The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-12-15

many reports had been circulated
concerning them, we were led 20
make some inquiry rs to their 1ndi-
vidaal history. Two of them-Hon.
James Madison Wells, President of
the Board, and Gen. Thomas Z. Az
derson, next senior member, are
Southern born, and of old and
highly respectable femflies. The
father of the former was Hon, Levi
WeIIs, of tho parish of Rapides,
who IN 1872 represented it st the
convention called to frame 3 Con-
stitutioR for the State of Louisiana.
The SON received a liberal educa-
ton, aud was early engaged in the
cares eff planting and other inter
ests of his father. he was a u alien
man from the time the war broke
out, and, although he suffered great
ly by ii In loss of property, he new
er failed in his devotions IL the I'm
ion cause. Under Banks recon-
stcuction scheme, he was chosen
Lieutenant Governor on the ticket
with Hon. Michael Hahn, who was
elected Governor, and upon the
election of the latter to the Senate
d year after, Mr.. Wells became Gov
ernor of the State, 10 which Office
he was almost unanimously re-elec-
ted under the reconstruction plan of
President johnson. His experience
in public life has been great and va
ried, and his capactlty 10 discharge
the duties assumed cannot be ques-
toned. General Anderson was
born in Virginia, has resided in the
,.-;ak nf g. Tonlr., for fho nar{n1
of some forty years, is cousin OF
Gen. Anderson who commanded
Fort Sumter, st the outbreak of the
war; was educated a lawyer; is
owner of and carries on several
plantations is widely known and
highly respected throughout the
State; has been intimately associa-
ted in The promotion of social and
industrial interests fof his parish,
aud has represented in both branch
es of the legislature more than
twenty years. Mr.. Casanave, the
third member of the Board, Is 8
man of intelligence, of excellent
character and business habits; not
dependent on office for q living /;
not seeking 1t, but q well educated
citizen who has long conducted q
prosperous and respectable busi-
ness in the city of New Orleans.
Mr.. Kenper, junior member of
the Board, is also a young man born
and reared in the city of New Or
leans, intelligent and active, who
was for some time com missioner in
the Street Commissioners Bureau
in the Department of Improve
mentS.
We will now present such an out
line of proofs as disclose not only
such violence and intimidation as
prevented fair election in several
parishes and at many polls, but dis
close also that these grave offences
were. committed in pursuance of 8
pronounced and settled plan formed
by Democratic leaders to prevent
Republican voters from attending
the polls, and that such unlawful
purpose was SO effectively accom-
plished as not only to interfere with
the purity and freedom of the cleo
ton, but to materially change the
result. To illustrate how carefully
the political campaign was consid-
cred and the plan mentioned con-
trived by leaders of the Democratic
party, it is instructive to refer to
circular issued from the rooms of
the Democratic Conservative State
Central Committee at New Orlerns,
marked CONFIDENTIAL" and signed
by j. w. Patton, President, and P
j. Sullivan, Secretary, intended for
circulation In each parish, and rec
Ommeuding the formation of ward
clubs therein. These circulars arg
ed that in conversation no gloomy
forebodings should be INDUCED in,
and that the result of the election
should be spoken of as foregone
conclusion, as we have means of
carrying the election and intended
TO do SO, but be careful to say and
do nothing that can be construed
into threat or intimidation of any
character. The circular also reco-
melded that there should be fire.
Quent meetings of all the clubs to
be formed, and they occasionally
form at the several places of meet
ing aud proceed thence on horse
back to the central rendezvous, sta
ing that proceedings of this char
acter would impress the negro with
q sense of your united strength, and
it further recommended that on the
day of election st each polling place
there should be affidavits prepared
to the effect that there has been ne
intimidation, and no disturbance on
account of any efforts by the DEM
ocratic Conservative party to pre-
vent any one from voting on ac-
count of race, color or previous
condition of servitude.
Thus carefully guided from the CEN
trail Democratic authority, by this Sc
cret and confidential circular, urged to
impress on timid blacks, by horseback
professions, q sense of the united
strength of their former masters, and
warned to prepare blank affldaviCs in
advance that no terrorism had been
exercised, the next, and not the least
important part iot the scheme of these
leaders WAS to select parishes where,
having the means to carry the cleo
ton, and Intending to use those stated
in the circular, they could do 80 with
the most effect. There were in the
State of Louisiana on the day of cleo
ton, 92,996 white registered voters,
ll5,3l0 colored majority of the lat
ter OF 22,3l4, 1t was well known that
II leu 1ACO " sSbCS OY
violence and intimidation, the blacks
would be almost unanimously Repub-
lican, snd that, with the white Repub-
lican vote, its majority would be about
equal to that above indicated. The
plan appears to have been to select for
the purpose of intimidation and vio-
lence as few parishes as possible, for
in forty of fifty-seven parishes where
these were not employed, the Repabli-
can majority was six hundred, but to
select those in which the colored vote,
as compared with the white, would be
large unless unlawfHlly prevented, for
in so doing it might be expected that,
should any majority they could thus
obtain in such parishes be rejected.
they would, nevertheless, attain their
purpose by the suppression of a large
Republican vote. In pursuance of
this plan, five of the parishes selected
in which the greatest violence and in
timIdation Were practiced, were East
and West Feliciana, which border up
on that portion OF Mississippi in which
murder and outrage SO prevailed dur
ing and preceding the election as SUBJ
stantially to prevent any Republican
vote; East Baton Rouge, which bor-
Il ~