Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-12-16
LOUISIANA
Her Degradation and shame:
Has she a Republican form OF Gov
ernment!

have recently been committed in Louis
y ana, South Carolina and Florida. not OIL
ly against justice, but against liberty
- 1t was not such a heritage as this tn,
Washington, and jefferson, and Henri
b and Adams, desired to bequeath to ger
erations of Americans to come afte
them. Fools may laugh while a prou
edi6ce is. stone by stone, being dis
o mantled. and Neros may fiddle Will
flames are consuming a mighty city. bu
thoughtful men, who calculate the COS
in Drawn and muscle that has been OK
pended upon them, will grisve at tn
sad havoc made by ravagers and des
poilers. Measured by the number O
voters who have been ruthlessly disfran
chised by the infamous returning boart
system, the wrong has been greatest IL
!, Louisiana To fully comprehend tn,
nature of what has been done there, anc
: the character of the men. who have beer
l instrumental in carrying out, step by
l step. plans necessary tokeep themselvei
In power. it is necessary to take = retro.
spective glance at the politics of tina,
state. From the time that the recon.
struction policy of the republican party
was fully matured dates its shame. de-
graduation and subsection to as vile =
brood OF p%lunderers as ever cursed aciv-
ilised community. In 1868 Gov. War
mouth was elected a. its first republican
governor; a system of laws was adopted
which gave the governor complete con-
troll of the election machinery of the
state. All voters were require d to regis
ter their names in their several parishes.
The supervisors OF registration were ap-
pointed by the governor, and removed
ut his pleasure. The decision OF = su-
psrvisor on all questions of registration
was final. and not subject to revision or
correction by any court. Special pro-
visions in the election law prohibited
any court from interfering with the reg
i~strars. on penalty of fine and imprison-
ment. Three commissioners, or judges
OF election. were appointed to every
polling place in each parish, by the su-
pervisor. They made their returns to
the supervisor, and delivered to him the
ballot boxes, and tally lists, he in turn
transmitting them to the governor, who
delivered them to the returning board,
which canvassed the vote, and was en-
powered to throw out any parish or pre-
cinct. at which it was reported that there
had been intimidation or violence. There
was no trouble about keeping the super
yisors loyal to their master. as they were
absolutely his creatures-their tenor of
Office being at has pleasure. That the
commissioners should also be true to
the hand that guided the machine. they
were allowed five dollars per day for
their services, and their accounts had 10
be approved by the supervisor and gov
ernor before they could be paid. The
legislature that sat under Gov. War
mouth was composed OF northern white
adventurers, and blacks, who, though
more ignorant, were more honest. Bril-
berry was practiced openly and shame
lessly. The expenses of the general
assembly, which in 1861 were S175, 900,
amounted in 1871 to the enormus sum
of $500, 0OO. All sorts Of railroad,
canal and levee schemes were passed, !
immense sums being paid members for
their votes, and the taxes became in
supportable. In 1870 Gov. Warmouth's
ambition for a second term caused q
quarrel between the governor on the
one side, and Lieut-Gov. Dunn and S, |.
B. Packard or the other. 1t wal through
this disagreement that the rascalities
that had been practised, became public. |.
when rOgues fall on honest men get
their DUES" is an old adage, and it
would have been verified in this case
had it not been for the Intervention of
bayonets under direction of Gen.
Grant. The Yarmouth ca~rpet-baggers !.
and tbs custom-house carpet-baggers T.
each other with as much or more
venom than they had fought democrats. ,
md the first time troops were used in :,
New Orleans, was to enable Marshal
Packard to capture a republican conven- :,
lion. From this time until the present, :.
he custom-houae faction of the republic ::
,an party has always been furnished with
United States bayonets whenever it
needed them to accomplish = purpose. :
1872 John McEnery, democrat, wal -
elected governor of the state in spite Of :
he Infamous registration laws, to which =
We have alluded above, On what was :
;alled a fusion ticket, which grew out y
II the hostility of the Yarmouth faction =
# carpet-baggers TO Casey, Packard >
md Kellogg; but by the use of the army =
md an outrageous order from a drunken
ederal judge, issued off the bench, the y
eturning board was enabled to count ?,
dr. McEnery out, and to install VIM. P. =,
as governor. In speaking Of the !:
rider OF Judge Dursll. the committee ON
and elections of the United !"
itates senate, after an impartial inves- y
of all the facts and circum- "
thus concluded their report.
And your committee cannot refrain from ex-
rcssing their astonishment that any Judge Of
lie United States should thus unwarrsntsbly M
ave interfered with q state government, and hi
Ssess $40 language too strong to espress their -,
on~deHanaftoss aT such q procseoing. 1t il
lie opinion Of your that, but for the
rjustidabls Interference or JndgeQurell, sphose -
d'rs scere executed by lbs United States p
'OoPs. the canvass made by the De Ferret board v,
al promulgated by tine governor. declaring Al
[cEi.ssy 10 have been elected governor, aud al
, declaring wig hsd been elect,d to the leSisls- =
ire, would have been acaIiesfea in by the peo- th
lie. and that government would have sntere III
uietly upon the exercise of the sovereign pow Or ~
& the state. But the proceeding. OF Judge "
>me!i, and the support given TO him by tie
nited States troops. resulted in ests b!ishipg the :,
de fdoto Of Kellogg and his associates Tn
state offices, apd Of the persons declared by I'll
lie Lynch board to be elected to the Legislature. p,
70 haue already seen that the proceedings of =
sat board cannot be sustained. .vishout dis- 81
e0ardtnO all the principles Of latv sppica. to
10 to the subject, aud ignoring the dissinc. RI
on betsssen good faith and fraud.
Here is the highest testimony that ''
70 can offer. 1t is from q republican Nc
omnittaa of tho h;phoct 1or;.l,:--