New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-01
THE RETURNING BOARD
THE ORLEANS PARISH CONTESTS
CLOSING UP THE DISCUSSIONS

CLOSING UP THE DISCUSSION!
r. EADY FOR WORE
The board was called to order st lO:45 A
/ NJ, by President Wells. all the member
being present
Messrs. Parker, Stevenson, Clark. Hal,
and Garfield we're present "a the com
mittee representing the Republican delegs
ton from the North. and Messrs. Trumbull
Palmer and Smith representing the Demo
cratic delegation.
The minutes of the previous meeting
were read and approved.
The business specially before the board
was the argument to ba made in the con
test by the Republican candidates in Or
leans parish. The protest was set out in
the sixth days proceedings.
Before the argument was begun Judge
Spofford asked tor an order directing the
clerk to send for the duplicate returns for
the parish of Orleans lodged with the Sec
rotary of State, such as the supervisors had
not sent up and filed with the board, and
further, that the clerk telegraph to the dis
trict court clerk of Tangipahoa to forward
the ballot boxes in which the returns were
sealed up. He had the official evidence
that the votes we're sealed up.
President Wells-Are there any further
motions!
Governor Wicklifs-In regard to the
opening of the East b atom Rouge box,
what will the hoard do with reference to it
President. Wells-As coon as Wa get
through with the matter that was specially
set for hearing this morning.
Governor Wickliffs-In regard to those
ex parte sffidavits, l presume that the
came order will be entered that was en-
tered in the cases cf East and West Fe.
licians?
President Wells-Yes, sir.
James c. Walker appeared on behalf oi
the contestants. He spoke substantially
- follows:
sec the communication read to your
honors just now by the secretary has been
subscribed by number of Republican can.
didates for local Offices in this parish. By
reason of the fact that it was necessary
that candidates should make use of printed
alps, great many votes that ought to have
been counted in favor of the candidates on
counted. We also refer to many polls. We
were without information except from the
9 reports among US, and, of course, We have
made our protests properly. l would refer
to ono poll at the corner IF Magazine and
Jackson streets, where psrhaps more than
800 votes were polled in the space of twelve
hours. We claim that it is utterly iDp0s-
sible that any such vote should have been
polled 1t such poll.
While We cheerfully acquiesce in any law
which extends equal rights and privileges
to foreign born citizens, we protest against
any law which makes the cOndi ion Of the
foreign born citizen superior to that Of the
comes here from Pennsylvania he is re-
quired to reside here one year before he is
permitted to vote and becomes eligible to
h Office. That is as far as the native born
T citizen is concerned. 1t appears that &C.
cording to the ~ stem that prevails here the
foreign born citizen comes here and is natu-
rallied to-day, votes tomorrow, and per-
haps represents the people in the Legisla-
ture the next day. We protest against
that. We say that this is not the law. 1t
never contemplated any thing of that kind.
Naturalization is delegated right confer
rcd upon the State government by the Ms
tional government, and the effect OF that
naturaliz alton is nothing more or less than
to admit the citizen under q Federal or ma
tiOnal government act. He is required to
live here one year before he can exercise
( the rights of citizenship, and before he can
take position in the legislative councils.
The authorities referred to are article
two of the State constitution. We point to
naturalizatiOns a. ffected here just before
the last election; We point to naturaliza-
tions in the Second District Court of this
parish, to naturalizations Effected in all the
district courts, amounting to over 250O
\ citizens who have been so naturalized and
permitted to vote at the last election. We
say it is q fraud upon the rights OF citizene,
citizen, upon the rights of the v hite man.
aad q fraud uoon the colored man, and q
fraud upon the foreign born citizens, and
/ upon the government; that when this thing
is allowed to proceed, and when 80 high
and 60 sacred q right as that of the elective
~ Ia 81
| that it is fraud that permeates the entire
election, that renders it null throughout the
entire length and breadth of the parish.
We point to another fact. We point to
the fact of the bundle of 1900 papers, pur-
porting to be the records OF 1900 citizens,
naturalized or supposed to be naturalized,
now in the clerks office of the Second Dis
trict % Court, and not one Of those judgme nts
of naturaliza alton signed until this day, pur.
porting, as they do, to have been issued
three or four years ago. Now it these men,
20 naturalized, voted upon those certificates
from these courts they did that which the
law does not sustain them in. The right to
citizenship dept nds upon the judgment & as
ment is signed these nsturalized persone
certainly had no right to VOTE Your honors
are in the possession of all the records OF
naturalization during the last few years
You have at your command all the poll
Lists in this city; you are aDlo 10 ascertain
whether the parties have voted.
Now, If $500 men we're naturallze d here
during the last two or three mouths and
then voted here in this parish, suggest
that that is q fraud; that that fraud has
Dermeated the entire election; and of these
there are 1900 men whose record p1rporte
to be found in the Second Distr,ct
Court; that there is q matter OF over 4OOt
votes; and that they make material differ
o~~o ,,n0n ouo Ia thA nth0r.
There is one thing plain and evident, and
that 10 that the elective franchise has been
trifled with in the parish of Orleans; that
IN effort of deliberate and designing men
has been attempted upon our system here
calling. a. it does, for the condemn Stion
and denunciation of every man who values
the right of citizenship in the United States
in which We live.
/ must hurry on to another matter. II
appears that certain votes in the twelfth
thirteenth, fourteenth, sixteenth and seven
teenth wards were cast in favor of certain
Republican candidates, and that no votina
for these candidates was had upon the par,
of the Democratic party with exception o.
the court of Judge Pardee. With reference
to the session acts of 1874, which have an
nexed the Sixth and Seventh Districts tt
the parish of Orleans. 1t will appear tna'
under article eighty-th OF the constit9 y
tion territorial Jurisdiction 10 gwen 20 81
the district courts throughout the parlsn
The sixth and Seventh Districts are part
of the parish of Orleans, and that ter'
ritorisl Jurisdiction is granted to the courts
I see from q communication of Judge NC
Connell reference is made to act No. 45, ap
proved in 1876. 1t is supplementary to thu
act nf 1874 There ia nothing conflicting