Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-12-21
ADVERTISING RATES.

teduerS Was 10 Sei6ct parishes W1ef6,
having the means to carry the elec-
ton, and intending to use them, stated
in circular, they could do 80 with the
most effect. There were in the State OF
Louisiana ON the day of the election
92,9 996 white registered voters, and
! liz, $40 colored, majority of the latter
of 22,9I4.
1t was well known that if left free TO
vote, uninfiuenced by violence or in
| ltimidation, the blacks would be almost
unanimously Republican and that
with the white Republican votes the
majority would be about eqesl to that
above indicated. The plan appears to
have been to select for the purposes of
Intimidation and violence as few par
ishes ss possible, for in forty of fifty
seven parishes where these were not
employed the Republican majority was
six hundred, but to select those in
which the cOlored vote, as compared
with the white, would be large unless
unlawfully prevented, for in so doing
it might be expected that should any
majority they could thus obtain in such
parishes be rejected, they would new
ertheless, attain their purpose by the
suppression of large Republican vote.
In pursuance of this plan, five of the
parishes selected in which the greatest
violence and intimidation were prac-
ticed, were East and West Feliciana,
which border upon that portion OF
Mississippi in which murder and out
RACES SO prevailed during and prece-
ding the election, a. substantially to
prevent any Republicans vote; East
Baton Rouge, which borders on the
southern portion of East Feliciana;
MOrehOuse, which adjoins the State Of
Arkansas, and Ouachita, which adjuins
and lies directly south of Morehouse.
The geographical position of these five
parishes was well suited to the pur-
pose to be attained, for it was easy for
members of the clubs tn be formed
therein, and who usually perpetrated
their Outrages with masked faces, to
pretend that they were committed by
by border ruffians from Mississippi
and Arkansas, where like outrages had
been perpetrated.
The location of these five parishes
was not, however, better suited to the
plan to be accomplished than was the
great disproportion existing therein
between the number OF white and COL
pred voters. The former numbered
5l34, the latter I3, PA; majority vf the
latter equal TO more than One-third of
the entire majority of colOred voters
n fifty-seven parishes OF the State.
The returns Of votes actually cast in
these five parishes suggests that clubs,
70 whom was assigned the task of Sc
.uring Democratic majorities therein,
mad performed their work of violence
md Intimidation effectually, which
proof disci0ses, brief sum maries of pOr-
ions of which are hereto annexed, that
xhere viOlepce and intimidation were
insufficient, murder, manning, m1tila-
ion and whipping were resOrted to.
Instead of majority of 5000 or 1000,
which the Republicans shoeld have
lad in these parishes upon fair elec-
ion, there was actually returned to the
Returning Board Democratic msjori-
y for the parishes Of East and West
feliciana, Morehouse and Ouachita, of
1878, and in East Feliciana, where the
egistered colored voters number 2l27,
lot Republican vote for elect0r Was
asst. In East B atom Rouge, containing
'552 cOlored registered voters, and 1901
whites, the Democrats claim majOri-
y of 617, which, but for the rejection of
evernl polls by the Com missiohers and
supervisors of Election, would have
,een returned to the Returning Board
IS votes actually cast.
If to the Democratic msjority from
he four parishes, as above stated, we
id the 617 thus claimed and Insisted
pom before the Returning Board,
Democratic majority of 4495 is the re-
llt OF an election in five parishes con-
aiming IL, 244 colOred Republicans and
l34 white Democratic voters.
The conclusion that Intimidation and
iolence alone could have produced
his is almost Irresistible, and that tsuch
,fiuenees were employed and were
lpplemented by murder, when that
as thought necessary, Is established
y the proofs already referred to. It
ut confirms this conclusion to refer TO
Ie vote cast in these five parishes in
"a, when no special motives existing
II the use of cruel means to influence
le election, the Republican majority
lerein Was 1919. The result is also
ggestive, of violence and intimida-
cd obtained by means most terrible
i'd revolving. Organized clubs of
med men, formed as recommended
: the Central Democratic committee,
de through the country at night,
arking -their course by whipping,
ooting, wOunding, manning, mutt
ton and murder of women, children,
feDseless men, whose houses were
rcibly entered whilst they slept, and
cir inmates fed through fear; the pis-
and the rifle, the knife and the rope,
sre employed TO do their horrid
)rk. Crimes like these, testified 10
scores of witnesses, were the means
lployed in Louisiana to elect Presi-
Mt of the United States.
By force of large mass of testimony
on which that adjudication has been
lched, members of the Board, acting
der oath, were bound by law il con-
need by testimony that fiot, tumult,
g of violence or armed disturbance
| materially Interfere with the puri-
and freedom of the election at any
Il or voting place, or did materially
ange the result of the election there
to reject the votes thus cast and ex-
de them from their final return.
)f the effect of such testimony the
ard was The sole and final Judge; and
q reaching a conclusion it exercised
ID faith, and was guided by an hon.
desire to do justice, its determina-
n should be respected, even if upon
g proof a different conclusion might
We been reached by other tribunals
persons. To guard the purity of the
lot, TO protect the citizen in the free
l peaceful exercise of his right 10
ie, to secure him against violence,
ourage, and especially
rider, when he attempts TO perform
8 duty, should be the desire of all
n and the aim of every representa-
9 government. If political success
III be attained by such violent and
rible means as was resOrted to IN
ny parishes of Louisiana, complaint
,uld not be made if votes thus eb-
ned are denounced by judicial tri.
m L. and oil honasf man &c illaral