National Republican., 1876-12-07
fH FOR HISTORY.
.Confirued from First Paqs.l
..or, violence, &C., mentioned, To illustrate,
no uI dersjgned will refer to

ne 0LuefsJgneu Will refer W .Ha
THE FIVE PARISHES.
bf East and West Feliciana, East Baton Rouge,
Torehouse and Ouachita, which appear, as the
evidence discloses, to have been especially Sc,
lected for the Preparation Of such violence and
the he Republicans from casting any considerable
vote in either. In each and all Of these there is
large Republican majority; In all OF them me
5,l34 and the colored l3,24i, majority Of s,11o.
If by intimidation and violence the Democrats
an amin immense gain would thus be achieved for II
the board should, upon the canvass, reject the
vote of all, it would be pewerless to administer
in declaring for the Repsblicans such majority
| in each parish as but for the inttmidation and
violence would have been cast for their eandi,
partial ard inadequate remedy for the grave
wrongs from which the colored people and white
Republicans of Louisiana have long suffered, and
when the proof taken by the board is examined
and weg he'd 1t will be found, as We believe, that
| the returns by 1t excluded for the causes men
toned are generally from polling places Hhien,
but for
INTIMIDATION, VIOLENCE, OUTRAGE AND MURDER
would have given Republican majorities thereby
greatly Increasing that declared by the board.
ant feature Of the law should be bqxne constantly
in mind. for whilst that tribunal niAy upon proof
and in the exercise Of judicial discretion reject
| doing return any not actually cast. It WILL
therefore, readily occur to any one that careful
known to have large Republican majorities, for
scenes of intimidation and violence In the oeiei
that other parishes within the State would enable
them to carry 1t for their party even should their
majorities in parishes thus selected be rejected
might we'll be q fsyorite method for achieving
that such NV was the mode adopted to carry fOuisi-
ana for the Democratic party.
Whilst from the nature of the mischief to be
remedied, the law could but partially repair 1t,
the statute under which the board acts is so
framed to prohibit the rejection votes cast at
PG Ws WSeb
be supplemented by the testimony of witnesses.
THE STATUTE ORGANIZING THE BOARD
declares in substance, that whenever, from any
poll or voting place, there shall be received by
The board the statement Of any supervisor Of
registration or commissioner of election, confirmed
by the aidavits Of three or more citizens, OF any
riot, tumult, acts of violence, intimidation armed
prevent or tend to prevent fair, free and peace
able vote of all qualified electors entitled to vote
at such polls, the board shall proceed TO investi-
gate the facts. and II, from such statement and
affidavits, they shall be convinced that such
causes did not materially interfere with the purity
cient number of voters from voting to materially
change the result of the election then such vote
shall be canyassed and complied; but if they are
not thus fully convinced It shall be their duty to
examine further testimony in regard thereto, and
to that end shall have power to send for persons
and papers. And II, after the examination, the
board shall be convinced that such acts of yio-
lence, intimidation, &c, did materially Interfere
with the purity and freedom Of the election at at
of qualified electors from registering or voting to
materially change the result of the election then
the board shall not canvass or compile the votes
of such poll but shall
EXCLUDE 1T FROM THEIR RETURNS.
Nothing can be more simple, more just, than
these provisions. They are, for the reason before
stated, inadequate to secure the administration OF
a complete remedy, for it may be fairly said that
if by reason of violence and intimidation commit
ted in the interest of one political party, the ad
through fear, an equitable remedy, If practicable,
for the outrage would be to count in favor OF the
injured every vote they lost The ascertainment
Louisiana has provided only for the rejection of
votes, and IL 10 worthy of remark that the most
fragrant cases submitted to the board have: as
can registered vote, which would undoubtedly
have been cast but for intimidation and violence,
largely exceeded the registered vote of the Demo-
cratic party.
