The Portland daily press., 1876-12-20

contempt. Court also heard argument ia the
case of the Tilden electors against the Hayes
electors, but without taking any action ad-
j0urned.
LOUISIANA.
The House Committee-Mors Alleged I'm.
Elimination of COlored Democrats.
New ORLEANS, Dec. 19-Before the House
committee ex Gov. r. G. Wickliffe was re-
called and crOsS-examined by Gen. Hurlburt.
In answer to questions witness said: The or.
ganization of Regulators was gotten up when
/ was in Kentucky; when came back found
it in existence; don't know anything about the
constitution or mode of procedure of the Or
ganizatlon; had conversations with Col Pow
ers who was in command of it; don't know
who succeeded him in command of the organ
ization; don't know if it existed when the
campaign was opened; have no knowledge OF
armed bodies of men moving about over the
parishes at night; think the change in the vote
of West Feliciana parish was due to the inter
est taken by the whites and the arguments
used by them promising just and economical
administration and proper application of the
school fund in the event of Democratic sue
cess; know Of no threats of discharge or any,
thing OF that sort being used by any one; re-
ceived circulars from Col Patton, chairman of
the Democratic state committee in which
he said, You cannot convince negro by rea-
son, but may by statements often repeated wit
ness did not agree with the views of Col. Pat.
by the arguments he employed; no other means
were used to influence them to vote the Demo-
cratic ticket.
Jerry Hall (colored) testified that colore
preachers said that no Democratic coored ma u
should be recognized by his brethren Bap-
tist said he would not marry nor baptize a col.
ored Democrat and that the voting of the
Democratic ticket would justify wife in OBJ.
tanning divorce.
Gen. Thomas g. Anderson was before the
L.
producing the documen ts called for, but the
committee declined to receive them.
The Republican members of the House COM
mittee are elated over the result of the exam
ination of Gen. Anderson of the returning
board and the refusal to allow him to give his
reasons for declining to furnish the Official pa
pers ordered by the committee. 1t is regarded
as doubtful whether the returning board will
furnish tomorrow the original copy of the
tabulated statement of the board for Presi-
dental electors, and should they not do so the
question of contempt will come up squarely,
though it is believed the committee will awai
the action of the House on the subject before
taking any steps towards arresting the members
of the board for contempt
I he Senate Committee as work-Ou.line
ofthe Republican Claim.
The Senate committee was called to order at
2.30 p. m. by Senator Howe, chairman, who
stated that the committee was not yet provided
with the desired tables of returns. He said the
statement given the clerks of the Senate com
mittee by the secretary of the returning board
was defective in several particulars. 1t did
not indicate the votes thrown out in detail but
simply gave the2aggregate number, whereas it
was desired to obtain the vote rejected at each
poll
Mr.. Morey of the Republican counsel, state
that it would be well to take testimony of the
witness Eaton Logwood, who he said, was
about to die of wounds received in Oaachita
narISh and was now in the citv
Mr.. McGloin of the Democratic counsel,
urged that in cases where it was alleged
that witnesses could not appear before the
committee on account of sickness a doctor s
certificate to that effect be filed with the co M
mttee.
After some discussion as to the best way of
taking the testimony of Logwood it was deter
mined it should be taken before commission
er at his residence. The evidence elected was
materially the same as given by Logwood be-.
fore the returning board Nov. 28th. and in
cluded in Senator Sherman's report to the
President.
The clerk was instructed to procure the re-
quired tables from the board and the commit
tee adjourned until tomorrow morning.
The following is the line of evidence submit
ted to the Senate committee by the counsel on
behalf of the Republicans:
I'VE charge as true and propose to prove on
behalf the Republicans, the following facts'':
First That the late election in this state was,
dt CCItdiu pUllS duo III CcTbdlu pTeCIDCCS ana
parishes made nul'and void in law by violence
and intimidation; this occasioned by and COR
sistiDg of secret conspiracies, leagues armed
bands of brigands known as bull dozers, who
have inflicted upon white and black Republi.
cans whippings, shootings, uargings, burnings
mutilations and in some instances have perpet-
rated murder and massacre; that by these
measures condition of terror has been pro-
duced among the Republicans in the central
sections of the state which continued for a
period of more than twelve months prior to the
state election.
Second, that the election law of the state was
created to meet a similar condition of affairs
that had occurred in 1868; that the law declares
an election held under such conditions to be
null and void, and votes pretended to be cast
under the insecurity, danger, fear and terror
thus occasoned to be null and void. That law
vests the returning officers of the state with
power to inquire into and examine the facts
where such a condition of affairs is charged,
and to ascertain the truth of such charges, and
if proven to declare the nullity of such election
and carry into effect such nullity by rejecting
and refusing to count the prevented votes SO
made null and void, and that the election law is
righteous, just and necessary.
Third, that the returning officers did SO ex-
anime and inquire according to law. and did
find in certain parishes and polls the election
abuses above recited and the returning officers
as commanded by law, did declare this nullity
and did reject and refuse to count the pretend
ed votes thus made null in the localities thus
terrorzed by brigands and bull-dozers.
Fourth, that at the recent election from 12,-
900 to IL, 900 Republican voters who were desir-
Gus of voting. and who made earnest and dill
gent efforts to vote the Republican ticket were
put in fear of their lives and terrified by the
systematic outrages SO that they were driven
from the polls and prevented from voting; that
from 5000 to 5000 Republican voters were by
the same means forced against their will and
through fear to vote the Democratic ticket
Fifth, that in said election the right of from
49, 900 to 20, 900 coored persons to vote was by
these means denied and abridged.
Sixth, that the extent of this denial and
abridgment as to territory, was as follows, in
whole or in part of the following parishes, to
wit, East Baton Rogue, East Felicana, West
Felioiana, Ouachita. Morehouse, Richiand,
Grant, franklin, Sabine, Caldwell, Lafayette,
that the extent of this denial and abrdgment
as to the number of voters is as follows; In the
foregoing parishes no less than from 10000 to
10000 voters were prevented from voting as
they wished or forced to vote contrary to their
wishes at said election.
Seventh, that this denial and abridgment
was effected by means of a conspiracy to. and
for that end; that this conspiracy had for its
express purpose the violent suppression of
number OF Republican votes large enough to
enable the consplrators to carry the state for
the Democrats, and that this conspiracy was
carried out by means of armed bands of men
known as bul-dozers and by night ridings,
whippngs, shootings, hangings,
burning, mutilations, assassinations murders
and massacres committed by them.
Eighth, that the conspiracy aforesaid and
various acts of violence, lawlessness and out
rage done in pursuance and furtherance there
of we've committed by the white men and Dem
ocrats.
Ninth, that the method and purpose thereof
was to violently and through fear and terror
suppress, drive away and prevent from voting
or coerce to VI te the Democratic ticket such
number of Republican votes as would secure
an annarent Damncratic maioIitv in the state.