New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-15

men ofShs partisan logic he1eju6ors en-
ployed by the Democracy to determine
the political rights Of our representa-
tives.
We confine ourselves to recital Of the
objections made by the Democracy of that
day against these INSCRIPTIONS political
opponents:
1t appears that the ballots of about fifty
voters at the twenty.second precinct were
received by the commissioners and placed
in separate box; that the box remained in
the custody of the commissioners until the
close of the polls, but that before the COM
missioners had counted the votes therein con-
tanned II ,cas stolen and made asc0y Nth, and
hence no return was made Of the votes thus
polled.
It is conceded by the commissioners
of election that these votes were those of
naturalized aliens. Both the commission
ers say that they intended to count these
votes and return them. They had taken
down the names of these voters, but that
''this record disappeared with the box. {"
A DR.. Austin, who had remained at the
polls all day, says lit was easy to see the
complexion of these stolen ballots" He
testifes that s'these stolen ballots were all
clean, straight ballots, except two Of
them"
Mr.. Purcell, q commissioner, testifes
to the same effect. It is added upon the
testimony Of two commissioners and an
outsider that the number Of votes stolen
must have been about forty-ive, and it is
''clearly shown that they were clean
Democratic ballots with two or three ex-
ceptions." "The votes stolen"-and
therefore not cast--'were held to form
part of the poll equally as we'll as the
other votes which were counted"
From such tissue Of assumptions, the
committee deduces the conclusion
That the plainest principle Of reason and
right require that the Senate should give
the contestants the benefit of these forty
votes in determining their rights.
We proceed to give the testimony upon
which this Democratic conclusion de-
ponds. It is asserted that
Elements mingled in the recent election
in New Orleans which, it is hoped for the
interest and the respect due to the laws,
will never be again permitted to disfgure
the political contests of Louisiana.
The Know-Nothing commissioners
were charged with an attempt to dis
franchise large class Of naturalized
citizens by refusing to receive their votes:
That lawless desperadoes destroyed the
protest boxes and their contents at several
polls.
We have quoted that which follows as
entirely proper for adoption and repeti-
ton by the Republicans Of the Returning
Board at the present time:
They were unwilling even to present the
semblance Of resting the clsims of the con-
testants upon grounds ,chich must necessarily
be hypothetical, but when they are presented
with the evidence that in . popular elec-
ton, held under q republican government
and in civilized community, that the i'm.
fully employed to despoil American citi- |
zens of the elective franchise-when they !
perceive that the avenues to the ballot box |
have been surrounded by organized bands |
Of armed men for the purpose of prevent. |
ing citizens from exercising their consti IN. |
tional rights and privileges-when they |
ind that the blood of citizens has been |
freely shed by political emissaries, for no
other Offens0 than what consisted in the /
Of their party predictions !
% American citizens. and Legislators, they
ian not refrain from expressing their ab
hOrrence Of such atrocities. They consider
this proper occasion for an appeal to pub
lie virtue, that the vigilance of the good
people Of the State may he aroused and in
tertere as an effectual check to the evil
passions which have been excited.
We pursue the parallel:
These observations are forced from the
majority of your committee by the evil
fences they find in the record that brute
orce. with the appropriate accessories of
The slung shot, the pistol and the bowie
knife, were introduced and fatally EN-.
9lOyed at the recent election in New Or
cans for the settlement of political issues.
t is phase of American principles at
which the fathers Of the republic would
nave shuddered, and every true American
will recoil from its revolving features.
The majority Of your committee feel no
!esire to partlcularize on this subject, or ex-
'atiate upon the varied phases OF violence,
'lOodshed and crime which the record pre-.
/
q the city Of New Orleans. Rufianism ap-
'ears to have reigned triumphant.
Voters with their ballots in their hands
Vere beaten and driven from the polls,
theirs were brutally assaulted in their efforts
. reach them, and even human life was sac !
iiced with lawless violence. At several of
10 polls thes6 outrages we're perpetrated
bands OF armed men, whose movements |
ppear to have been influenced and directed j
y horsemen acting in concert with them.
Numbers of legal voters were deferred
one to thu polls for the purpose, and Q
,nse Of personal danger to the naturalized
tizens became generally diffused. But for s
lis state Of facts the majority in favor of | {
le contestants would have been increased
y many hundreds Of good and legal voters.
This document concludes with a recon-
lendation that the Senate publish the
stimony contained in the record, and
,us vindicate the right of suffrage by ao-
,rding to the Democratic contestants the
ats which they claim. We might con-
I'M these allegations by extracts from
10 messages Of Governors Hebert and
'ickliffe, and the historical Gayarre, as
so by the petitionary representations
pom which Huffty, the sheriff New Or
ans, was removed from Office by the
legislature of 1867. We present these
cords as Democratic testimony to the
,litical practices by which elections have
zen conducted and controlled. We
aim that these practices have under
me no modification. We affirm that the 9
have adopted the Know-Noth-