Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-11-17

ClSlnS CuCiI uuuOuoV0u AiSHo VI SUI
frage. These five parishes are in the
northern part of the State near the
Mississippi line, are East and West
Feliciana, Ouachita, Morehouse and
East Baton Rouge. In these parish
es, according to the Democratic reg
istratlon, the negroes outnumber the
whites nearly double. They have
always been Republican and in 1874
gave a Republican majority of 4,1e9.
They have been numerically raidcd
by the White League bands, and
number of leading Republicans
murdered in cold blood because of
their politics. Many of these muir
ders were just previous to the cleo
ton, the object being to intimidate
the negroes and prevent them from
voting. How we'll the plan succeed
ed may be discovered in the fact that
these same parishes, which have
heretofore invariably returned Re-
publican majorities of over 1000, are
now claimed by the Democracy by
4,4lO majority. 1t is well establish
ed that in two of them at least, not
a Republican vote was polled, they
having been warned that it would
not be safe for them to attempt to
place ticket in the field. 1t is pos
sible, yes, probable, that the question
whether the electoral vote of Louisi-
ana shall be given to Hayes or Til
den may depend upon the reception
or rejection of the vote OF these
"bull-dozed" parishes, and thus the
decision of the canvassing board to
meet next Monday, will be of mo-
mentous Importance. If the facts
are found to be as alleged regarding
the violence and intimidation of vo-
tiers in those parishes, the board, un-
der the laws of Louisiana, are oblig-
ed to throw them out. An act of
the legislature, passed in 1872, is
imperative upon this point. After
providing for registration, ETC., and
specifying riot, tumult, violence, In
timidation, armed disturbance, brib-
cry, or corrupt influences during the
time of registration Or election, as
illegal, and sufficient to vitiate an
election, it says:
If after said examination, said return
ing officers shall be convinced that said
riot, tumult, acts of violence, intimida-
ton, armed disturbance, bribery, or cor
rupt influences did materially interfere
with the freedom and purity of the cleo
ton at such poll or uoting- place, or did
prevent sufficient number of the quail
fed electors thereat from registering and
voting to materially change the result of
the election, then said returning officers
shall not canvass or complete the state
ment of the votes such poll or voting
place, but shall exclude it from the re-
turns.
This is the situation with which
the Returning Board of Louisiana
has to deal and this the law for Its
guidance. With the vigilant and in
telligent observers of its action now
assembled in New Orleans, among
whom are men of the highest honor
and fame in both parties, it does not
seem possible that the action of the
canvassing board can be otherwise
than square and honest, and yet
portion OF the Democratic press are
threatening blood and revolution in
case the vote of Louisiana is not
counted for TiIden. Papers like the
Dubuque Herald and Chicago Times
before sufficient returns were receiv-
ed to form any opinion as to how
Louisiana had voted, began to give
out that Tilden was elected without
question, and that the Republican
canvassing board were preparing to
"count him out" Last Saturday
morning the Herald announced in
flaming head lines that "Bullets and
not Ballots" were to decide the issue
of the election, thus, by infammato-
ry appeals, seeking to nerve the ig-
norant and vicious elements Of its
party to armed resistance to the will
of the people, if it should be ex-
pressed contrary to the ambition of
Mr.. Tilden Every suggestion of
revolution and violence in connec-
ton with the result of the election,
has come from Democratic sources.
The Republicans, from President
Grant down, have only demanded
that there should be fair and hon.
est count, and that the candidate le-
gally elected, no matter of which
party, should be inaugurated. The
people of this country see no neces-
sity for civil war over this matter,
and woe be to the party which seeks
to inaugurate 1t.