New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-10-25
O0HOERHIH0 REGISTRATION Frauds
POLLING PLACES AID CoKrIs-
N0NERS OF ELECTION, fs-
Cool Democratic Requests-Liberal
Republican Cencessions-A
Gentle Reminder Of
1879.
Governor keilsgs,s SsEgest'ens II the
Iateress of Peace and
Fair Rleesloa. p.s -l4.

conduct Of the coming sleetiea: 400 xtT
REGIsTRA7loN FRAUDS, WHITE AND BLACK
STATE py LousIANA. ,
Executive Depar1 m0nt,
New Orleans, OotoSeY 49, 1876.
Hon. 4. A. Burke. O. a'rman of Registratiou snl
Election Co"%i. mite. tee Of tbs De'Aoer.tic aud
SIR-Your Communication of date Octo.
ber II, submitting the name Of clerk to
be appointed by me in each registration
Office throughout the State, and assigned to
the duty of making entries ON the books,
has been referred to the Hon. Michael
Hahn, State Registrar Of Voters. for his re.
port and recommendations. incl0se here
with copy of his reply. 9.tr
You viii note from his communication
that in some forty psrishes of the state the
Democratic party have already one or more
clerks in the registration Offices, and In
some parishes they have tho supervisor and
one or both clerks. There 10 Ale0. in &ddi.
tion, in every parish Of the State and every
ward of the city Of New Orleaps, United
States supervisor, appointed on the recon-.
mendation Of the Democrats party. I am
assured BY the State Registrar shAt OK.
plicit instfuetsons have been given % Ill
tho State ef1cers Of election 70 afford these
tho discharge Of their duties. Assuming
that your object 10 to secure . fair oppef-
tunity to scrutinise tho registration, it
seems to me that the interests OF the party
you represent have been fully guarded in
this manner
Very few authentieated complaints Of IN.
fairness or Injustice in registration have
been made either to the State Registrar OF
myself. Vague and sweeping charges Of
have been preferred, mainly through the
press. Wherever any specific accusation
has been made, accompanied by prO0fs, in
vestigstion and redress have promptly fol.
lowed.
The law provides that there shall be, q
supervisor Of registration II each perish Of
the State and m assistant supervisor in
sach ward OF the parish Of Orleape, who
shall be appointed BY the Governor, and
shall be entitled to two clerks. Power 10 given
the Governor to remove the snpervis ,rs
aud assistant supervisors for cause, but the
law is silent both ~ 10 the appointment
and removal Of tho clerks. Practically the
clerks have been appointed BY the Cover
ner, and generally with tho assent of the
supervisors, to whom they are directly
amenable. There 10 nothing in the Law 70
prohibit the supervisors having additional
clerical force. The only. question is one Of
oompensaaion. 1aasmuoh - you have sent
oVeOsAAoAA
state are competent, and who will serve
without compensation, will commission,
in due form, . clerk designated by
Won in each ward Of the city Of
Now Orleans which has not already
clerk of your party. The State Registrar
informs me he will recognize and will In
struct the assistant supervisors to recognize
the clerks. placing them on the same foot
ing and giving them the came facilities -
- nthAH Nln~ka ThASp AnkS Ssm1 tfN AhA
special duty of making entries On the books
is matter which lies entirely With tho as-
sistsnt supervisor, under the direction of
the State Registrar. With regard to the few
parishes in the State wheee your party is
NOT now rspFsseuted By . clerk, the time b
too short % allow Of practical effect being
given. to your request. "A new coOmisei0n
could mot reach soUe Of tho parties before
the Close Of registrat3oa.
parish Of Oeleeao reported to Acting Gov.
ernor Antoine duI1Dg my sboeDoe from the
State have groWn m msGnitado until the
registration books record the names Of over
$4,000 colored voters. You do mot mention
that the reGistEation books also show
reeistered Whito vote amounting b nearly
$4,000, or within 8 few thousands Of the Cd.
tire vote cast by cities largely exceeding
New Orleans in aggregate population.
tO1OA t00E0 OD0 " NJ OVVVt tU0O - V0Ty
large proportion OF this white vote has been
ffaudulently registered. BY the last census
there were shown to be moro than 5000
adult male resldents Of this city, all white
men who were unnaturalized aliens. It is
IN admitted fact that many of tho white
citizens Of New Orleans do not vote and do
not register. 1t 10 also . fact that the oOlOred
man 90 rule do register and do vote. l
have NOT found on fie in tho executive Of
fee any specific report Of frauds such .. you
transmitting to tho Acting Gov
ernor. There has doubtless been frandu-
lent registration on both sides, and it 10 to
be hoped no { fort will b spared to purge
the registration books by striking off all
names fraudulently Registered, whether
they be white OF colored men.
The further statemeat In your letter that
hundreds of cases have been presented to
your committee of persons legally register.
cd in 1874, whose nsmes have been illegally
stricken from tho registration books Il
to be . grave and angular error. No names
have been erased except those OF persons
reported buried In tho different cemeteries,
and those who have changed their resi-
deuces and reregistered. / believe there will
be NO names stricken of except upon con-
elusive evidence. Tho law 70 specific 70
garding tho amount of proof rquisite.
and the officers Of registration will be held
to . strict accountability for tho faithful
discharge of their duties. II, upon con-
elusive proof Of fraud, and within the
strict bounds Of law there should be . mum.
ber of fraudulently registered nameo, white
- we'll - colore6, stricken from the poll
lists, do not think this ueed excite In tho
mind of any good citizen Of either party
those "apprehensi0ns Of the gravest charac'
ter" to which you Allude.
Very respectfully, your obedisnt esrvant,
WA. p. KELLOGG.
STATE OF L0UmlAHA,)
once State Registrar Of veters. I
New Orleans, Octobor 81. I'M
Bis Exeellency william p. Kellogg, 0svsrnor Of
SIR-Your esteemed favor Of tho eight
eenth Instant (inclosing Q communication
from NJ. e. A. Burke, chairman Of the COM
mittee on registration and election Of the
Democratic party is before me, and con-
tents duly noted.
Tho communlcation Of Mr.. Burke, referred
to and dated October IL, first requests the
appointment of clerk Of registration rec
ommended BY himself, In each parish of tho
State and each ward Of Orleans, and their
asoigument 70 the duty Of making the on
tries in the registration books Of their sev.
eral parishes and wards.
Secoudly-States that the Democratic
party have hitherto applied In vain for rep
In the registration Offices Of tho
State. a-H ZOO seq
Thirdly-That reports have been received
from v:siovs pox2shes, charging efforts
upon the poxt Of Oupefvisoes Of reGlstfa-