throw out the votes of that parish or
poll.
Such is the Returning Board of Louisi-
ana, and without it, 40 one distinguished
witness before our congressional committee
said, an election in that State would simply
register the dictates of q murderous mob.
| THIS became the law in 1872, and Governor
Wells, John Lynch, General Longstreet,
Mr.. Casanave and Louis NJ. Kenner were
elected by the Senate returning officers in
1873. MI. Lynch resigned, and T.. c. And
erson was elected in his place by the board
| The party nomenclature was then Repub
lican, Conservative and Liberal Republican,
each of these parties being represented on
| the board. At the last election in 1874
party names had changed; they were Re
| publican and Conservative, or "White
Man" or white League"
| In November, 1874, the board met to can
vass the returns. The White Mans party
protested that they had NO representation
on the board. Thereupon General Long
street resigned, and Mr.. Arroyo, selected
BY his party, and entirely in sympathy
with them. was appointed, and took an 60
tive part in their deliberations up to Decem
Der g, 1873, two days before the final ad
journment of the board when he resigned
During the canvass, counsel for b0tf
parties were present, protested. argued
examined and crOes-examined witnesse Q
and the evidence before our committee
| disclosed no want of fairness, NO attempt
at frauds, no purpose to cheat by any Of
the board.
| think can safely assert that Messrs
Wheeler, Hoar and Frye never found any
| fraudulent acts OF purposes on the part O1
these gentlemen. not did they or either Of
them ever assert privately or publicly, in
| conversation or in the official report. tina,
there was any want of personal or official
( integrity in the performance Of their duties
| On the contrary, am confident that the
| evidence inspired them with profound
respect for the members of the board, and
satisfied them that they did not err in their
| findings of facts. l quote from the report
| signed by Mesers. Wheeler, Hoar and Frye:
| 1--WE now come to the events Of 1874. The
| campaign was inaugurated by the fOrma-
ton of party designed to divide the peo-
pie of Louisiana on the line of race. Its
| convention at Baton Rouge began it's ad.
| dress: We, the white men of louisiana
This party assumed various names in va
1ious localities. always assuming purpose
to make the race issue distinct.
The speeches at public meetings and lead
ing articles in the press urged the people
| to deeds of violence. \ = 1t is i'm
| possible to state, in the space which this re-
port can properly cover, the details of
deeds OF lawless violence which were
! proved before the committee. In Eany
| parishes the legal officers were driven out
| BY force. Republicans were murdered or
compelled to fly for their lives-whatever
| political opinions. The White
League OF New Orleans itself was and
| is q constant menace to the Republicans OF
| the whole State. 1t would be DESTROYS and
able to overthrow the State government at
any time, if not prevented by the power Of
| the United States. We can not doubt that
the effect OF all these things was to prevent
| o full, free and fair election, and to intimi-
| date the colored voters and the white Re-
publicans. The very formation OF white
mans party was q menace of terrible i'm
port to those who remembered Colfax, and
Bossier, and the convention. The press
was flied with threats of violence. The
agreement to discharge lsboreIs, the sug-
| gestion that wild beasts are tanned by
hunger, was evidence of the same spirit.
The overthrow of the State government by
the White LaaSue ON the fourteenth of