The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1876-11-11
THE ELECTION IN ASCENSION.
Peace and Quiet Prevail---The Repub-
lican Ticket Elected by $50 Majority.

IhIS PARISH on ut%udf. AT ali OF CHe
twelve polls the balloting proceeded
quietly, and although there was brisk
electioneering, it was conducted with
out display of bad blood worth men
tioning on either side. Our Demo
cratic citizens were out in full force.
and worked untiringly for their party
ticket. We saw at and near the polls
planters, merchants and overseers
who have not heretofore taken active
interest in elections. all bent upon
obtaining votes for the Democratic
candidates, and they exhausted their
powers of persuasion upon colored
men in the endeavor to secure their
suffrages for the nominees OF the De
mocracy. Severa! instances have been
reported to us in which Legitimate
means were employed TO encompass
this end. 1t is alleged that occasional
threats of discharge from employment
were used, and an ingenious system
of bribery practiced at the polls.
These We're exceptional cases, how
ever, and we only refer to them TO
show what an earnest and united pur-
pose actuated the opposition, and
what the Republicans had to contend
against. Considering the cilcum-
stances. it is scarcely to be wondered
at that the Republican majority of
1874 has been decreased by some $50
votes, or that the vote falls over 700
short of the registration. Colored
men working on plantations, who
were not willing to vote the Demo-
cratic ticket, remained at home rather
than encounter the Influences brought
to bear by their employ ers at the
polls others had mislaid their regis
tratlon papers and IL number were
found who had not registered since
1872. But the fall, e off was not al
together among colored voters. The
vote of the seventh and eighth wards
demonstrates that there were many
white citizens also who did not exer-
else the privilege of casting their bal
lots. The vote for the Democratic
ticket however, is very nearly equal
to the white registration, and this is
due to fact that Il small proportion Of
colored voters were induced to east
Democratic ballots.
The first boxes to arrive at the Court
House were those from the fifth ward.
which were in shortly after midnight,
while the third and sixth wards and
box No. IL of the eighth ward, were
the last to put in an appearance, ar
irving Wednesday afternoon. On
Thursday the Supervisor completed
his consolidated statement of the re-
turns furnished by the commissioners,
and forwarded the same to the Re
turning Beard, in accordance with
law. We have prepared careful
copy of this statement, from which is
taken the figures elsewhere published
in to days CHIEF. By our statement,
which is complete and reliable, it will
be seen that the majority for the
Hayes and Wheeler Electors in AS
cension is SIC; Packard for Governor,
s43; Darrall for Congress, s44; Marks
for District Judge, 1882: Bentley for
Clerk of Court 81; Mahel for Parish
Judge, s65; Jones for Sheriff, $50;
Buford for Recorder, 905; Sullivan for
Coroner, PSI. Earhart for District At
torney had no opposition. The Re-
pnblicans elect their candidates for
Police Jurors, and the Justices and
COnstables of all the wards save the
seventh and eighth. All tile proposed
constitutional amendments are re-
jected, the vote against the third be-
ing nearly unanimous. By an over
sight the Commissioners at poll No.
made only partial return of the vote
on the amendments, and those of poll
No. 8 no return whatever. Proper re-
turns from these boxes would increase
the majoricies against the amend
ments about 200 votes.
Slight informalities occurred in the
of making the returns from
polls 6, 8, 8, 10, Ii and IL, but these
were not of a character to affect the
accuracy or fairness of the result.
Both parties acknowledge that the
election was fair, and there is no