Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-11-29
SHOTGUN SUFFRAGE.
How Tilden and Reform Carried
Ouachita.
The "Wlii OF the Majority Lawfully
Expressed" by Firearms.

k1oW V1lQen ana Net0Tm CaII1e
. Ouachita.
The ''Mlii OF the Majority Lawful
Expressed" by Firearms.
: A Plain Tale OF the Political Civ
!, War.
Fl From the New Orleans Republican
The republicans of Ouachita hav
just laid before the Governor the fol
lowing statement Of the condition @
: affairs In that parish for a few week
!. before and zip 10 the election. No in
: telligent man can read it and believ
that there was amy fairness in th
election in'tle parish outside of N
; town of Monroe:
New ORLEANS, Nov. Id, &c.
10 His Excellency w. p. Kellogg
Governor of the State of Louisiana
YorR ExcELLENcY-Wc beg lcav
to submit to you a report of the pn
parallcled outrages and intimidation
perpetrated by the democratic part,
through their agents, known as bull
Idozers, against the rights and priv
4 ileges Of the republican party in tht
| parish Of Ouachita. Z.
Il After the State callvassers hat
II passed through the parish of Ouachi
to 1t soon became evident that th,
leaders of the republican party woult
be forced to take some measures
to control the arbitrary efforts
put forth by the democracy TO pre-.
ro,.< x1,o ,,oy,,, lie oo,,S frnvs, q Il u es,,
to their principles; every colored
man who was comfortable was forced
to join democratic club through va.
rions kinds ofintimidation /; by threats
Of violence, or by being forced to
leave their homes aud crops for which
they had labored during the year, by
refusal by the planters to advance to
them the necessaries Of life upon their
staple or labor, and in many cases by
being severely beaten. The people
became perfectly demoralized; not
being allowed to hold q republican
meeting, they had to bow in humble
submission to this tyrannizing despot-
ism. The republican parish canvass,
which. under the circumstances, was
eminently necessary, notwithstanding
the peril and danger to its leaders,
was entered upon with vigor.
On Friday, the 9th Of October, the
first meeting was held ut the Dink-
grave plantation by Messrs. Hamlet,
Brewster and Gorham. A large gath
ering of colorcd people was present,
so proud were they to rally around the
standard Of their party. The widest
enthusiasm existed, and the meeting
was a grand success. On Saturday,
tho ,28th Of the same months meeting
was held at the Wisner school-house,
in the town of Monroe, which was
filed to its utmost capacity. The can
vasscrs were joined by Mr.. III. G.. C.
Astwood, who was selected as its first
speaker, followed by Messrs. Hamlet.
Gorham, Hardy Dinkgrave and
Brewster. The eolored people were
rejoiccd and their hearts gladdcned,
but dark cloud of discouragement
fell like pail, caused by the daring
and threats Of the lawless element Of
the democracy. From hence it be-
came evident that any attempt at
holding republican meeting with
out protection would result in blood
shed, to avert which the commanding
officer of the United States troops at
Monroe would either attend in per-
son or send an officer at such meet
ings as were distant from the town Of
Monroe and unprotected. The wis
dom of the action Of the commanding
officer in this particular was fully
demonstrated by the threatening and
warlike attitude of the bulldozers.
who made it point invariably TO at
tend every meeting, marching in mil
itary style, under commanders and
with all the apparent style of an ag-
gressiye military body. The colorcd
people who had been forced to join
democratic clubs, finding they were
being protected, at once refused fur
ther to attend democratic meetings.
saving in localities where no protec-
ton was held out to them. The most
strenuous efforts were now resorted
to by the democracy, determined to
carry the parish at all hazards. Their
buildo2ing party now showed re-
newed activity under the auspices of
some of the leading citizens of this
parish, who did not scruple to Join
with the most disrepntabie and pro-
fligate. These men were well Or
ganized into rifle clubs, determined if,
necessary TO carry the election at
whatever cost of republican lives.
Our next meeting was held at Cuba,
Oct. 3lst, under the protection of the
United States troops The colored
people, Notwithstanding the threats
that had been made. left the cotton
fields and assembled in large num-
bers on the ground, where not less
than 500 persons had gathered. Messrs.
Hardy, Astwood, Gorham, Hamlet,
Dinkgrave and Brewster, addressed
the meeting. Mr.. Hardy was called
damned liar, and but Cor the pres
ence Of Lieutenant McCauley yio-
lencc to the speakers would probably
have resulted. NJ eq
The meeting was enthusiastic. with
continued cheers for Haves and
Wheeler, Packard and Antoine and
the republican party. The colored
voters unanimously protested openly
before ,heir tyrannizers that they had
joined the democratic party to save
their lives, and passed a resolution
repudiating the democratic party,ana
declaring that if protected in thcir.
lives, they would vote the republican
ticket, which was their choice.
The meeting adjourned to meet at
the Grady schoolh0use, on Thursday,
the 2nd of Nov. ~ t@@,s 8lt, .si,
Before we reached the place of
meeting crowds of men and women
along the road cheered us, and stated
that they would be glad to attend the
meeting, they had republicanism at
heart, but for their lives they dare
not come, as they had been threat.
ened if they attempted to go. The So
called bulldozers, about 10 in number,
rode on in front Of us, yelling and de.
flying the people to attend our meet
ing. They, the day before, had held
alarge barbecue, whore whisky was
administered proftisely, and the col
ored people in this section were COM
PEELED to pledge themselves to vote
the democraticticket Notwithstand-
ing this display of hostility, not less
than 500 persons were in attendance
at our meeting, and listened atten-
lively to Messrs., Astw ood. Gorham,
Hamlet, Dinkgraye and Brewster.
The bnfidozcrs now became cara q ed,
knowing that we would hold another
meeting the following day and under
existing circumstances we would car
ry tha parish by atieast l,200 majori-
ty. 4 They having lost control or the
cOlored people, were resolved ii pos
sible to prevent tho meeting. The
next day again under the protection
of United States troops, we met at
st. James Chapel. On our way thither
we encountered 100 or more armed
democrats, who rode before ns in d
hostile manner as,0n the preceding
day. On reaching, the chapel. Mr..
Astwood being designated as the FIRST
speaker, OH taking the stand was sur
rounded by these armed men, and had
not proceeded far before he was as.
sailed with the epithet, sYou are a
Cd d-n LIAR. by several Of the
crowd, who Instantly. attempted to
I-~- =