New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-04
REGISTRATION AFFDAVITS
The Great Bugaboo Temporarily Dis
cussed at Home-Furiously
Illuminated Abroad.
Chairman Hewetts Advice to Chairman
Patton-Keep Your Shirt On.
INTERyIEWSAT THE SAFE HOUSE

Yesterday Colonel Bush, Senator H. N.
Ogden and Judge Albert VOORHEES,. men,
bers of the Democratic State Central Com
mittee, waited upon Governor Hahn. State
Registrar of Voters, and Governor T. llogg,
with reference to the alleged Wholesale
erasure OF names from the registration
ists. The interviews were characterized
by marked courtesy and moderation Of
tone, differing widely in this respect from
the kilograms dispatched North by Chair
man Patton and the inflamstory state
ments Of portion Of the local press.
The position assumed by the Democratic
spokeamen appeared to be, in brief: First-
That the duty of striking from the poll
lists the names Of all parties who had been
fr.udulently registered in tho city of New
Orleans, was vested by law absolutely
and exclusively in the State Registrar
himself, and could not be delegated
by him TO any ono else. not even
to his assistant supervisors; that he,
individually, must pass upon every case. on
it's merite, just . judge Of court would
do, 6eoondly-Thst fraudulent regsstra-
ton in 1874 was not good ground for stEik-
ing name OF tho poll list in 1876.
Z Some minor points were urged, but tho
main contention was that the strict letter
of tho law required the chief Registrar alone
to pass upon all cases Of fraudulent regis
tration, and consequently, that the assist
ant supervisors were not authorized to
make erasures lexcept in cases of persons
reported interred). even under the direc-
tioh of the State Registrar himself.
Governor Kellogg stated that the registra-
ton officers this year were only following
out the plan which had been pursued nm.
questioned at every previous election since
1868, and which Major Burke and the Demo
cratic party had themselves fallen in with.
State Registrar Hahn and also Governor
Kellogg pointed out the utter impractica'
bility of one officer passing upon thousands
of cases of fraudulent registration.
The committee replied that they were
there to discuss the law, not to consider it's
inconveniences.
In the course Of the discussion which fol-
lowed, Governor kellogg ttld some plain
truths. He said no reasonable man could
believe the city Of New Orleans. with
population of 200 600, could properly have,
on any fair registration. 56 600 voters, one
third more than were polled by St. Louis
and Chicago, cities of twice its size. He
was prepared to admit, judging from ap'
pearances, that there were 5000 or 60O0
colored men fraud ulently registered, but he
was equally sure there WAS . still greater
fraudulent registration of whites, and he
believed in the great majority of caees
where warrants for fraudulent registration
had been taken out, the persons accused
would be found to be men of straw, having
no existence outside the registration books.
He wanted all these fraudulent votes
stricken of, white ~ we'll - black. He
wanted Q fair registration and fair cleo
ton.
Mr.. Ogden brought forward some rather
striking instances where sffidsvits had been
made against persons who were the reverse
Of men Of straw. For ins ance, he himself
having recently changed his residence, but
rant for fraudulent registration. because he
did not happen to live now in the same
house he lived in when he registered in 1874.
The change of residence was duly noted on
his registration paper.
Another member Of the committee,
Colonel Bush, his son and his nephew
in like manner had all been arrested for
false registration.
Mr.. Ogden said he knew of hundreds of
similar cases.
The Governor replied that these were
wrongs which, undou btedly, o0nld be and
should be promptly remedied. There was
one plan he would suggest, of getting to
the bottom of these frauds, and that was
by rigid house to house investigation, but
at this late hour this would be matter Of
great difficulty and expense.
The committee said they were prepared
to render every assistance in order to have
such . canvass.
Governor Kellogg remarked incidentally
that it was understood that Mr. Burke, on
behalf Of the Democrats, had almost as
many afidxvits ready to file against Rspub-
licsns az the Republicans had filed against
the Democrats.
State Registrar Hahn intimsted his pur
pose to lay the legal points raised BY the
committee before the Attorney Goners'
and the United States district attorney,
for their advice and opinion.
II was understood that the representa-
fves of the Democratic committee would
have another interview with the State
Registrar when these opinions had been OBJ
tanned.
Our Northern exchanges of the thirty :
first nltimo publish the following telegrams:
New ORLEANS, La. October 80. 1876.
ro Hon A. g. Hewitt, Caairru An. New York:
Ten thousand Democratic cit,zens are be-
inc arrested here. We would not mind it
II we couh get the cases exsmined, but the
danutv mArshals hold tho werrauts in
th4ir nockets The United States commits
sioner won't try the Gases, though tho par
t,ss are present and anxious to be tried,
withou, the deputy msrsbaps return on the
warrants. On the day before the election
the warrants will be returned mot found" 7"
and ali the names will be erased from the
registry lists. These arrests are not made
on the charge of fraudulent registration Tor
1876. but x1idsvits are indscrlninately
made painst Ill white persons who have
changed their residence since 1874, and