The Portland daily press., 1876-12-20

Morehouse. Richland, Grant, Livingston,
Franklin, Sabine, Caldwell, Lafayette, Clai-
borne, De Sofa, Jackson and Natehitoches. OF
these the following, to wit, East Baton Roige
East Feliciana, West Feliciana, Ouachita and
Morehouse, are parishes bordering upon the
states of Mississippi and Arkansas. In these
parishes there is Republican vote of II 1894
and Republican majority of 1910 to Demo.
cratic vote of 1921. In the remaining eleven of
these parishes there was less brutal and more
covert, but not less effective system of intimi-
dation by which proportion of the Republic
can vote was suppressed sufficiently large to
compensate for the Democratic vote which
would be lost in buil-dozed parishes by the op-
era,ions of the law in nullfying the elections
in said parishes, and third by the sudden and
simultaneous outbreak of murder and violence
in these parishes before and near election:
fourth blythe anonomalous and unusual conduct
of white communities among. which outrage oc-
Cured as contrasted with that which obtains
among other civilized communities where simi
lar outrages occur, in that they were connived
a and concealed; they were secretly encour-
aged; there was no attempts to discover or pun
ish the criminals; there has been no condemna-
ton of the acts by the press, by public meetings
or by the clergy, while the citizens who have
ventured to denounce these Outrages have been
menaced with prosecution and persecution and
thus silenced. The Democratic managers have
pretended that these outrages were not perpe-
trated, or where they have been compelled to
acknowledge the facts have falsely attributed
them to the neglect or inefficiency of the local
officers, although we'll knowing these local
officials were rendered powerless by lh4 same
terrolsm which rendered these outrages possi-
BILE.
Eleventh, that under the law there are no re-
turns of election and can be none except those
made by the returning officers and that peith-
er commissioners of election nor supervisors of
registration are returning officers nor have eth
er of them the authority to make and declare
returns.
Twelfth, that the effect of these outrages
and lawlessness in intimidatng the cclored
people was not confined to the limits of the
parishes they were perpetrated in, but this ef-
feet spread to great distances in surrounding
and neighboriDg parishes.
Thirteenth, that in the parish of East Felic
lana the horrible murder Of John Gair, an ex-
representative and then sergeant-at-arms of the
House of Representatives,, who was arrested
at night In the town of Baton Rouge, 40 miles
from his home, by sheriff's posse upon q
wrong charge obtained by force and torture
from poor and defenceless colored woman, in
the killing of man who was not killed, but
who is now alive and well, and was forcibly
taken from the posse while on the way to stand
trial, by an armed company of Regulators OF
bulldozers under the command of one Captain
Norwood and tied to tree by the roadside by
these Regulators and shot to death, was crime
committed by Democrats tor reasons growing
out of political animosities and to achieve po-
litical ends, and that the same was one of the
most terrible and dastardly acts of crime ever
| committed in civilized country, and to-day all
| investigation into and inquiry after the perpe-
| traitors of the crime has been continuously and
| systematically discouraged and prevented by
| the white community of East Feliciana.
Fourteenth, that in the parish of Ouachte
| the assassination of Dr. B. Fl. Dinkgrave wa;
| political crime committed for political rea
| sons and by Democrat and was connived at
oil fynu intn Stff faG frnxD
| down by means Of terror by the Democrats Of
| that parish.
Fifteenth, that in the parish of Red Rive a
brutal and deliberate attempt to assassin ate
Senator Michel, and the horrible muti!atior
OF his person, was committed by a hired assas
sin with the connivance of the Democrats and
with the secret knowledge of the community
where he lived for political animosities.
Finally, we commend to the attention of
your committee the significant parallel be-
tween the condition of affairs in 1868 and 1877
| and the similar effect upon subsequent elec-
tions, only remarking that there are few Dem
ocrats now SO hardy as to deny the outrage
of 1868 which have passed into history, and
those few who may deny it only discredit theil
| own veracty.
