Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-12-20
What the Committees Now Sitting in
Washington, New Orleans, New York
aud Tallahassee are Doing.
Statement Made by the Democratic and
the Republican Counsel to the House
Committee in New Orleans.
The Case OF General Frost, of Missouri
RAIDS Getting After the Telegraph
Company for New York POliti-
eians' Dispatches.

|
who stated that the scommitteeSwas not yet
| provided with the desired tables Of returns.
| He said the statement given the clerks OF the
| senate committee by the secretary OF the re-
| turning board was defective In several par
ticlilaIs; It did not indicate the votes thrown
| out III detail, but simply gave the aggregate
number, whereas it was desired to obtain the
votes rejected at each poll Mr.. Morey, OF
| the Republican counsel, stated that 1t would
| be well for the committee to take the testl-
mony Of a witness Eaton LogwoOd) who, he
said, was about to die of wounds received In
| 0uachita parish, and who was now IN the city.
! Mr.. Melon, Of the Democratic counsel,
urged that in cases where it was alleged that
a witness could not appear before the
committee on account of sickness, doctor
certificate to that effect be filed with the COM
mittee After some discussion as to the best
way of taking the testimony of LogwoOd, 1t
was determined that it should be taken be-
| fore a commissioner at his residence. The
| evidence elected was materially the same as
that given by Logwood before the returning
| board on November 2Sth, and included in
| Senator Sherman's report to the President.
| The clerk was instructed to procure the re-
Guired tables from the board and the COM
mittee adjourned until Wednesday morning
at eleven o'clock.
| TEG DcmOtfdtAt StdLcMchts
The counsel for the Democrats submitted
the following statement of their case to the
| senate committee:
First-That they received at the election
! held in this State, Tuesday, November Z,
! 1876, majority of the legal votes over their
| opponents, averaging about eight thousand
votes.
Second-That the electiQAEso far as the
| Democratic Conservative paf was concerned
was fair and peaceable, and full, and that
! said candidates and said party used every
| exertion and endeavor to secure a free and
full vote and quiet election.
| Ihird-That on the other hand their oppo-
nents and leaders of the Republican party of
| this State had, for some time previous to the
| election determined and conspired to carry
| the State by fraud and unfair means, and
with that end in view did perform, among
others, the following acts.
| Fourth-They did appoint as supervisor of
registration none but Republicans, and few
| but Republicans as clerks of registration, re-
| fusing to listen to the reiterated demands by
| the Democratic Conservative party for repre-
! sentation, thus limiting and destroying the
| opportunities of detecting and preventing
! frauds.
Fifth-That they did in most instances send
out to the country parishes as supervisors,
/ corrupt and dishonest men from this city,
whose residences were not IN the parishes for
which they were appointed, and IN many
! instances selected for such supervisors and
/ clerks employees of the United States.
| Sixth-That said supervisors, In a number
of the parishes Of this State, did throw every
| obstacle i'll the way of the registration by
| Democrats, amounting, III many cases, to
| denial of registration; on the other hand, af-
| fording every facility to Republicans, and the
! issuing of large number Of fraudulent reg
! istration papers to cOlOred Republicans,
! amounting, in the State, to more than ten
/ thousand.
Seventh-That said supervisors, In num-
Der of cases, refused, in their revision Of reg
! istration, to strike off the names Of colored
| Republican voters which were clearly proven
as fraudulent; and that on the day of election
! the greater part of said fraudulent registra-
! ton papers were voted, raising the Repubh-
can vote of this State fully Seventy-tiye hun
dred.
Eighth That said supervisors were in
communication with the campaign and other
committees of the Republican party, and re-
ceiving instructions In relation to registration
and injunctions to infatethe Republican vote,
accompanied by promises Of reward from
the Republican administration if successful.
Ninth-That Republican voters and Re-
publican leaders did adopt means of intimi-
dating Democratic voters by threats of vio-
lence and undue and corrupt practices exer-
cised toward colored voters, and by the
wholesale issuance, just previous to the cleo
ton, of warrants to the number Of several
thousand, without just cause for the ar
rest of the white voters, thereby causing ter
ror and depriving the Democratic -Conserva-
tive party of large number Of votes.
hot lpadQrS
said supervisors did employ articles to pre-
vent the casting of full Democratic Con-
servative vote in several parishes of this
State.
Eleventh-That they did Illegally appoint a
large number of deputy United States mar
shals in the various parishes of this State, at
I a large expense to the United States govern
ment, and large number Of deputy consta-
bles, all of whom surrounded the polls In
large numbers and intimidated voters.
Twelfth-That they did illegally expend
the money of the government for partisan
purposes, by commissioning large numbers OF
deputy United States marshals exclusively
from the Republican party, by employing
government clerks to write and copy athda-
Wits and documents for use before the return
ing boards, and other partisan purposes, and
by summoning and paying cloud Of Repub-
! licans 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 COM
| planned of, entering nolle prosequiS In cases
where true bills had been found against the
| guilty parties, and otherwise protecting them
from punishment.
Fourteenth-Your appearers further state
and charge that the said Republican leaders
did previous to, and after said action, con-
1 lot tO IN ba d.
, ulently counted the votes actually cast so as
to destroy the large majority by appearers
! received and accord to their opponents ma
jority that thereby theyEhad never received,
said conspiracy and determination being
, shown by public declarations and by the
course pursued in this connection.
Fifteenth-Ihat as the instrument of said
conspiracy was used, the returning board of
this State was composed In violation of law
requiring as prerequisite to all action the
. filing of vacancies and full board of five
members.
Sixteenth-That said returning board
usurped and exercised Judicial functions con-
trary to the constitution of the State, which
restricts the judicial power to the judiciary
Seventeenth-That said board sought to
escape all effective scrutiny by excluding OBJ
servers or representatives Of the Democratic
, Conservative party at the most important
portions of its labors, and by refusing to ell
a vacancy, and by refusing to one party rep
resentation on said board.
s SEighteenth-That said board conspired
with said Republican leaders, and to accom-
plish said result violated the laws provided
for its government, in every particular, as tC
the manner of receiving and opening the re-
; turns and canvassing the names, as to tht
formation and reception of protests, and az
to the reception Of evidence and decision o.
contests.
] Nineteenth-Tbat said board accorded eT
t cry facility to fraudulent supervisors In tht
= manufacture and presentation of protests
e contrary to law and outside of their parishes
: and affidavits to sustain the same, support
0 ing said supervisors therein, and in the emas
4 culation and Justification Of the returns
Il -