Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-12-14

ances on account of any efforts BY the Demo-
cratic Conservative party to prevent any one
from voting on account OF race, color or previ-
Gus condition of servitude."
Thus carefully guided from the central Dem.
ocratic authority by this secret and confiden-
tial circular, urged to impress on timid blacks
by horseback professions sense Of their uni
ted strength OF their former master, and warn
ed to prepare blank aflldavits Ia advance that
no terrorism had been exercised.
ANOTHER MEAN DODGE
The next, and not least important pare Of
the scheme of these leaders, was to select par
ishes where, having the means To carry the
election. and intending 10 use them a. stated
In the circular. they could do with the most
effect.
There were in the state Of Louisiana on the
day of election 81 995 white registered voters
and 1l5.310 colored. majority OF the latter
Of 2e3l4 II was well known that il lef1 free
10 vote. uniniuenced by violence or iniimida.
ton. the blacks would be almost unanimous v
Republican. and that with the white liepubl
can vote its m ll0rltv would be about equal to
that above indicated. The plan appears to have
bee nto select Tor the purpose OF intimidation
and violence rs few parishes possible for in
40 out OF 81 parishes. where thertw were not EN-.
ployed, the Republican majority was goo. but
to select those in which the colored vote =,
compared with the white would be large un-
less unlswiully prevented. for, in so DOUG. il
might be expected that should any majority
they could thus OBTAIN in any parishes he re-
jected they would neVtTihr less attain their pur-
pose by the suppression of large Republican
vote.
In pursuance OF this plan live Of the pIri,he~
selected In which the greatest yiolrlre 1n,l
intimidation were prscticed, We're EI-t AMI
West Fehciana, which borders upon that pur.
ton OF Mississippi, in which murders aud out
RACES 80 prevailed during and proceeding the
election, as TO substantial IL prev INT any Re-
publican vote in East Baton Rouge. which
borders on the southern portion OF Eat Eel
iciana; Morehouse. which adion, . . STATE.
OF Arkansas aud Ouschiia. which adj.in, and
lies directly south Of Morehousc
The geographical pos ,tiDn Of these five par
ishes wa. well suited 10 the purpose TO b. at
tanned. for 1t was easy for the members Of the
clubs TO be- formed therein. and who usu'tly
perpetrated their outragrs with masked faces
10 pretend that they were committed by b r
der ruflans from Mississippi aud Arkan-a.
where like outrages had been pcrpetFatcI
The location Of these five parishes wa. not.
however better suited 10 the tplan to b. "a
complis ed than was the great dispruportiou
existing therein between the number Of whit,
AMI colorcd voter.
The former numbered but ji3I the latter
1874, majority of the latter equal To NOR
than one-thirl 81 the entire majority OF coloreI
voters IN the - parishes Of the State.
FALrABLE DEMOCRATIC rRArpS.
The returns Of votes sctually east in these
five parishes suggest that the clubs to whom
was assigned the task OF securing Dcmocrttic
msjorities therein hsd performed their work
OF VIOLENCE and intimidation effectually, which
proof dt-closes, brief and summaries OF pnr-
sious OF which are bcrcunto nncXed. lh4t
where violence aud intimidation werr incili-
Gent murder, manning, mutilatiou Anl whip
ping were rcsortcd to.
Instead OF majority Of GOJO or 1aDO which
the Republicans should have had in these par
ishe> upon fair election. there was actually
returned 10 the Returning Board 4 Democrats"
majority for the ptrlshc, Of East and West r.
hciana. N"rehouse and Ouachita OF 3S-N and
IN East Fellciana. where the registered color
for electors was east. la East Baton Rouge
containing 25l coorcd registered votes and
but 1901 whites, the Democrats claim a ma
lorlty ofbl1. which but fnr the rejection Of
several polls by the Commissioners aud SUI
PcIvisors Of Election would have been return
Ell 70 the Ret urning Bolrl a, Vote, actually
cast.
II 10 the Democratic majority from tn four
parishes, A. above stated. yr ALL the 6l1 thus
claimed and Insisted upon before the Return
ing Board Democratic majority Of ilpi i, Ia,
result ni an election in hve parishes contain
INK l3.2i1 coiorcI Republican, aud jl3t white
Democratic voters, the conclu,on that ntimi-
dsiinn and violence alone could have pro-
duced this l. almost ire. t-tibc. aud that such
influences were employed anI were snpplc-
mented By murder which that was thosgh
necessary. Is established by the proof, already
referred tn.
II but confirms this conclusion 10 refer TO
the vote east these i've PARISH, Ia 1874 when
no special motive existed for the use Of cruel
means "a influence the election. The Rrpub-
liran majority therein was thna BOD. result
- suggestive Of violence and intimidation
was obtained By means the most terrible AMI
reyOliag
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