New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-10

| 0TSuG OuC Uu0 VOtc, anu I0oE0 oleO OlOOO
. riots occurred. In the parish of St. Landr
the Republicans had registered majorit
of 107l votes, and in the spring (
that year carried it by 673 votel
while in tho fall not q vote va
cast for General Grant, while for Sey
! mOur and Blair the Democrats cast the fu
vote of tho parish, 4l87 votes, and there OK
, CURED one Of the bloodiest riots ON record
. in which the Ku-Klux killed and wounde
over 200 Republicans, hunting and chssin
them for two days and nights through field
and swamps; thirteen csptives were take
from jail and shot, and pile Of twenty-fiv
dead bodies was found buried In the woods
Having thus CONQUERED the Republican,
and killed and driven of their whit
leaders, the masses were captured by tn,
Ku.Klux, marked with badges of red fan
mel. enrolled in clubs, led to the polls and
compelled to vote the Democratic ticket
after which they were given certificates o.
that faot.
These are some of the outrages which
marked the pathway to political supremacy
of those who but few years before haa
obtained the mercy of . government under
whose laws the black Republican and
white Democrat were entitled to equal pro
lection. 1t was bat natural and Just that
the oolored race should unite With and
cling to the party to whose principles they
owed freedom and protection, and this
seems to have marked their political
course from the time they were given the
political franchise. and their history in
Louisiana has but illustrated this, when
ever they have been left free to vote %
they pleased. Until . radical change
could be effected in the nature and pur-
poses of those who had been their owners,
and who repudiated the idea of being
| placed on terms Of civil equality with
them, it was evident that . fair election
could not be hold IN parishes containing any
and hence the act OF 1870. acQuiesced in
by both political parties, and amended in
1872, was passed, creating . Returning
Board. authorized to sit in New Orleans, and
having supreme authority to canvass the
votes cast throughout the entire State, and
authorized, if convinced that riot, tumult,
acts of violence, intimidation, armed dis
turbance, bribery or corrupt influences had
prevented voters from registering, or had
freedom of election 1t any poll or voting
place, or had materially changed the result
of the election, to exclude votes cast at
such polls or voting places from the final
count. This law, with some amendments
not materially changing its nature, is that
under which the present Returning Board
of Louisiana is now organized and sits.
That some such Independent tribunal was
necessary for the protection of tho legal
voter and as . check upon the violence and
intimidation which had before prevailed
throughout the State, no one can deny. 1t
will be seen, when the statute organizing
this board and defining its duties is ex.
ahmed, how inadequate are it's provisions
to afford full relief against wrongs it vas
designed to prevent. Thus the powers of
the board are limited to the rejection of the
votes pOlled for causes stated, while it can
not, in any case, add to the returns votes
which would have been polled but for in.
timidatiOn, violence, etc, mentioned. To
illustrate. the undersigned will refer to the
five parishes of East and West Felicisna,
Fact Baton Rouge, Morehouse and Ouachita,
which appear, as the evidence discl0ses, to
have been especially rejected for the perpe.
trati0n of such violence and intimidation as
should be necessary to prevent the Repub-
licans from casting any considerable vote
in either.
In each and all of these there is q large
Republican majority, In all of them the
white voters registered for this year num-
bered 5l34, the colored l3,244-a majority
the Democrats could secure in each of |
these parishes majority, an immense gain
would thus be achieved; for if the board |
should. upon canvass, reject the vote of all,
it would be powerlees to administer that |
complete justice which would consist only |
in declaring for the Republicans such q |
majority in each parish as, but for intimi. |
1ati0n and violence, would have been cast !
FOR their Candidates. The law. therefore,
N this but provides for q partial and in /
adequate remedy for the grave wrongs |
rom which colored people and white
Republicans of Louisiana have long
suffered, and when the proof taken
~ the board is examined and weighed,
t will be found, as We believe. that
the returns by it excluded for causes
mentioned are generally from the polling
places which but for intimidation, violence,
outrage and murder, would have given Re-
publican majOrities, thereby greatly in
reasing that declared by the board. In con-
idering its powers and duties, this import
mt feature Of the law should be borne con-
family in mind, for Wills that tribunal
nay, upon proof, and in the exercise of iu-
licial discretion, reject votes for the causes
mentioned, it can not uDon 60 doing return
my vote actually cast. 1t will, therefore,
eadily OCCUR to any one that careful &c.
cotton of political managers of certain par
shes known to have large Republican ma
critics, for scenes of intimidation and vi0-
ence, in the belief that other parishes with.
q the State would enable them to carry it
or their party, even should their maiOri-
les in the parishes thus selected be reject
d, might we'll be favorite method of
success, and, as we proceed, it
will be apparent that such was the mode
dopted to carry Louisiana for the Demo-
ratio party, while from the very nature of
he mischief to be remedied the law could
ut partially repair it.
The statute under which the board acts
80 framed as to prohibit the rejection of
otes cast at any poll or voting places, un-
,ss certain solemn formalities are first CON-
lied with, which must be supplemented
y the testimony of witnesses. The stat
to organizing the board declared in sub
lance that whenever from any poll or
citing place there shall be received by the
GARD the statement of any supervisors of |
,gistratiOn or commissioners of election, |
onfirmed by afidavits of three or more
tizens, of any riot, tumult, acts of vio-
nee, intimidation, armed disturbance.
ribery or corrupt Influences, which pre- I
ent or tend to prevent fair, free or peace
bic vote Of all the qualified electors en- 1
tied to vote at such polls, the board shall {
rOceed to investigate the facts, and if from
lch statements and affidavits they shall
3 convinced that such causes did not ma {
rally interfere with the purity and free
ON OF such election, or prevent q sufficient G
amber Of qualified voters from voting to I
aterially change the result of the cleo {
On, then such vote shall be cauvassed
Id compiled. But if they IRE not I
JUS fully convinced, it shall be their duty '
examine further testimony in regard q
ereto; TO that end, they shalt have power t
send for persons and papers, and, If after 4
the board shall be convinced
st suoh acts Of violence, intimidation, | 9