The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1876-12-08

REPORT OF N. j. GRADY, SUPER.
VISOR.
The Supervisor of election for this
parish supplemented his regular report
on the returns (Which was II very fair
statement) with the annexed lneaniy
partisan tissue of Misrepresentation !:
STATE OF LOUISIANA, PARISH OF ORLEANS.
M. j. Grady, being duly sworn, de-
poses and says that he was the Super
visor of the parish of Ouachita from the
10th of. Oct, 1876, until after the gen.
eral election held on the 18th of Noven,-
her, 1876. That during said period oi
registration and revision Of registration
aforesaid to wit: from the 10th of Oct0-
her, 1876, aud from that time until after
tho election held on the 9TH day of No
vember, 1876, ut or near the several
places Of registration, in said parish
tumult, acts Of violence, intimidation,
disturbances and corrupt influences,
which tended to prevent, and did pre-
vent a fair, full and Peaceable vote ni
all the qualified electors of said parish,
prevailed that the facts relating thereto.
are as follows: mt poll one, (D one OF
the commissioners of election, IermOn
Bell was stopped on the road by II
body of armed men while going to ;ht
place he was directed to hold the cleo
ton, and compelled to return to Mon
roe, and not allowed to act as commits
siOner of election at said poll. Tn.
condition of things prevailing at ana
on the day Of election is set forth in tn.
affilavits Of Her,non Bell, r.. j. G;,ld
well, Stephen Wood and Capt. w. II.
Hardy, U. S. Supervisor Of election n,
poll one.
Atpoll two, (2) the constable commits.
stoned by me to take the ballot box to
the place where the election was to b.
held was shot and seriously wounded
and was in consequence unable to de-
liver the box, and no election WAS held
ut that poll.
The condition of things prevailing
prior to the day of election which affect
ed said election, and which prevailed
on the day Of election and which pre-
vented full, fair and peaceable cleo
ton at polls three, eight, nine, ten and
eleven, is set forth in the aflidavits ol
James S. Ray, T.. McCloe, ii. Bell, u.
Hill, G. b. Hamlet, and others, attach
ed to these returns.
That during said time of registration.
it came to my knowledge in my official
capacity as Supervisor of itegistrat iOl.
that rifle clubs We're formed, composed
of Democrats, for the purpose of cor
trolling the election aud improperly ill.,
huencing the colored people t. vote tn
Democratic ticket, and keeping then.
from holding Republican meetings anN
from organizing Republican clubs, and
also for the purpose of getting colored
men to join Democratic clubs. From,
information received, also state tina,
Republican meetings were on sevcra,
occasions interrupted and disturbed in
an abusive manner by white Demo
Gratis. From information received,
also state that there were armed bodies
of mounted men patrOlling the several
roads of the parish; there was in conse-
quence of these and other acts univer
sal fear among the colored people of at,
tending Republican meetings, lest they
should be harmed by the Democrats,
and that there was Il general feeling OF
lisquiet and apprehension among Re
publicans generally and Il belief we'll
founded that their lives and persons
were not secure.
That tho effect of the aforesaid acts OI
intimidation and disturbance in pre-
venting fair, free, full and pcaceal,lc
election in said parish is we'll illustrated
by the following table of figures:
In 1874, when the political canvass
and election was peaceable and quiet,
and universally conceded to he SO by
all parties in the parish, and marked
by the absence of Democratic rifle clubs
or other armed organizations, the vote
was
Republican. Democratic. Rep. Majority.
About lT6" About TSi About go
In 1872 the REGISTRATION was as fol-
lows:
cs as's W ;d.i COL Majority I:;!.,
The proportion OF newly registered
citizens, was about GO per ccntum col
ored, and 40 per centum white. The
votes cast under the condition of things
recited, resulted rs follows:
about 100 about 1870 about 1850
Making change of about 266O. In
addition to the co!orcd Republicans, who
were compelled to vote the Democratic
ticket, about 600 Republicans We're
deferred from voting ut all. Nearly
every Democratic vote in the parish
was polled. In conclusion, 1 refer to
the vOluminous sworn testimony ac-
companyinS my report upon which, in
addition to my own knowledge ofsome