The New York herald., 1876-11-22
PROFESSOR SUMNER, OF YALE COLLEGE, ON
THE SITUATION IN LoUIsIANA-THE RE
TURNING BOARD REVERSING THE POPULAR

THE SITUATION IN LoUIsIANA--THE RE-
TURNING BOARD REVERSING THE POPULAR
vERDIcr--A GLOOMY OUTLOOK.
Nnw HAVEN, Nov. 81, 1876.
DEAR SIR--Several gentlemen who have been much
impressed as have been, by your relation OF what
you aud heard during your recent visit to New
Orleans respecting the poll cal and social condition OF
LOUISIANA have desired to address you, with the
request that you viii gvc 10 the pubic, in such way
as may be most agreeable 10 you your views Of the
present unhappy political situation In that state.
accordingly do with great pleasure ana IN the hopo
that you will be accede the request, beg TO
remain, very truly, yours,
CHARLES II. INGERSoLL-
Professor w. G. SUMNER, New Haven.
PROFESSOR SUMMERS REPLY.
New HAVEN, Nov. 2l, 1876.
DEAR S,n-ln response TO your request, viii state
us briefly and clearly possible the impressions re-
ceived during my visit 10 New Orleans.
The gentlemen who were requested by the National
Democratic Committee TO Louisiana expressed at
once 10 one another the determination to certify to the
Northern people tho truth with regard 10 the
vote OF Louisiana without party bias. Several Of
them expressly declared that they had
not come 10 New Orleans to get the
State for Mr Tdcn, and all acquicsced The first
effort was, therefore, To ascertain the fact Judging rom
the usage OF Northern States tins would be dill
cult. on addressing the State Committee for iniorna
tiou, 1t was once found that that body had been
obliged contend with unbcard of difficulties in their
Efforts to obtain returns These difficulties partly
physical, due 10 the lack OF means OF communi-
calion with remote parishes, but, Tor the most
part ithcy were due 10 artificial amt malicious
obstructi placed IN their way The election
WAS held under complicated and elaborate
corps officials appointed by the state government,
and Tree from ANY OF those popular checks which we,
IN the North, regard us essential to scgovcrnmcnt
fha IN
obtain information were trca,ed impcr incnL IL
was furthermore necessary, inasmucl as thc ruling
party did no, publish returns Except AS here
alter stated, and did not therefore either deny
or acccde the democratic reports 10 fortIiy
these latter by certificates in u manner totally
unk nown in the North rhc democratic committee,
warned by experience Of 1877 and 1874 took, as
appears cncrgcc measures TO secure trustworthy re
turns duplicates OF tho returns sent to tho returning
wELL-GRorxpED susrIcIoS
The suspicion oil the latter body implied in this
OF action abundany JUSTIFIED by ITS history
have before me detailed statement by parishes oi
tho returns which wcrc received as result oi the
Efforts OF Tho democratic committee, with memoranda
OF The authority on which each PARISH return IS based
Allowing for possible errors Of detail, this statement
establ ccrtninty that Governor Tden car
RED the State by 1000 majority according to tho re-
turns
met no person in Louisiana, and mixed as freely
as possible persons a classes ana both partics
who denied or doubted that THIS the result OF
the election l told that the republican news
papers had published returns from thirty or forty
! parishes, colncldng with those in the democratic
statement, but nau ,ncn desistcd declaring that tho
returns were incorrect and Unsatisfactory. No counter
clam is made in regard 10 the returns Tho only an
swer made that there have been outragcs and
Intimidation Ia i've or SIX parishes, and that the Re-
turning Board Will have to correct the returns BY
th owing ot those parishes. Tho repub-
can newspaper OF the lli inst went further, and de-
clarcd that would be necessary TO nscr the votes
which would have been cast Tor the republican ticket
II the Intimidation had not taken nncc. met no per-
whatever who admitted any other hypothesis than
that The Returning Board would bring out republican
majority. IL was not discussed; II was assumed as oi
REVERSING
The proposal. then, Is that the Returning Board
shall destroy oil large numhcf OF persons
who really voted. and supply the votes OF large num-
ber OF others ~ho diG not vote, because they think
that persons voted under coercion ana others
trained Under intimidation. Could anything moro
arbitrarily destroy tho whole theory ot popular
electoral governments
For obvious could not enter into the qucs-
tion OF TACT 10 outragcs. heard ABUNDANT
complaints OF outraecs &c, against negroes
who voted the democratic ticket and talked
with a number OF persons who had such COM
plants 10 make l niso rcsoutciy pursued all
possible inquiries within my reach to Try 10 find
| out the truth in conversation winch number OF
us held with Governor Kellogg. he asked Tor
under this head lie ci'ed the case O. Gaid only Gad
KILLED by ynchinp, under circumstances ol revolt
ing injustice, ia September, 1870
Politics had nothing TO do with II, much less this
election II is air 20 say our interview was cut short.
