The daily gazette., 1876-11-18
Fro"@ the Bait. Sun. .asl.s,-aas.
How They Fix Things in
Louisiana, ~

How They Fix Things In
Louisiana.
Under the registration and election
laws of Louisiana the Governor appoints
a supervisor of registration for each par
ish, and the supervisor appoints the
judges of election. The decision of any
supervisor on allquestions relating to the
registration of votes is final, and is not
subject to revision or correction by any
court. The congressional committees Of
Investigation in 1872 and 1874 took testi.
mony in regard to the elections of those
years, and the machinery by which those
elections were controlled. The testimony
of George W. Carter, Speaker of the
Louisiana House Of Delegates, in respect
to the power of the Governor, is given in
the House committees report. 1t is as
follows:
"He (the Governor controls all the
election machinery, the police, the con-
stabulary, and the militia. He controls
all the forces necessary to carry out his
purposes, and through the printing law
he can control public opinion, so far as
public opinion is affected by the newspa-
pers. Taking the election laws as code
of laws, think you will say they are
marvellous"
S. b. Packard, the present republican
candidate for Governor, was asked wheth-
er under the Governor'sIpowers che could
not declare any person he chooses elected?"
Packard replied, sit amounts to nearly
that
George L. Bovee, republican secretary
of State, explained how the ballots of the
parish of Ascension were manipulated,
and when asked if fthers were many fraud
perpetrated by the returning board said:
| 81 have not the least doubt of it. l
think there was regular system of fraud
entered into with view to electing GER
tain men,"
Judge Dibble testified.
Ibelieve tho present registration laws
are infamous in many respects. They al
low the most outrageous frauds to be per-
petrated."
j. d. Moncure testified:
"The registrar is appointed by the Gov
ernor, and is removable at his pleasure
The registrar appoints. The places
of election. He appoints all
the commissioners Gudges) Of
election. He can throw out any box he
pleases by simply marking on it. 'There
was riot at this box He is not bound to
lgive any reason for this act. All he is
required to do is simimply to max men
orandum, riot or disturbance and the
Governor and. the returning board ma!
throw out the box if they see fit. Ther'
is no appeal from their decision"
The Warmoth returning board-War
moth being. then at issue with the Kel
logg- -Casey-F ackard clique-with all the
returns from the parishes before it, de
clared McEnery, democrat, duly elected
Governor, and reported majority of den
ocrats elected to the Legislature. But the
kellogg faction determined that MAORI
ty of republicans should be declared ele'
ted to the Legislature, and set up bogus
returning board, which, without any re
turns before it, gave the republicans &
majority of seats. The next thing dont
was to get an order at midnight from
Judge Durrell, the United States Distric
Court, directing United States Marsha
Packard to take possession of the State
. house and prevent the democratic mem
bers of the Legislature from assembling
To support this infamous order Attorne.
General Williams telegraphed to Pack
ard from Washington.
"You are to enforce the DEGREES an,
; mandates of the United States courts, nj
; matter by whom resisted, and Genera
. Emory will furnish you with all neces
2 sary troops for that purpose"
al Three days latter James F. Casey, col
lector of customs, wrote to his brother-il
= law, President Grant:
81 "The decree (Durell's) if enforced vii
: saoe the republican majority and give t
Louisiana republican Legislature an
State government"
II Wdo ciloiCcu, hiiu thC iOPuuiiNts
n committee of the United States Senat
/. subsequently said of it:
b "viewed in any light in which you
a committee can consider them, the order
y and injunctions made and granted b
% Judge Durell are most reprehensible; e.
roneous in point of law, and wholly vol
for want of jurisdiction"
The result was that Pinchback, ;
President of the Senate, was made Cove
nor pending the installation of Kellogg.
In the election of 1874 the majority
the democratic candidates for the Legi
lature were again successful, but the r
turning board counted out a suficie,
number of them to reverse the position
paIties. When the democrats proceedt
tn take their seats kellogg made reuu