Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-11-25

mentioned, is constituted of persons
appointed specially for that purpose
by the Governor.
1t now consists of j. Madison Wells,
chairman, with two other white men
and two negroes; the two white men
are both candidates for Office in the
election whose votes it is their duty to
scrutinize. the two negroes. one keeps
a gambling saloon aud the other
house devoted to still more degraded
purposes.
Of Mr.. Wells, the chairman. Gen.
Phil. Sheridan said some years ago:
II say now unquivocally that Gov
ernor Wells is political trickstera and
q dishonest man. l have seen him
during the July riot OF 1866 skulk
away where l could not find him to
give him guard, instead of coming
out as manly representative OF the
State and joining those who were pre-
serving the peace. L have watched
him since, and his conduct has been
as sinuous as the mark left in the dust
by the movement of snake. say
again that he is dishonest"
This board has very shortly to pro-
nounce a judgment which will in all
probability designate a President for
the whole United States.
HOW IT HAS WORKED.
But the most exquisitely contrived
mechanism cannot be pronounced
success till we have seen it in opera
ton.
Crede erperto, we give the testimony
of G. B. Darrall, Louisiana Con-
gresham who has seen it in full blast
this is his statement given before the
committee of Congress which was sent
to Louisiana in 1872 to investigate the
difficulties in that unfortunate State
Strangers, citizens ofNew Orleans,
and even of Texas, were appointed
Registrars in many parishes, with
| special instructions to elect themselves
to the Legislature. In my parish a
man came loith instructions, as he sad,
from Governor Warmoth, to run for the
! Senate. This was the case in various
other parishes, particularly those of
| Herville, St. Martins, Iberia and West
Baton Rouge, in all which the Super
visors of Registration either elected
! themselves or the candidates of Gov
ernor Warmoth to the Legislature.
TheV acre not UOted for by the people,
and returned themselves as elected,
! though not voted for. In some in
stances they resigned two or three days
before the election, and had other men
appointed Gas Supervisors of Registra-
tion) in their stead, and, when the re-
turns were made out, were returned as
elected, although in some of the par
ishes no one was known to vote for
them at all. No ticket bearing their
names were seen or known to be In the
parish. There are fourteen parishes
in my district; of that number, nine
had Registrars appointed who had
never resided in the parishes and OF
these nine, four were returned as mem
bers of the Legislature. Three of the
other members had not been residents
of the parishes they we're returned as
representing more than a month or
two"
The machinery seems to have been
equally efficient when it got into other
hands and was used against Warmoth.
This is no place to give the details
of the struggle between Warmoth and
the Kellogg Packard combination; it
was family affair, they were all radi-
calls, no principle was at issue, the only
question was between rival plunderers
both of whom wanted to manipulate
the election apparatus and pocket the
proceeds: for while Warmoth was
too strong for theoppositiOn; this was
while Casey Collector of the Port and
brother-in-law to the President was on
his side: After while, however, Ca
sey declared for the opposition, and,
whatever side was taken by the broth
in-law, on that side the United States
troops were freely used. So WarmOth
went under and Kellogg reigned In his
place. Before Warmoth went out OF
Office however, he took advantage OF
the act passed in the last session of the
legislature providing that the Board
of returning officers should be elected
by the Senate and should consist oil
five persons from all political parties,
and this act should take effect
from and after its approval. This bill
was only change of persons, all the
provisions of the old act remained as
before. Gov. Warmoth now approved
it and as the Senate was not in session,
appointed its member himself. He
also obtained an injunction from Judge
Gilmore restraining the old Board
(under Lynch and Company from act
ing as such.
Warmoth now formed an alliance
with a portion of the Democratic par
ty and between them John McEnery
was elected Governor ON the fusion
ticket. The election was declared
valid by the new returning board, but
brother-in-law Casey was against it
troops came in from Florida; the old
Lynch Board was reinstated in office
aud without any pretence of election
returns before it, set aside the cleo.
tons which were certainly made &C.
cording to law if the law was bad, anG
declared certain carpet baggers the
legislature though they had never ever
been before the people for election; {
member of the board said with a sneeI
that, if they were not elected, they
were men who ought to have beer
elected, and, finally Grant at the in
stigation of the brother-in law, in,
stalled them with his bayonets.
1T is STILL WORKING.
The same board, is now engaged il
determining who shall be President o.
! the United States. Democratic candi.
dates arc again elected by the people
the Board is again bent on their ex,
clusion and United States troops ar,
again present to bear them out in it.
When the events we have described
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