The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-12-21
.sTAUNToN, VIRGINIA, DECEMBER 81. 1876.

CURED. In the Parish of St. Landy the Re
pnblicans had a registered majority Of 90
votes, and in thgspring of that year carrie
it by CTS votes, Whilst in the fall not a yot
was cast Tor GEN Grant, while for Seymou
and Blair the Dem ocrats cast the full vote; /
the parrish, 4, Isl votes, And there soccurfe
one Of the b'oodIest riots on record, IN whic
the Ku-KluN killed and wounded over i. 90
Republicans, linlting and chasing them 70
two days and nights through tho fields ant
swamps.a Thirteen captiyes were takgl
from Jail and shot. and pile ef iwenty-fly
dead bodies was found buried III the wooda
Having thus conquered the Republicans All
killed and driven off their white leaders. tn
masses were captured. by the .Ku.Klux
marked with badges Of red flannel, enroilel
in clubs. led to The polls and compelled t
vote the Democratic ticket, after which the,
were given certificates of that fact ~ Z g-
These are some of the outrages which
marked the pathway to political supremacy
Of those WHO but a few years before had OBJ
tanned the mercy Of. a Government, lindei
whose laws the black Republican and white
Democrat were entitled to equal protection
1t was but natural and Just that the colofet
race should unite with and cling to the party
to whose principles they owed their freedom
and protection, aud this seems to have mark
ed their political course from the time they
were given the elective franchise, and theil
history in Louisiana has but illustrated this
whenever they have been felt free to: vote a
they pleased. Until a radical change could
be effected in the nature and purposes 81
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 held in the
parishes containing any considerable nnajori--
ty of colored votes, and hence the act d
1870, acquiesced III by BOTH political parties,
and amended in 1872, was passed, creating 4
Returning Board, authorized to sit in New
Orleans, having supreme authority to can.
vass the votes east throa. giiout the, entire
State, and authorized, If convinced that riot,
tumult, acts Of violence, intimidation, armed
disturbances, bribery or corrupt Influences
had prevented voters from being registered,
or had materially interfered with the purity
or freedom OF the election at any poll or .yo-
ting place. or had materially changed the re-
suit of the election, to exclude the yotes 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 Tor the protection Of legal voters,
and as a check upon the violence and intimi-
dation, which had before prevailed through
out the State, no one can deny. 1t will be
seen when the statute organizing this Board
and defining its duties is examined, how in
adequate are its provisions to afford full re-
lief against the wrongs it was designed to
prevent. Thus the powers of the Board are
limited to the rejection of votes polled for
causes stated, whilst it can not, in any case,
add to the returns votes which would have
been pollcd but for the intimidation, vio-
lence, ETC., mentioned. To illustrate, the
will refer to the five parishes of
East and West Feliciana, East Baton Rouge,
Morehouse, and Ouachita, which appear, as
the evidence discloses, to have been especial
ly rejected for the preparation of such vio-
lence and intimidation as should be neccs-
sary to prevent the Republicans from cast
ing any considerable vote in either. In each
and all of these there is a large Republican
majority. In all Of them the white voters
for this year numbered 5,134; the
celored, 1924 a majority OF s,11o. If, by
Intimidation and violence, the Democrats
could secure in each Of these parishes ma
jority, an immense gain would thus be
achieved, for if the Board should upon the
canvass reject the vote Of all, it would be
powerless to administer chat complete justice
which would consist only in declaring for
the Republicans such n majority in each pa
rish as but for intimidation and violence
would have been cast for their candidates.
The law, therefore, in this but provides for a
partial and inadequate remedy COR the grave
wrongs from which the colored people and
white Republicans OF Louisiana have long
suffered, and when the proof taken. by the
Board is examined and weighed, it will be
found, as we believe, that the returns by it
excluded for the causes mentioned are gem
crafty from polling places, which. but for in
timiaation, violence, and murder, would
have given Republican lnaioritles,, thereby
greatly increasing that declared by the
Board. In considering its powers. and du-
ties, this important feature Of thelaw should
be borne constantly in mind; foi whilst that
tribunal may, upon proof and in the exercise
OF judicial discretion, reject votes for the
causes mentioned, it can not upon SO doing,
return any but the vote actually cast. 1t
will therefore, readily occur to any one that
careful selection of political managers Of
certain parishes, known to have large Re-
publican maiorities, for scenes Of intimida.
ton and violence, in the belief that other
parishes within the State would enable them
to carry 1t for their party, even should tIleil
majorities in the parishes thus selected, be
rejected, might well be a favorite methot
for the achieving of success; and as we pro
coed it will be apparent that such was thu
mode adopted to carry Louisiana for tn,
Democratic party, " hist from the very M
turc OF the mischief to be rcmcded. the Law
could but partially repair it. The statute
under which the Board acts, is so framed a
to prohibit the rejection of votes cast at an,
poll or voting places, unless certain solemn
formalities are first complied with, whicl
must be supplemented by the testimony o
witnesses. The. statute, organizing tn
Board, declared, in substance, that when
ever, from any poll or voting place, Their
shall be received BY the Board the statemen
OF any Supervisor Of Registration or Com
missioner Of Election, confirmed by the aft
davits Of three Or more citizens, of any riot
tumnit, acts Of violence, intimidation, arme
disturbance, bribery, or corrupt influences
which prevent, or tend to prevent, fail
free or peaceable vote of all Of tile qualifle
electors entitled to vote as such polls, til
l. 4 y T.