and Mr. Kellogg got iurthcr with his recital Other
charges outrage which heard or saw were inlansI
bic aud uncer,eln. could not bring any OF them TO
distinct shape All OF them were denied, and cspe-
c,ay the general descriptions Of systems OF
intimidation energctlcaIly denied by men OF
see no guarantee against frauds except In the vgi
lance ana interest OF the opposing parties such guar
Lpuisiina with the vast prepondcranco
o the chnnccs IN favor of the party IN power which
appoints all the officers OF election has the federal oi
GERS side. and controls the federal troops. Every
e:iort made uy tho democrats TO prevent frauds
tortured INTO prsof OF intention 10 commit
fraud, and runs through the North IN tho
present temper vi the people, finding ready credencc
| DESPAiRNG OF JUSTICE
lido not wonder that tho people OF Louisiana despair
OF justice and fair treatment from US wnen soc the
readiness with which honorable men accept sc0n-
struction OF all their efforts and ,he enac.iy with
which the cling party prejudice. II is a
shame TO human nature and naarant VIOLA
ton OF all the assumptions OF lice govern
menL 1t only proves with renewoi force
State GOO miles away. II the vote oil the State
NOT 10 DC counted as cast is pain that the nyestga
ton ought 10 be iuIL open, impartial and complete;
but cannot see how any such investigation PCS
sloc in the nature OF things II tho tribunal we.e
above suspicion. The theory that such invests.
CATION possible leads to one result as yet distant,
but sure--Congress viii be the kc, urning Board OF
the nation and usurp the election OF President.
The only conclusions could reach in regard To tho
general matters In dspute were us ws-Socicy in
LOUISIANA Is almost entirely dsorganzed IL rs claimed,
aud strong alleged proof that thi.
the maladmi straion Of tho civil officers, from tho
highest 10 the lowest, with very few exceptions. Tho
law is made an engine abuse every officers
grade neglect or violate duty Tor favor
ward The most sacred institutions oil evil society
perverted produce and abuse The election ln
Ltrcac, and while apparently adapted to provide
ior all contingencies, really creates hundred tech
nicalitics and machinery whlcn renders really
popular elections impossible. The play OF It's
various parts allows scope for fraud, chican-
cry and abuse. II depends upon the action
OF army Of officials. many Of whom are
lar away IRON any control and ircc IRON al
responsibility, while they able to defeat the
whole purpose oil tho election by corrupt malicious
assertion. Tho ingenuity with which devices
planned aud practised Tor predicting fraudulent results
IL simply diabolica The party III power, having
troi OF tins machinery, can make any election a
mockery. and the community Gnds itself locked in
network OF crafty arrangements, IRON which escape
seems impossible.
EFFORTS TO PREVENT FRAUD.
al Ils nrll Y tht M nlo nf
Louisiana have made uLod and determined
effort They know other way 10 get rid 0i u with
out violence than The method winch republican nsti-
tutious supply SAID one oil them 10 me: I'VE have
ncd every means we could conceive OF inside OF law
and honor to carry this election They