Litchfield enquirer., 1876-12-07
WHOLE NO. 2696.

the 7th of November. If those votes were all legally cast, or rather, if there was fair and free election Throughout the State, then Gov. Tilden is entitled to receive the electoral vote of Louisiana, and to be inaugurated as President This is the question which the Returning Board, exercising judicial powers under the laws of this State, is Co determine. The Republicans say that in fnAny instan- ces the election was not free one, and m proof of the assertion point to the fact that in some of the parishes of the State, where the negroes are considerably moro numerous than the white people, and where at former elections the Republicans had large majorities, the returns now show Democratic maiorities or large Re- publican losses. This, it is asserted, ia prima facie evidence that improper means were resorted to, slnce 1t is assumed that the negroes. if left to themselves and un- influenced by fear, would always vote the Republican ticket. A Southern Republi- can politician, if called upon to state his theory mathematically, might put it in this form: If "a" represents the number of colored voters in given State. "b the number of white Republicans, and ''c" the white Democrats, then "a" plus ''b" minus SC" will be equal to the ma iority which the Republicans ought to have in any election in that State. If the majority IS reduced below this figure, or if the Democrats succeed, then it is held that there must have been fraud, or that the negro voters were intimidated.
 shall not in this letter, discuss this method of reasoning, but will simply say that while unexpected results in any elec- tion may furnish grounds for suspicion, and make investigation desirable, they are not in themselves proofs on which 1t is safe to base any positive conclusions. In the present crisis in the political affairs of Louisiana and of the whole country, the people will demand on the one hand that all the facts bearing on the election in parishes which have been revolution ized shall be made known and a full ex- planation of the change shall be given. and on the other that no action shall be taken which will affect the final result in this State unless 1t is based on the most satisfactory and conclusive evidence.
 One of the most important questions which is sure to arise during the discus slon of the Louisiana question will be in regard to the exact character of the in- timldation which will vitiate the election in parish or voting precinct. A Repub- lican of national reputation who has re- 
 the war told me the other day that in cer- tain portions of this State it is impossible for white Republican or black Demo crat to live, except m the large towns. He did not say that men who ''went against their color" in those sections of Louisiana would certainly be murdered, but he meant that they would live in such constant fear, hated and avoided by those of their own race with whom they camo Tn daily contact, that one of two courses only would be left for them to pursue either to quit the country or yield to the pressure and go with the tide of public opinion. This assertion was made to prove tu me the absurdity of the Demo- cratic claim that negroes had voted for Tilden and Nichols in the last election. Now in parish where such @ state of things as this gentleman described exists 1t is plain that free election is impossi- ble. No violence may be used, no unlaw- ful means resorted to to influence the in- dividual voter either on election day or at any time during the campaign which precedes it, and yet the very essence of a free election, the deliberate choice of the elector, may be wanting on both sides. This is kind of intimidation not less de- plorable than others, but one which it seems to me impossible for any election law to reach. It is the result of an inhe- rent defect in the constitution of society where it exists, and it is extremely diffi- cult to say how that defect shall be cured. don't suppose any one would pretend that the returns of the election in parish where this state of affairs is known to ex- ist ought to be rejected by the Returning Board i'll the absence of direct evidence of violence or threats, and am sure that no public opinion in the North would sustain the rejection of the returns of such q pa. rish without conclusive evidence of that kind. 1
 Another kind of intimidation winch the Republicans of this State assert has cost them thousands of votes can hardly be brought within the scope of the election laws. I can best describe it by giving an example. St. Landry Parish has been carried by the Democrats at every elec- tion, believe since 1868 until this year. Now 1t has beyond dispute gone for Hayes and Packard. The explanation which the Republicans give of this change is as follows: They say that in St. Lam dry Parish there was horrible massacre of blacks in 1868, which struck terror to the hearts of the negroes, and the mem- ory of it has prevented many of them from voting at every subsequent election. In other words, the colored people, being by nature easily frightened. and remain ing longer under the influence of fear than white men, have actually been kept away from the polls for six or eight years through intimidation, the cause of which may not have been repeated Although it is greatly to be regretted that such 6 condition of affairs as this can exist in any free country, don't believe the cleo. tion laws of this State cover such a case, or that they ought to do so. At the same time, as we bring the scenes of violence nearer and nearer to the election, it may be that the very delicate question will arise as, to how recent an act of violence must'be iD order to make it vitiato an election. h'aia iRHo iHf'
 ] If a negro from Grant Parish swears that he dared not go to the polls and vote on the 7th of November, 1876, because he remembered the slaughter of Republicans in his parish in 1874, and if he can specify no threat or act of violence since that time, will the board decide that the elec- ton was not a legal one this month |? And suppose the violence to have occurred a a year ago, or even six mouths-suppose negro Republican (and all negroes, the Republicans say, belong to their partyl has been lynched or assassinated, say last Spring, and it is proved that this event alone caused such widespread alarm among the colofed people that they re- mained away from the polls at the late election, what course ought the Return- ing Board to pursue Cases like this may actually arise as the count proceeds, and it is, therefore. important that they should be fully understood
 The election law of this State requires the Commissioners of Election to make official report. with their returns of the vote, of any riot, tumult, acts of violence, intimidation and disturbance, bribery or corrupt influences at any place in the pa- rish during the time of registration OF re- vision of registration or on any day of election. which shall have prevented or tended to prevent a fair. free, peaceable and .fnll unka inf all kha nnnlifAnd nlnnAn.n