The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-12-14

given certificates Of that fact
These are some of the Outragei
which marked the pathway to politi
cal supremacy of those who but few
years before had obtained the mercI
Of Government, under whose law
the black Republican and white Dem
ocrat were entitled to equal protec
ton. It was but natural and jus
that q colored race should unite witt
and cling to the party to whose prin
ciples they owed their freedom anC
protection, and this seems to hRv,
marked their political course from
the time they were given the electiv'
franchise, and their history In Louisi'
ana has but illustrated this whenever
they have been left free to vote a
they please. Until radical chang,
could be effected in the nature aud
purposes Of those who bad been theil
owners, and who repudisted the ides
Of being placed on terms OF civi
equality with them It was evident
that fair election could not be held
in the parishes containing any con
siderable majority of cOlOred votes
and hence the act of 1870, acquiesced
In by both political parties, and
amended in 1872, was passed, Great.
ing q Returning Board, authorized To
sit in New Orleaus, having supreme
authority to canvass the votes cas-
/ throughout the entire State, and au.
thoriZed, II convinced that riot
tumult, acts OF violence, intimidation
armed disturbances, bribery or cor.
rupt influences had prevented voters
from being registered, or had mate.
rally interfered with the purity or
freedom Of the election at any poll or
voting Plece, or had materially
changed the result OF the election, 10
exclude the votes cast at such polls
or voting places from the final count,
This law with some amendments, not
materially changing its nature, is
that under which the present Re-
turning Board of Louisiana is now
organized and sits.
That some such Independent trIbu-
nal was necessary for the protection
of legal voters, and as q check upon
the violence and intimidation, which
had before prevailed throughout the
State, no one can deny. 1t will be
seen when the statute organizing this
Board and defining its duties is eX-
amined, how inadequate are its pro-
visions to afford full relief against the
wrongs it was designed to prevent.
Thus the powers Of the Board are
limited to the rejection of votes poll
ed for causes stated, whilst it can not,
in any case, add to the returns votes
which would have been polled but
for the intimidation, violence, etc.,
mentioned. To illustrate, the under
signed will refer to the five parishes
of East and West FelicianR, East
Baton Rouge, Morehouse, and Ouach-
ita, which appear, as the evidence dis
closes, to have been especially rejected
for the perpetration of such violence
and intimidation as should be neces-
sary to prevent the Republicans from
casting any considerable vote in ei-
ther. In each and all of these there Is
large Republican majority. In all
of them the white voters registered
for this year numbered 5, ,134 the COL
ored, 1924, a majority of S,l10. II,
by Intimidation and violence, the
Democrats could secure in each of
these parishes a msjority, an i'm
mense gain would thus be achieved,
for if tue Board should upon the can-
vsss reject the vote of all, it would be
powerless to administer that COM
plete justice which would consist only
In declaring for the Republicans such
q majority in each parish as but for
Intimidation and violence would have
been cast for their candidates. The
Law, therefore, in this but provides
/ for q partial and inadequate remedy
for the grave wrongs from which the
coIored people and white Republicans
of Louisiana have long suffered, and
when the proof taken by the Board
is examined and weighed, it will be
found, as we believe, that the returns
by it excluded for the causes men,
toned are generally from polling
places, which but for intimidation,
violence, and murder, would have
given Republican majorities, thereby
greatly increasing that declared by
the Board. In considering its powers
and duties, this important feature OF
/ the law should be borne constantly in
mind for whilst that tribunal may,
upon proof and in the exercise OF
judicial discretion, reject votes for the
causes mentioned, 1t can not upon so
doing, return any but votes actually
cast. 1t will, therefore, readily occur
to any one that careful selection OF
political managers of certain parishes
known to have large Republican ma
jorities, for scenes OF intimidation
and violence, In the belief that other
parishes withio the State would en-
able them to carry it for their party,
even should their msjorities in the
parishes thus selected be rejected,
/ gr-k- - Far r,nnfhnA
| the achieving of success and as we
proceed it will be apparent that such
was the mode adopted to carry Louis
lana for the Democratic party, whilst
from tue very nature of the mischief
to be remedied, the law could but par
TALLY repair it. The statute, under
which the Board acts, is so framed as
to prohibit the rejection of votes cast
at any poll or voting places, unless
certain solemn Tormautfes are first
complied with, which must be sup
plemented by the testimony of wit.
nesses. The statute, organizing the
Board, disclared, in substance, that
whenever, from any poll or voting
place, there shall be received by the
Board the statement OF any Super.
visors Of Registration or Commission
er Of Election, confirmed by the af-
fldavits OF three or more citizens Of
any riot, tumult, acts of violence, In
timIdation, armed disturbance, bril-
berry, or corrupt influences, which
prevent, or tend to prevent, q fair
free, or peaceSble vote Of sll of the
qualified electors entitled to vote at
such polls, the Board shall proceed to
| investigate the facts, and If, from sneh
statements and affidAvits, they shall
be convinced that such causes did not
materially interfere with the purity
aud freedom of such election, or pre-
vent sufficient number of qualified
voters from voting, to materially
change the result of the election, then
such vote shall be canvsssed and
compiled but IL they are not thus
fully convinced, it shall be their du-
ty to examine further testimony In
regard thereto. To that eud they
shall have power to send for persons
and papers, and if after examination
the Board shall be convinced that
such acts Of violence, intimidation
etc, did materially interfere with the
purity and freedom of the election s.
such poll, or did prevent . suf1cien
number of qualified votes from regis
tering or voting, to materially chang
. the result OF the election, then tht
, Board shall not canvass or compile tn
votes of such poll, but shall excludI
{ the same from their returns. Moth
! ing can be more simple and more jus
than these provisions. They are, fol
the reason before stated, inadequsti
to secure the administration of q com
plete remedy, for it may be fairly ssl'
that IL by reason of violence and in
tImidstion committed in the interest O
one political party, the adherents o.
. another are restrained from YOtin
through fear. An equitable remedy
il practicable for the outrage, woul'
be to count in favor of the Injuries
every vote they lost. The ascertain
: msnt of this being, however, difficult
the statute of Louisiana has provides
only for the rejection Of votes, and
is worthy of remark, that the mos
J fragrant cases submitted to the Boar
: have, as proven, occurred in parishe
where the Republican registered vote
I -hFoh xr-cf,lH undouhkodfy haua haoI