The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-11-15
rus pvilDoyrp PARISHES

TnE BuLIDO2ED PARISHES
There are five parishes In Louisiana,
in which, the Republicans clam, the
negro Republicans were "bulldozed.'
which is an expression signifying "in.
timidatcd." la these parishes. the Re-
publicans assert. that large number Of
voters were registered; that two-thirds
of those registered were Republicans /;
that one-third were Democrats; that the
Democrats bulldozed the Republicans
aud kept them from the polls. and that,
consequently. the Democrats obtained =
majority of several thousand votes in
these parishes, and in this way have car
ricd the state for Tilden. In view of
these facts. the Republicans demand that
one OF two things shall be done H. the
Radical returning board OF the state
that
!. The vote Of these psrishe, shall be
thrown out; or that
,. The votes cast shall be counted.
and the votes OF the Republicans that
were not cast shall be also counted.
III, the Republicans say, ''thcsc parishes
are thrown out, we shall carry the state ;
and we shall also carry the state if the
board of oanvasscrs count the votes OF the
Republicans who were "bulldoZed."
Upon these two thin threads tie hopes
of GOV. Hayes hang at this time.
And now the question arises. should
either OF the things proposed to he done
by the Republicansiu Louisiana BE done I:
The Republicans say: "Two-thirds of
all the men registered ~ voters in the
five parishes were Republicans" We viii
admit this for the instant. Now go on.
The Republicans, going on. add "Thc
Democrats prevented the Republicans
from voting in these parishes" We re-
ply; This may be true, but the proba-
bilities are that it i nos" and 10 enforce
this assertion let rs both look
at the facts for moment or two. Let
Us take the parish of Ouacnlta. The
Democratic vote in this parish was 600.
The Republicans, if they had two-thrds
OF all the registered voters in the parish.
had. on the day OF election. 1000 voters
in the parish. They had United States
supervisor at the polls. and troops To back
the 1000 registered men in any attempt
they might have made to vote. Never
thcless, not one of them voted They
were intimidated the Republican, assert.
j. this possible: How could ] 200 Dem
ocrais in Alexander county so intimidate
1000 Republicans. backed by United
States supervisors and trool,s, that not
one OF them would offer to vote, Surely
there is nothing in the cutlery OF the Re-
publicans about Ouachita parish and the
facts about this parish apply with equal
force 10 each of the other four so-called
bulldozed parishes OF Louisiana.
But. let us admit that the Republicans
of the five parishes referred to were bull.
dozed and did not therefore even offer to
vote at the presidential election. In this
fact can be found no excuse for throwing
out the ballots that were actually cast.
The votes cast were. all admit. legal
votes. They must stand. Therefore,
the only way in which those votes can
be overcome is 20 assume that certain
Republicans in the five parishes, in mum.
Der greater than the Democratic major
ity In the whole state, did not vote that
this number of votes must be conse-
quently counted on the Republican side
and the state in this way carried for Gov.
Hayes. DO the Republicans wish 10
elect their candidate tor the presidency
in this way: We hope they will not at
tempt to do so. II would be a danger.
Gus experimental most pernicious pre-.
cedent il successful. There is no
precedent know to any election law
says the Chicago Tribune, Republican
paper, where the votes OF persons not
voting, and not Offering to vote, can be
counted, no matter how strong may be
the presumption that it such votes had
been polled they would have changed
the result
In no other way than by either throw
ing out live parishes OF Louisiana, or by
counting the votes of men who did not
vote as votes Tor the Republican ticket,
can Gov. Hayes be elected president.
To elect him in this way would tain, the
result with the suspicion OF fraud, and
this President Grant trulhfully declares
the country cannot afford.