The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-12-14
The Louisiana Canvass.
As Viewed by the Republl.an Visiting, Com

report concludes with The following
statement:
There were in the State Of Louisiana on the
day Of election 92, ,996 white registered voters
and III, $40 colored, majority of the latter Of
22;3l4. It was we'll known that it left tree to
vote uninfuen6ed bj Violence the blacks
would be almost unanimously Republican ,and
that with the white Republican vote would
be about equal to that above indicated.
The plan appears to have been to select for
the purpose Of intimidation and violence as
es where these were not employed, tie Re-
publican majority Wis 800 bit to selec. those
in which the colored vote. as Compared with
the white, would be large unless unlawfhlly
prevented, tor in so doing it might be expect
ed that should any majority they could thus
obtain in such parishes be rejected they would
nevertheless attain their purpose by he sup
preston of the large Republican vote. In
lected In which the greatest violence and in
timidation were ,precticed were East and
West Feliciana, which border upon that por.
ton OF Mississippi in which murder and out
rage so prevailed during and proceeding the
election as substantially to prevent any Re-
publican vote East Batcn Rouge, which bor-
M0rehOuse which adj0ins the State of Arkan-
sas, and Ouachita, which adjoins and lies di-
rectly south OF Morehouse.
The geographical position of these i've par
ishes was well suited to the purpose to be OBJ
tanned; fot it was easy for the members of the
clubs to be formed therein and who usually
perpetrated their outrages with masked faces,
to pretend they were committed by border
rufians from Mississippi and Arkansas where
like outrages had been perpetrated. The To-
cation Of these five parishes was not, however,
better suited to the plan to be accomplished
than was the great disproportion existing
therein between the numbers of whites and
colored voters. The former numbered but
5, 1874 the latter 13, ,244-the majority OF the
latter being equal to more than one=thim of
the entire majarity of colored voters in iifty-
seven parishes of the State.
The returns of votes actually cast in those
five parishes suggest that the clubs to whom
was assigned the task Of securing democrat
ic majority therein had performed the work
of violence effectually, whilst the proof dis.
closes brief summaries OF portions Of which
are hereto annexed that where violence and
intimidation were inefficient, murder, mutiI.
alton and whipping were resorted to. Instead
of a majority Of 900 or 1000, which the Re-
publlcans should have had in these parishes,
upon tair election, there was actually re-
the parishes Of East and West Feliciana,
Morehouse and Ouachita of 3,676; and in
East Felicinia, where the registered colored
voters number 2, 1877, not Republican vote
for elector was cast. In East Baton Rouge,
containing 1862 colored registered voters and
but ,6ol whites, the Democrats claim q ma.
jority OF 617, which, but tor the rejection OF
several polls by the commissioners and su-
pervisOrs Of election would have been re-
turned to the board as votes actually cast
If to the Democratic majority from the tour
parishes as above stated we add 617, as claim
ed and insisted upon by the returning board,
a Democratic majority of 1856, is the re-
suit of the election i'll the five parishes, con-
tanning ls,945 colored Republican and 8, 1874
white Democratic voters. The conclusion that
intimidation and violence alone could have
such influence were employed and were sup.
plemented by murder when it was thought
necessary, is established by the proofs already
referred.
It but confirms this conclusion to refer to
the vote cast IN these five parishes in 1874,
when no special motive existed for the use
of cruel means to influence the election.
The Republican majority therein was then
3,797.
A result so suggestive of violence and in
timidation was obtained by means the most
terrible and revolving. Organized clubs Of
masked armed men, formed as recommended
by the democratic committee, rode through
the country at night, marking their course by
whipping, shooting, wounding, manning, mu-
tilation and murder, ofwomen and children,
and detenseless men, whose houses were
forcibly entered whilst they slept, and as
their inmates fled through fear, the pistol and
the rifle, the knife and the rope, were en-
ployed to do their horrid work Crimes like
the means employed in Louisiana to elect a
President of the United States,
Such was the force Of large mass of the
testimony upon which the adjudication had
been reached. The members Of the board,
acting under oath were bound by the law. Il
convinced by the testimony that riot, tumult,
acts Of violence or armed disturbance did ma:
Of election at any poll or voting place, or did
materially ? change the result Of the election
there, it had to reject the votes thus cast and
exclude them from their final returns.
Of the effect Of such testimony the board
was the sole and final judge, and if in reach.
ing conclusion. it exercised good faith and
was guided by an honest desire to do justice
its determinat1on should be respected, ever
mig have been reached by other tribunal,
or persons. TO guard the purity of the bal
lot, to protect the citizens in fair and peaceful
exercise Of the right to vote, to secure hin
against violence, intimidation, outrage, anc
especially murder, when he attempts to per
form his duty should be the desire of al
men, and the'aim Of every Republican Gov
ernment.
Ifpolitical success shall be attained by sucl
violent and terrible means as were resortet
to in many parishes of Louisiana, complain
should not he made if the votes thus obtained
are Ienounccd by judicial tribunals and al
honest men as illegal and void
Isignedl JOHN SHERMAN Of Ohio,
E. w. STOUGHTON OF Ney
J. i; {e!$ {"{$l %Alr ALLEN ofrs'
EUGENE HALE of Maine,
J. A. GARFIELD of Ohio,
CORTLANDPARKERo Ne,
| W. 5: 6t'SiAi REILLY of rennsylvs
SIDNEY a1s, CLARK and
J. C. WILSON of Kansas
Merchants Gargling Oil has becom,
one Of the most popular ]iniments fo
human flesh that is now prepared
while for horses and cattle it has n.
equal in the world. We are assured b,
those who have used it for piles-on'
of whom is distinguished physician
that among all the various pile rene
dies, none afforded such speedy relic
as the Gargling Oil,-Louisville Ky.
Daily Democratic, June 4, 1856,