Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-11-23
Prot. Sumner on l.ouisiann.


letter, which is SO plain that even those who
run may read
DEAR SIR-ln response 10 your request,
will state as briefly and clearly as possible the
impressions | received during my visit to New
Orleans.
The gentlemen who were requested By the
National Democratic Committee to 60 to Lou
isiaHa expressed at once to one another the de.
termination to certify to the Northern people
the truth with regard to the vote Of Louisiana
without party bias. Several CT them expressly
declared that they had not come to New Or.
leans TO get the State vote for Mr.. Tiideu, and
all atluieEced. The first effort was, therefore,
to ascertain the fact judging from the usage
Of Northern States this would not be difficult.
90 addressing the Srate Committee for iafor.
matiop il was at once found that that body
had been obliged to cootend with uuhcard OF
difficulties iu their efforts to obtain returns.
These difficulties were partly physical, due to
the lack Of means Of communication with re-
mctc parishes, but, Tor the most part, they
were due 20 artificial and malicious obs,ruc-
lions placed in their way. The election was
Of officials, appoiated by The Stale government,
which we, in the North. regard rs essential to
selfeo7crnmcnt. The ctfcr.s Of the press aud
the party committees to obtain information
were treated as impcrtiuent. 1t was further
more necessary, inaSmuch as the ruling party
did not publish returns Except as hereafter
stately, and did not therefore either deny or
acceda u the democratic reports, TO ioitiiy
these latter hy certificates IN mauuer totally
uuknowu il the North. The democratic com
mittee, warned BY the experience OF 1872 and
lS14, took, as II appears, energetic measures
10 secure trustworthy returns, duplicltes OF the
Icturus sert to tie Returning Boari
The suspicion OF the latter body implied IN
this c. urse of action is abundantly justified ty
lis history. have before me detailed state
nent by parishes OF the returns which were
received asa result Of the efforts Of the demo
cratic committee, with memoranda Of the au.
llori,y on which each parish return is based
Allowing for possible errors OF detail, this state
mcnt establishes a moral certainty hat Gov.
Tlden carried the State BY 900 majoTiy, ac
eording to the returns
met no person III Louisiana, ard | mixed
as freely as possible with persons ofaIl classes
and both parties, who denied or doubted that
this was the true result OF the election. | was
told that the republican newspapers had pub
sbed returns from thirty or forty parishes
coiuciing with those in The democratic state
ment, but had then desisted, declaring that the
returns were incorrect aud unsatisfactory. No
counter claim is made IN regard to the returns.
The only answer made Is that there have been
outrages and intimidation 10 five or six parish
es, and that the Returning Board will have to
correct the returns by tEioWiug cut the votes
of those parishes. The republican newspaper
of the lith instant went further, and declared
that it would be necessary 10 insert the votes
gbich would have been cast for the republican,
ticket If the intimidation had not taken place.
| met no person whatever who admitted any
other hypothesis than that the Returning
Board would bring out republican majority.
1t was not discussed; 1t was assumed, as of
course. The proposal then, IS that the lie.
turning Board shall destroy The votes OF a
large number Of pers1DS who really voted, aad
supply the votes OF a large number OF others
who did not vote, because they think tha; soniH
persons voted uuGcr coercion and Others re-
Trained uplcr Intimidation. Could anything
more arbitrarily destroy the whole theory OF
popular electoral government
For obvious reasons | could MT enter into
the question OF fact as to outragcs. l heard
abundant comilaiutS OF ouragcs, Nc, against
negroes who voted the democratic ticket ant
| talked with number Of persons who lad
such complaints to make. | a-o rcsoutcIy
pursued all possible irquirics Tith!G my reach
to try to find out the truth. la conversation
which number Of us held with Governor
Kellogg he was asked for facts under this
head. tlc cited the case OF Gald oDiy. Gaii
was killed by yrching, uhdcr circumstances OF
revolving injustice, 10 September, 1919.
Politics had nothing to do with it, mueb less
this election 1t is fair to say our interview
was cut short, and Mr.. Kellogg got no further
with his recital. Other charges OF outrage
pfnpn n nd II IL
certain. could not bring any OF them to dis
tiuct shane. All of them we're denied, and es.
pecialIy the broad aud general descriptions OF
systems OF intimidation were energetlcllly dc.
MED by men of unqueslonable character and
integrity.
| sec no guarantee against fraud except IN
the vigilance and interest Of the opposing par
ties, Such guarantees exist in Louisiana With
The vast prepondcrance OF the chances 10 iaVor
OF the party in power. which appoints oil the
officers of election, has the federal officers on
its side. aud controls the federal troops. Every
effort made by the democrats to prevent frauds
is tortured into proof or Intention to commit
fraud, and ruus through the North IN the
present temper Of the people, ilndlns reaay
credence.
do not wonder that the people CT louisiana
despair of Justice and tair treatment IRON US
when see the readiness with whlcn notiof"ple
meu accept a misconsructiou of all their CT
forts and the teDacity with which the same
men cling to party prcjudices. 1t Is shame ,,
to human nature and tiagrant VIOLATION OF all
the assumptions Of free government. IL on'y
proves with renewed force how wrong 1t ls lor
us to be governing Il State GOO mules away.
If the vote of the Stale is TO be counted as
cast it is plain that the Investigation ought to Q
DC full, open, impartial aud complete; but
cannot see how any such Investigation Is posi-
bic in the nature Of things if the tribunal were
above suspicion. The theory that such an 10.
yestgation is possible leads to one result; a.
yet distant, but sure-Conere5s will be the ne
turning Board of the nation and nsurp 'he
election of President.
The only conclusions | could reach 10 resalu az
to the general matters in dispute were as iol-
lows: Society 10 Louisiana is almost entirety
disoroaniy,d Iris claimed and strong facts