We have thus alluded to some of the causes
which led to the creation Of this board, and have
also called attention to its duties and to the proof
upon which Il is authorized TO act. It is tri-
bunal established by the laws Of Louisiana, en-
tirely independent Of the laws Of any other State
other things, to canvass and finally detsrmine
the number Of votes legally cast for electors Of
States; but in the discharge of that duty it acts
exclusively under
AUTHORITY OF THE LAWS OF THAT STATE,
the Constitution of the United States having
declared that 'each State shall appoint, in such
manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, g
number of electors equal to the whole number of
Senators and Representatives to which the State
may be entitled In the Congress-" Not only is
national laws other than those of Louisiana, but
its determination as to the votes cast and candi-
dates elected is final and substantially conclu-
sive, as appears from decision of the Supreme
Court of that State, reported in the twenty-hfth
volume of the Louisiana annual reports, where
the court, at page 2o6, says:
tENo gtQtuta cOnfprrfnp the courts the
power to try cases Of contested elections or title
to office authorizes them to revise the action Of
prerogative we should have to 20 still further,
and revise the returns of supervisors of elections,
examine the right Of voters to vote, and, in short,
the court would become in regard to such cases
mere officers for counting, compiling and report
ing election returns. The Legislature has seen
who has not been elected in the Returning Board.
1t might have conferred that power on the courts,
but II did not. Whether the law be good or bad,
it is our duty to obey its provisions, and not to
legislate."
It became our duty Immediately on arriving in
New Orleans to thoroughly understand the CON
stitution, powers and duties of the board, and to
examine with care the statutes under which it
was bound to act; and enough has been written to
show that tribunal, charged with such duties
and invested with such powers, the members of
which were originally appointed by the Senate.
is ENTITLED TO THE RESPECT OF ALL CITIZENS
until it shall be forfeited by violation OF its judi
eial or minifterial o5ligationf Tne great national
board invested each member with much @ interest
ing them, we were 10 make some inquiry as to
their indiyiduaL history. Two ot th.m, the Hon;
General Thomas c. kHderton, next senior member,
are Southern born, and of old and highly respecta-
Levi Wells, of the parish of,Bapides, who in Isl2
represented in the called to frame the
ceived liberal education. and was early engaged
in the care Of the planting ana other interests Of
war broke out and although he suffered greatly by
IN the Ss % Sa of he never ered In his
Under the Banks reconstruction scheme he was
Hon. Michael Hahn. who was elected Governor.
and upon the election OF the latter to the Senate,
10 which office he was almost unanimously elected
under The reconstruction plan Of President John.
and varied and his capacity to discharge the duties
assumed
CANNOT BE QUESTIONED.
Gen ANDERSON was born in Virginia; has resided in
years; is q cousin Of Gen. Anderson. who command
cited lawyer is the owner Of and carries on seve-
raj plantations; is widely known and highly re-
apsociated in c Promotion Of the social and Indus
trial interests OF his parish and has in
both branches OF the Legislature more than twenty
Mr.. Casanova, the third member of the board, is
business habits, not dependent on office for iyell
h9odnn1t seeking it.6pt well.educated citizen
table business in the city of New Orleans.
MI. henneT, tne Junior memper pc oi tne Doasa' Is
Orleans, intelligent and active, who was for some
time in charge OF the street commissioners bureau
in the department Of Improvements.
PRoOFs OF FRAUD.
We will now present such an outline of the proofs
as disclose not only such violence and intimidation
as prevented fair election in several parishes
at many polls, but disclose also that these grave
offences were committed in pursuance Of precon-
certed and settled plan formed by the Democratic
leaders to prevent Republican voters from attend
ing the polls, and that such unlawful purpose was
so efectualy accomplished not only TO Interfere
with the purity and freedom OF the election, but
materially 10 change its result.
To illustrate how earefuiiy the political campaign
was considered, and the plan mentioned cOntriyed
by the leaders Of the Democratic party fnsruc
tive to refer TO circular issued from the rooms OF
the Democratc-C Conservative State central commit
tee at New Orleans, marked '.cenfdential.'' and
signed by j. W. Patton, president, and l.. j. Sui
livan, secretary, intended for circulation in each
parish, and recommending the formation Of ward
clubs therein. These circulars urged that 'n con-
yersaton nc gloomy forebodings should be indulged
in, and that the result of the election slouli he