The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-12-13
+. G.. DESLoNDE,
Secretary of state.

Accompanying this certificate was "A state
ment OF the aggregate votes for the presiden-
tial electors as certified TO by the secretary of
state, as follows: "The official completed re-
turns of an election held i'm the state of Louisi-
ana on the eth day of November a. d.. 1876,
under writ of election, dated September Is,
\. ID. 1876, ordering the same, and pursuant
TO the provisions of act No. 9S, to regu-
late the conduct and maintain the freedom
and purity Of elections; toprescribe the mode
of making returns thereof to provide for the
election of returning officers nd the defining
of their powers and duties; TO prescribe the
mode of entering the rolls f1he senate
and the house Of representatives and to en-
force article 1903 of the constitution approved
Nov % \. D., 1872, to-wit The total votes east
for tile electors of president and vice president
of the United States.
William p. Kellogg, at large, Abs.
J. Henri Burch, at large, 75,l27
Peter Joseph, First congressional district,
7I0ll.
Lionel y. sheldon, Second congressional
district 7l.027.
Morris Marks, Third congressional district,
7i,4lS.
Aaron b. Levisee, Fourth congressional dis
trict. 10l3.
OfEtUuO II. ltltMSttIs Illiu tDnEItN>lOilNf
district 7I.0l7.
Oscar Jofirioni Sixth congressional district,
ABB
John McEnery, AT large, 7O,51s
Robert C. Wiclxlifie, at large. 7O,5O9.
I,ouisSt. Martin, First congressional district,
70553.
Folk p. rPoche, Second congressional dis
trict, 7O,SSj.
Alcibiade DE Blanc, Third congressional dis
trict, 70,l36.
Wa. Seay, Fourth congressional district
7O,525.
r. q. Cobb, Fifth congressional district, 7O,-
4S.
K.A. Cross, sixth congressional district, 10,
$50.
CERTIFICATE.
We. the undersigned returning officers pur-
suant 20 the authority vested in US by act No.
IS, approved November %, \. ID. 1872 do
hereby certify that the foregoing is a true COR
rect compilation OF statement of the votes cast
at an election for electors of the president and
vice president of the United States, held on
the eth day of November, 4. ID. 1876, under a
writ of election promulgated september 49, ~
d. 1876, ordering the same. and we hereby
declare that the following persons were
duly and lawfully elected, to-wit: Vim. =.
htllOSS, j. Henri refer JOSEPH. I1Ontl
4. Sheldon, Morris Marks, Aaron b. Levisee,
Orlando II. Brewster, Oscar Jofrion. The vote
for governor and lieutenant governor is also
returned TO the secretary Of state, the total be-
ing, for governor, 6. b. Packard, "a, SFrancis
t. Nichols, 7l,les; for lieutenant governor,
c. C. Antoine, 1869; J.. A. Wilt 1893.
The clerks of the returning officers had not,
up TO midnight, completed their duplicate
copies of the returns for PRONUNCIATION in the
official journal. 1t is understood, however,
that four republican congressman, viz, Darral!
i'm the Third district, Smith i'm the Fourth.
Leonard in the Fifth, and Nash in the Sixth
have been returned elected, and Gibson, dem
ocrar IN the First, Ellis dcrnocrssti in the Second
The returns for all of these offices, state and
congressional, will be promulgated tomorrow.
The subjoined statement of the grounds acted
upon has been obtained from the counsel of
the returning officers
THEIR EXCUSE FOR THE swINDLE.
The returning board of the state of Louisiana
claim, first, that under the provisions of the
law they are the returning officers of all cleo
tions held in the said state; that there are in
law and in fact no returns
of any election held i'm the said state
until first examined, canyassed and compiled
by them; that statements furnished by COM
of votes purported to have been cast, and that
until the fairness and legality Of the voting at
that poll or precinct have been passed upon
by the returning officers, validity
attaches 10 any such statement.
II strict compliance with the laws of the
United States and of this state, the returning
officers of the state OF Louisiana have pro-
ceedcd to examine, canvass and compile the
statements of votes purported to have been
east at the general election for president and
vice president of the United States, held on the
9TH day of November last The votes purported
To be cast In the parishes of Grant
and East Fenciana have been ignored entirely
in the official canvass. In Grant parish not
one form of law was observed. There were no
legal supervisors or commissioners of electiont
and votes taken was as informal as votes
taken on railroad train. In East Felician the
returning officers were unable TO find
one poll at which, from the evil
dence before them, they could certify
that a full, free and fair election was had. In
the parish of East Baton Rouge the returning
officers canvassed and complied the votes of
three polls situated in the city of Baton Rouge
where there was military protection afforded :
also three other polls situated immedi-
ately on the river, where there was COM
parative immunity from intimidation
The evidence as TO intimidation by murder,
hanging, whipping and other outrages as
affecting the vote at the other polls was so
conclusive that the returning officers unani-
mously rejected the vote stated to have been
cast az those polls. In the adjoining parish of
West Feiiciana, six polls were rejected on
similar conclusive evidence. In the parish Of