Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-12-09

discharge OF thelr duties, cOulu nave peeh ahoru-
ed than enjoyed.
CAUSES WHICH LED TO THE ORGANIZATION OF
THE RETURNING BOARD.
| Having thus presented statement OF the means
accorded of Witnessing the canvass, it may be well
to state briefly the causes which led to the crea-
ton of such q board in louisiana and to call at
tention to the statute which devoves on it powers
and duties of great public importance. The white
| teople of that and other Southern States had by
their rebellion forfeited all right to representation
in Congress, or to any participation In the govern
ment of the Union, and had been compelled as q
condition of resuming their former political rights
to assent to the Constitutional amendments by
which, in hostility TO their will, those who had
been but late their slaves were made citizens
and, although it their duty to submit to this
political reorganization, the annals of the South
and especially of Louisiana, disclose widespread
and persistent determination of its ruling white
people to prevent the exercise of the elective
franchise by the colored race, except subject 10
their will. This was manifested by the violence
outrages and murders perpetrated in the State
Just preceding the Presidential election of 1868
They will be found stated in various Congresson-
oil reports.
A FEW OF THE OUTRlGEs COMMITTED IN 1868
From these 1t appears that over 1000 persons
were killed and wounded and otherwise injured
in that State within few weeks Of the Presiden-
tial election of that year; that half of the State
was overrun by violence, midnight raids, secret
constant terror until the republicans surrendered
all claims, aud then the election was carried by
| the democracy. The parish of Orleans, which
contained 30 ITO votes, 1920 Of which were col
ored, and which in the spring had given 1898
republican votes, in the fall cast for Gen. Grant
| but ll7S, falling off of l2,795 votes.
Riots prevailed for weeks, filling New Orleans
| with scenes of blood and Ku-Klux. Notices were
scattered throughout the city warning the coored
| men not to vote. In the parish of Caddo there
| llra gh p in he of
carried the parish, which in the fall gave to Cen
| cral Grant but one vote, and there also bloody
riots occurred. In the parish of st. Landry, the
| republicans had registered maj )rity of l07l
votes and in the spring of that year carried it by
| 67S votes, while in the fall not vote cast fol-
| General Grant, while for Seymour and Blair the
| Democrats cast the full vote of the parish, 47S7
| votes and there occurred one Of the bloodiest ri
| OTIS ON record, in which the Ku-Kux killed and
| wounded over 200 republicans hunting and chas
| ing them for two days and nights through the
| fields and swsmps. Thirteen captives were taken
| from the jail and shot, and pile of twenty-five
dead bodies were found buried in the woods
Having thus conquered the republicans, and killed
| and driven of their white leaders, the masses
| were captured by the Ku-Klux, marked with bad
ges of red flannel, enrolled in clubs, led to th'
| polls and compelled to vote the democratic ticket
| after which they were given certificates Of tina
| fact.
THE NATURAL POLITICAL PREFERENCES OF TIL
BLACKS.
| These are some of the outrages which mai et
| the pathway to the political supremacy of thos,
who, but few years before, had obtained thu
| mercy OF Q government under whose laws thu
| black republican and the white democrat wer
entitled to equal protection. 1t was but nstura
and just that the colored race should unite wit
and cling to the party to whose principles the
owed their freedom and protection; and thi
seems to have marked their political course from
the time they were given their electoral frsnchis,
| and their history in Louisiana has but illustrated
this whenever they have been left free to vote q
they pleased
Ii was evident that fair election could not b,
held in parishes containing any considerable ma
| jority of colored voters, and hence the act O
1870, acqussced in by both political parties, an.
amended in 1872, was passed, creating a Return
| ing Board, AUTHORIZED 20 sit in New Orleans, hav
| ing supreme authority to canvass the votes cas-
throughout the entire State, and authorized,
| convinced that riot, tumult, acts of violence, in
| timidation, armed disturbance, bribery or corrup
| influences had prevented voters from registering
or had materially changed the result of the cleo
ton, to exclude votes cast at such polls or voting
| places from the final count This law, with som,
| amendments not materially changing its nature
is that under which the present Returning Boart
Of Louisiana is now organized and sits.
INADEQUATE POWERS OF THE BOARD.
Tha. some such independent tribunal was nee
essary for the protection of the legal voter and q
| q check upon the violence and intimidation which
had before prevailed throughout the State, nj
one can deny. 1t will be seen when the itatut,
| organizing the Board and defining its duties l
examined how inadequate are its provisions to at
ford full relief against the wrongs it desiret
| to prevent. Thus the powers of the Board arr
limited to the rejection Of the votes polled for tn,
| causes stated, while 1t cannot in any case add Il
| the returns votes, which would have been polled
but for the intimidation, violence, &C. mentioned
The DISPUTED PARISHES.
To illustrate, the undersigned will refer to thu
| five parishes of East and West Felicana, East Ba
ton Rouge, Morehouse and Ouschita, which ap
| pear, as the evidence discoses to have been es
pecially selected for the preparation Of such VIC
! lence and intimidation as should be necessary Il
| prevent the republicans from casting any consid
| cradle vote in either. In each and all of these
there is large republican majority. 10 all o
| them the white voters registered for this veal
numbered 5l34 and the colored Is, 24i-a majority
| of SllO.
| If by intimidation and violence the democrats
could secure in each of these parishes a majority
an immense gain would thus be achieved, for il
the Board should upon the canvass reject the
votes of all, it would be powerless to administer
| that complete justice which would consist only ir
declaring for the republicans such a majority ID
| each parish as, but for intimidation and violence
| would have been cast for their candidates.
| The law, therefore, in this but provides a par
| tial add inadequate remedy for the grave wrongs
from which the coored people and white repubii-
cans of Louisiana have long suffered; and wher
| the proof taken by the Board is examined and
weighed it will be found, as we believe, that the
| returns by il excluded for the causes mentioned
are generally from polling places which, but for
intimidation, violence, outrage and murder, would
have given republican majorites there by greatly
increasing that declared by the Board.
In considering its powers and duties this i'm
portant feature of the law should be borne con-
stantly in mind for while that tribunal may, upon
proof, and in the exercise If judicial discretion,
reject votes for the causes mentioned, it cannot,
upon SO doing, return any not actually cast 1t
will therefore readily to any one that care
full selection of political managers of certain par
shes known to have large republican majorties.
for scenes of intimidation and violence, in the be.
lief that other parishes within the State would en-
able them to carry it for their party, even should
their msjorities in the parishes thus selected be
rejected, might we'll be = favorite method for
achieving success, and as we proceed it will be
apparent that such was the mode to carry Louisi-
ana for the democratic party, while from the very
nature of the mischief to be remedied the law
could but partially repair it.
The STATUTE UNDER WHICH THE BOARD ACTS
is so framed as to prohibit the rejection of the
votes cast, and aay poll voting places unless
certain solemn fol malities are first complied WITH
which must be supplemented by the Testimony of