(S!gned,) HUGH CAMPBELL.
The Democratic Case.
The counsel for the Democrats submitted the
| following statement for their case:
First That they received at the election held
in this state on Tuesday, Nov.I7th, majority
of the legal votes over their opponents, averag-
| ing about 5000.
Second, THAT the elections so far as the Demo
cratic conservative party was concerned, was
| fair and peaceable and full, and that said can
dldates and said party used every exertion and
endeavor to secure quiet election.
Third, That on the other hand their oppon-
! ents and leaders of the Republican party OF
| this state had for some time previous to the
election determined and conspired to carry tht
state by fraud and unfair means and with thai
end in view did perform, amongst others, the
following acts:
Fourth, They did appoint as supervisors O
registration none but Republicans, and few bu
Republicans as clerks of registration, refusing
reiterated demands by the Democratic conserva
tive party for representation, thus limiting and
restricting the opportunities of detecting and
preventing frnuds.
Fifth, That they did in most instances send
out to the country parishes as supervisors cor
rupt ard dishonest men from this city, whose
residences were not in the parishes for which
they were appointed, and in many instances
selected clerks and employees of the United
| States.
| Sixth, That said supervisors in number Of
parishes in this state did throw every obstacle
IN the way of registration by the Democrats
amounting in many instances to denial of
registration, and on the other hand affordine
every facility to the Republicans and issuing a
large number OF fraudulent registration papers
to coored Republicans, amounting in the state
to more than 10000.
Seventh, That said supervisors in number
OF cases refused in their revision of registration
to strike of the names of colored Republican
voters clearly proved to be fraudulent and that
on the day of election the greater part of said
fraudulent registration papers were voted, in
creasing the Republican vote 100
Eighth, That said supervisors were in COM
munlcation with campaign and other COM
mittees of the Republican parts and receiving
instruction in relation to the registration and
lnJunctions to initiate the Republican vote ac-
companied by the promise of reward from a
Republican administration if successful.
Ninth. that Republican votes and Republican
leaders did adopt means of intimidatlng the
Democratic voters by threats of violence, un-
due and corrupt practices exercised towards our
colored voters by the wholesale issuance Just
previous to election of warrants to the number
of several thousand, without just cause for the
arrest OF white voters, thereby causing terror
and depriving the Democratic conservative par
ty of large number of votes.
Tenth, that SAID Republican leaders and su-
pervisors did employ articles to prevent the
casting of the full Democratic conservative vote
IN several parishes of the state.
Eleventh, that they illegally appointed large
number of Deputy United States Marshals in
the various parishes of this state at large ex-
pense to the United States government and a
large number of deputy corstables, all of whom
surrounded the polls in large numbers and in
tlmidsted the voters.
Twelfth, They did illegally spend the money
of the government for partizan purposes by
commissioning large numbers of deputy Unit
ed States marshals exclusively from the Repub-
lican party, by employing government clerks
to write and copy affidavits and documents for
use before the returning board and other parti
san purposes, and by summonng and paving a
crowd of Republicans large sums as mileage
and per diem as witnesses before said board
Thirteenth, that they did close the courts to
all redress against the illegal actions complain
ed of, entering nolle prosequis in cases where
true bills had been found against parties guilty
of crime and otherwise protecting them from
punishmentl
Fourteenth, we farther state and charge that
said Republican leaders did previous to and af-
ter said election conspire and determine to cause
to be fraudulently counted the votes actually
cast so as to destroy large majority by the
Democrats received and accord to their oppo-
nents majority they had never received, said
conspiracy and determination being shown by
public declarations and by the course pursued
in this connection.
Fifteenth, that the instrument of said con-
splracy was the returning board of this state,
composed in violation of law, Republicans
alone acting with an untitled vacancy, the law
requiring as prerequisite to all action the fill
ing of vacancies and full board of five MEM
berS.
Sixteenth, that said returning board usurped
and exercised judicial functions contrary to the