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

INV ORLTA1s 3!
:. see., id massrially in1srfsrs With the purila
snd freedom Of th0 election q such poll, q
did prevent . sufficient number of qualified
voters from ragioteging or voting to ma
i terially change tho result Of the election
then the board shall not canvass and com
pile the votes Of such poll, but shall exclude
them from their returns.
Nothing can be more simple, more Just
than these provisions. They are, for rea
administration of complete remedy, for i
| may be fairly said that If, by reason of vic
lence and intimidation, committed in tn
interest Of one political party, the adhe1
ents of another are restrained from votin,
through tear, IN equitable remedy, if praC
ticsble, for the outrage, would be to coun
in favor Of the injured every vote they lost
The asoertainment of this being, how
ever, difficult, the statute of Louisiana be-
provided only for tho rejection of votes
and it is worthy of remark that the mos
fragrant cases submitted to the board have
| a. proven, occurred in tho parishes wher.
would undoubtedly have been cast but fo
intimidation and violence, largely exceed
ed the registered vote of the Democratic
party.
We have thus alluded to some of thu
causes which led to the creation of THU
board, and have also called attention to it,
duties and the proof upon which it is an
th0rized to act. It is tribunal established
by the laws Of Louisiana, entirely indepen
dent of the laws of any other State or of thu
United States. 1t 10 empowered. among
nth % I'd H. l~An.
mine the number of votes legally cast fol
electors OF the President and Vice President
Of the United States, but in the discharge
of that duty it acts exclusively under the
authority of the laws of that State. The
constitution of the United States having de-
clared that leach State shall appoint in
such manner - the Legislature thereof may
direct, . number of electors equal to the
whole number of Senators and Rep.
resentatives to which the State may
be entitled in the Congress-" not only
State or national laws other than those of
Louisiana, but its determination a. to the
votes cast and the candidates elected is
final and substantially conclusive, ~ ap-
pears from decision Of the Supreme Court
of that State, reported in tho twenty. fifth
volume of Louisiana Annual Reports, where
the court, at page 268, ssye: mo statute
comforting upon the courts the power to try
cases of contested elections, or title to Office,
authorizes them to revise the action of the
Returning Board. If. We were to assume
further and revise the returns of super
visions of elections, examine the right of
voters to vote, and, in short, the court
would become, in regard to such cases,
mere officers for counting, compiling and re-
porting election returns. The Legislature
has seen proper to lodge the power to de-
side who hes or who has not been elected
in the Returning Board. Itmight have con-
TERED that power ON the courts, but it did
not. Whether the law be good or bad, it is
our duty to obey its provisions, and not to
It became our duty, immediately on ar-
irving in New Orleans. to thoroughly
the constitution, powers and
duties Of this board, and to examine with
care the statutes under which it was bound
10 act, and enough has been written to show
that . tribunal charged with such duties
and invested with such powers, tho mem.
bers OF which were originally appointed by
The Senate, 10 entitled to the respect of oil
sitizens until It shall b forfeited by . vio-
alton of its judicial and ministerial obliga-
ions.
The great national importance of the du.
lies to be performed by the board invested
,ach member with much interest, and a.
many reports had been Circulated concern
ng them, We were led to mako some in
JURY - to their individual history. Two
# them, Hon. James Madison Wells, presi-
lent of the board, and General Thomas C.
anderson, next senior member, are Southern
'orn, and of old and highly respectable
antilles. The father of the former was
Ion. Levi Wells; of the parish of Rspides,
rho in 1912 represented it in the convention
allied to frame the constitution of the State
I Louisiana. The con received . liberal
ducation, and was early engaged in the |
ather. He was Union man from the time |
he war broke out, and although he suffered
realty by it, in loss of property, he never |
altered in his devotion to the Union |
Ruse. Under Banks reconstruction scheme |
Q was chosen Lieutenant Governor, on the !
cket with Hon. Michael Hahn, who was |
lected Governor. and upon election of the |
liter to the Senate . year after, Mr.. Wells |
ecame Governor of the State, to which |
fiice ne was almost unanimously reelected |
nder the reconstruction plan of President |
ohnson. His experience in public life has |
cen great and varied, and his capacity to |
the duties assumed can not be |
uesti0ned.
0OAOA0A 0uuOAeVu W8S UOIu IN tIERlUl8s
as resided in the parish of St. Landry for |
period of some forty years; is cousin of |
General Anderson who commanded Fort |
umter at the outbreak of the war; was
1uCated Q lawyer; is owner of and carries
q several plantations, is widely known and
lghly respected throughout the State. He
"a been intimately associated in the pro-
otion of the social and industrial interests
his parish, and has represented it in both
ranches of the Legislature for more than
venty years.
Mr.. Cssanave, the third member of the
BARD, is man of intelligence, of excellent
laracter and business habits, not depend
It on an Office for living; not seeking it,
1t well educated citizen, who has long
'nducted . prosperous and respectable
lsiness in the city of New Orleans.
Mr.. kenner, junior member of the board,
o young man, born and reared in the
ty of New Orleans, intelligent and active,
no was for some time in charge of the
rect Commissioners Bureau in the De-
.rtment of Improvements.
We will now present such an outline of
oof as will disclose not only such vio-
nee and intimidation as prevented q fair
cotton in several parishes and at many
Ills, but disclose also that these grave
lenses were committed in pursuance of q
concerted and settled plan formed by
9 Democratic leaders to prevent the Re-
blican voters from attending the polls,
d that such unlawful purpose was 90
ectuslly accomplished as not only to in ,
rfere with the purity and freedom of the
,ction, but materially to change its re-
1t.
To illustrate how carefully the political
mpaign was considered, and the plan
contrised by the leaders of the
party, it is instructive to refer ,
circular issued from the rooms of the !,
Conservative State Central
mmittee at New Orleans, marked "Con- ,
entail" and signed by l. w. Patton,
esident, and P. j. Sullivan, secretary, in .
lded for circulation in each parish, and /
the formation of ward clubs !