The daily gazette., 1876-12-20
Light I)awning.

famous practises and false pretences by
which the frauds in Florida and Louisi-
ana were first accomplished and then
sought to be clothed with seeming fair
ness and strict compliance with the forms
of law. General Barlow's report, which
has been received by the revolutionary
press, like the toast to the ':Memory of
Washington" at public dinners, "stand-
ing and in silence" has demonstrated
that the Tilden electors in Florida re-
ceived, beyond any reasonable doubt, a
decisive majority, and that Cowgirl and
McLin, the Republican members of the
Returning Board, deliberately counted
out the Democrats and counted in the |
Republicans without the shadow of legal |
or moral excuse. This report, thus ig- |
nored by the revolutionists, we commend
anew to tho earpest- attention of those
Republicans wild can rise above party
in this crisis of our national existence.
Another witness is Mr.. White, the cor
respondent of the Tribune sent to New
Orleans during the visit of Mr.. Sher
mans committee. Mr.. White thus puts
it:
.'Thn election in this State was held
under law made by the Repubhcans
with the avowed object of keeping the
party in power Every supervisor in the
State was Republican, and when their
returns are complied and added up, it is
found that the Democratic majority IS
about 5000. Now, / ask any fair man if
| that does not make prima facie case for
I the Democrats, and when the Republi-
cans undertake to overturn that result,
| if they ought not to be required to prove
their case beyond all doubt?
Have the Republicans proved their
! case " beyond all doubt?" The ground
upon which they rely to support the ac-
tion of their Returning Board, is Gin
timidation." Mr.. White testifies that
the bulldozcrsn or regulators had not,
when organized any political object,
nor were they comprised entirely of
white men. They were organized for
the protection Of stock and crops, and
were joined by the respectable negroes
as a security against the thievishness of
the thrittless of their race. Mr.. White
says:
"After a pretty careful examination of
the subject, l am fully, convinced that
! none of the acts of violence which oc-
CURED in the bulldozed parishes before
the 1st of last June, were political in
their character. / know that an eXami-
nation of many of the afiidavits filed
: with the Returning Board by the Re-
publicans might lead to another conclu-
sion, but it should be remembered that
these depositions were ex parte, pre-
=. pared for partisan purpose, and by the
| cicto of
was to prove political intimidation
The witnesses, too, were generally thu
victims of hulldozing or their friends
: and if they were guilty of any crime ol
i had been accused of any, they would moi
/ naturally volunteer information on the
o subject, and they wcrei net asked about
it. was often at the Custom House
, while this testimony was being. taken
= Witnesses were always asked # the mar
, who was hanged or shot or whipped was
a Republican, and if he was bulldozet
on account of his politics, but the in
: quiries never went further for the pur
: pose of ascertaining just what the provo
d cation was.
!, For instance, man was taken out and
hanged in East Baton Rouge Parish last
n March Several witnesses made aftdavitS
T in regard to the case, in all of which il
a a was asserted that he was Republican
= !. etc, etc, but nothing was said about the
b mans character or reputation. In less
than five minutes talk with one of the
i witnesses found that the man had beer
/ accused of stealing hogs, and l have nc
). doubt he was guilty :. In
8 some. if not in all of the five parishes to
y | which public attention has been directed
] there were murders and other acts OF
d violence which We're unquestionably
= political in their character. don't think
the number was nearly as great as the
D. | Republicans represent il to have been
A In making up their case in support of the
n action of the Returning Board they have
5, raked up every instance of murder OF
?, whipping which they could have heard OF
y as having occurred in ayear, and achcnHe1
Q come to be Investigated to majority Of them
ls tcW be found 10 hare no more connection
i, aojM politics than the lU'ching Of a horse;
i thief IN Indiana. L will
not say that Governor Kellogg and the
l. other Republican politicians of Louis
l. lana wished the disorder to continue dur
k ing the campaign, in order that the Re
r publican party might have a pretext S,l i1i
l. throwing out the votes of enough polls
J, in the State to destroy any majority the
u Democrats might get, but it has sometime
~ seemed so to me. The evident satisfaction
with which the Republicans at the Gus
N tom House exhibited any affidavit which
l. described murder more atrocious thar
4. another, was fact that was remarked by
"a ted the Republican headquarters. 4 naur
4. der ,Dds north hundreds Of Uotes to then, ,dnd
70 they could not conceal their pleasure at dis
covering it."
II Much more OF the same sort might bt
quoted but sufficient proof has been ex
hibited to satisfy any impartial judge that
=. "intimidation" for political purposes die
not exist tosuch an extent as to authoriz,
" the rejection of "nine thousand votes
returned by the Republican Supervisor
for the Tilden electors, The whole trutl
as to all this will soon see the light unde
} the compulsory process of the House in
vestigation committee; although it is quit
apparent that every obstacle will be in
terposed to prevent the House committe
. from learning the exact truth. kellogg
andl his gang have so long enjoyed i'm