The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-12-15

by day. Both committees have
been in constant attendance before
the Board with their stenographic
reporters, and the privilege tender
ed to both committees of visiting
gentlemen from States other than
Louisiana, has been several times
awaited Of AS the returns were
opened, " neither contested, or not,
the papers inclosed were freely ten
dered to the committees for examin-
alton, and have usually been care
fully inspected, and, as q means OF
detecting any possible changes IN
the returns after leaving the parish
es, both committees were furnished
by their respective parties with
statements of the vote az claimed by
them respectively, that, by compare
son, it might be known IL any alter
alton had been made in the returns
to be passed upon by the Board,
with which statements the returns
usually agreed. Whenever it was
known to the Board that q return
was to be counted, the attorneys for
the candidates interested were sent
for to be present at the ceremony of
opening, and when such knowledge
was attainable only by the inspec-
ton of the inside of the package
containiug.such returns, these attor-
neys were invited to be present be-
! fore any action was taken upon it.
They were thus secured, in the man
ner stated, publicity of all proceed
ings OF the Board the most careful
scrutiny of every package of re-
turns by 1t opened, and an opportu-
nifty for candidates insisting upon
the validity ofthe returns to appear
personally and by counsel before
the Board-in many instances be-
fore the returns were opened. and
ia every Instance before action was
taken upon them. 1t has been be-
lieved quite unusual to give snch
| full and widespread publicity to
proceedings Of Returning Board,
nor do we think that better means
for permanently recording every
word and act of it's members whilst
engaged in the discharge of their
dates, could have been afforded
than were enjoyed.
Having thus presented q state
ment of the means accorded of wit
Messing the canvass, it may be well
to state briefly the causes which led
to the creation of such a Board in
Louisiana, and to call attention TO
the statute which devolves ON ii
powers and duties of great public
Importance.
The white people of that and 9TH
er Southern States had, by their re-
bellion, forfeited all right 10 repres-
entaIion in Congress, or to any par
ticipation in the Government of the
Union, and had been compelled, as
u condition of resuming their form
er political rights, to assent to con-
stitutional amendments by which,
in hostility to their will, those who
had been but late their slaves, were
made citizens. And although IL
was their duty to submit to this
political reorganiZation,t the annals of
the South, and especially of Louis
lana, disclose q widespread and
persistent determination of it's rul-
ing white people to prevent the ex-
ercise Of the elective franchise by
the cOlored race, except subject to
their will. This was manifested by
violence, outrages and murders per-
petrated in that State just proceed
| ing the Presidential election of
1868. They will be found stated in
the various Congressional reports.
From these it appears that over 1000
persons were killed, wounded and
otherwise injured in that State
| within few weeks of the Presi-
dental election of that year; that
half tho State was Overrun by vio-
lence, midnight raids, secret MUIR
ders and open riots, which kept the
people in constant terror, until the
Republicans surrendered ali claims,
and then the election was carried
by the Democracy. The parish of
Orleans, which contained 29,9l0
voters, 1920 of which were color
ed, and which, in the spring, had
given 1873 Republican votes, in
the fall cast for Gen. Grant but LIS,
a falling off of 1875 votes. Riots
prevailed for weeks, filling New
| Orleans with scenes of blood, and
Ku-Klux notices were scattered
throughout the city warning color
ed men not to vote. In the parish
of Caddo there were 29S Republi-
cans who, in the spring of 1865, car
ried the parish which in the fall
gave to Gen. Grant but one vote,
and there also bloody riots occurred,
In the parish of Saint Landers the
Republicans had a registered major
ity of LOTT votes, and in the spring
of that year carried it by 67S votes,
| whilst in the fall not vote was cast
Tor Gen. Grant, and for Seymour
and Blair The Democrats cast the
full vote of the parish, 4,7S7 VO ties,
and there occurred ono of the
bloodiest riots on record, in which
Ruklux killed and wounded over
200 Republicans, hunting and chss-
ing them for two days and nights
through fields and swamps. Thir-
teen captives were taken from jail
and shot, and q pile OF twenty-five
dead bodies was found buried in the
woods. Having thus conquered the
Republicans, and killed and driven
oil their white leaders, the masses
were captured by the Kuklux,
marked Wiiq badges of red flannel,
enrolled in clubs, led to the polls
and compelled to vote the Demo
cratic ticket, after which they were
given certificates of that fact.
1
which marked the pathway TO pol
iIical supremacy of those who but u
few years before had obtained the
mercy of Government under
whose laws the black Republican
and white Democrat were entitled
to equal protection. 1t was but
natural and just that the colored
race should unite with and cling TO
the party to whose principles they
owed freedom aud protection, and
this seems to have marked their pol
itical course from the tune they
were given the elective franchise,
and their history in Louisiana has
but illustrated this whenever they
have been left free to vote as they
pleased, until radical change could
be effected in the nature aud pur-
pose of those who had been their
owners, and who repuiiated the
idee of being placed ON terms of
civil equality with them. Ii was
evident fair election could not be
held in parishes containing any con-
siderable nsjority of cOlorGd Yo:-
ere, and hence the act of 1870, ac-