New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-28
TESTIMONY OF AN UNPREJUDICED WITNI

oUTRAGRoUs INTIMIDATION PEOyED-THE STATE
REPUBLICAN BY $4,000 MAJORITY on A FAIR
vOTE-THE BLACKS THOROUGHLY FRIGHTENED
BEFORE ELECTION.
From Mr. H. y EseIas LeitT' TO The Cincinnati CONNER
Large numbers of witnesses from the bull
dOzed parishes arrived Gt the Customhouse Yesterday
and to-day spent several hours among hem, talking
to witnesses and examining afdavits Cnlss The sworn
statements OF these people can De ONtrihlon, the Dem
Ocrats need attempt 20 convince he country that
they got their majority fairly one woman testified that
the budOzcs took her husband and out Of bed az
3 O'Clock In the morning, and killed them Her story Is
almost too horrible for belief yet she tells II in straight
forward, simple way, that carries conviction Her
ancy between the witnesses. Two weeks before the
had been warned to leave In ten days, but were
significance attached TO she anonymous
warning copy of the proceedings OF the coroncrs n
the story. This East Baton Rouge. The stories
Of all the witnesses from the different parishes agree az
10 the fact that their oolses were political The cond
ton OF these poor people ptahlc. They without
protection, unless they become Democrats ana yen WIN
dciCnseess blacks in the bulldOzcd parishes are not
arrested. The civil law is utterly powcr.ess The
poor negroes lTouud between two mistoncs. The
Republicans are leapiug up mass Of tcslnony when
the Democrats can overthrow IT, When the country
the testimony that have seen today there VIII hc lees
couaiut bcause tbc Returning Board throws ont GER
tain parishes parts Of them
trion lsis making allowance for black Democrats and
white Republicans come To one conclusi u, which VIII
from and tbat h. Ills: II he Vote her" had been i'm
every way fair and free you have IN OHIO without
murder u the blacks or frightening them or threatening
them with no land 90 cultivate, or lowering their wages
account Of Radical taNaOn" or breaking mp their
meetings ything OF the sort Louisiana would have
gone for Hayes By majority OF less $1,000.
We know that the negro Is Republican on national
issues. owing 10 causes which back tO history. on
a free fair election without any other appliances 10 win
votes Than Won have I'm Ohio no more blacks would vote
the Democratic ticket than whites wOudSOto the Re
publican ticket We might fairly Offset one vote against
The other black Democrats against the white Repaid
leans While this Is true u Is also true that Idcn car
ried This state on the face things H. he mas
in the bOKcs-irom 1000 10 5000 more than Hayes
In fact And II Ii also true That the election a every
polling place in the State WAS quiet, far have
heard; no fighting. rioting attempts 10 drive the
blacks on But the blacks were operated on before inc
election They were Influenced various ways, OF
the leading killed outright Out the number has been
grossly exaggerated by the RerubhcaSl ana all we're
made 10 understand that the path OF safety aud peace for
them lay In voting the Democratic ticket
IN East lclcana not single vote was allowed 10 be
pOiled for the Republican ticket various explanations
Of this have been given by the Democrats but none That
will hold water The bold naked Tact 'nas lial me
Republican majority was stamped out, and that the
blacks without execution were compelled to vote the
Democratic ticket not vote at oil In West Fclciana
ImentiOncd in dispatches that the Federal officer IN
command there told that The election In that parish
perfectly free and fair nobody burt, and no disturb
ance All of which i, ic on the face Of IT, There was
disturbance riot armed ut the polls driving
taken dnys before th election TO create such degree OF
uneasiness the African mind incline them 10 vote
the Democratic ticket out OF regard Tor their own safety
And il is fair say that the other Federal officers sta
TONED in tie parish do not agree with the captain
whose views quoted. All these officers Republicans,
and the different light IN which they see things IN the
parish, ard from the same standpoint, illustrates
the difficulties OF the situation
have before explained mat have no sympathy win
the sO-called Republican state Government here. ana
should not weep 10 see II overheard But the Unfair
OF forcing the blacks to vote the way they dont
want TO- when such forcing elects President OF the
United states, calculated 70 make the average man
call Tor ialr NOle as wen as lalr count n ialr
count" hcrethat Is count OF all the votes castelects
Ii!den The question simply 49, SL0uld we 20 behind
that vote aud show that II was obtained by force and
gross intimidatlCni That Is what the Returning noaid
boxes but going behind them 70 II helpless class Of
voters had a lair show.