New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-27


and, if not found, making an affidavit OF
false registration for future use. In . day
or two the cauvassers, as faithless to their
employers as they were regardless Of the
penalties Of false swearing, saved them
selves the trouble of examination by max
ing affidavits against every name that was
given them as not residing where regis
tered. This crowded Judge South
worth's courtroom, and out of hundreds
of cases there were not more than
dozen convictions, though all appeared.
The matter became disgusting even
to Democratic counsel, who threatened
to refuse to try more of such
frivolous cases based on palpable per-
iuries. 1t was matter of indifference to
the Democratic managers whether the
cases were tried or not. Their object was
species of intimidation, one of the few
that was ventured on in the city. By
means of it the colored people had become
aware, as was desired, that the name of
every one who registered would be given
to Democrat, who would visit his home,
and, with pretended authority, imperti-
nently question his family, cause his ar
rest if possible, and hold the probability
of challenge at the polls over him. With
the daily news ofmurder of Republicans in
the country parishes this was expected to
be sufficient to deter hundreds of colored
people, easily influenced by such means,
from registering or voting No opposition
to payment of legal fees in these cases has
been made.
But the officers of registration were as
determined as Democrats that it should
be thoroughly revised. At the head of
the bureau was Hon. Michael Hahn,
whose personal character and political
integrity none dare question. When the
registration was completed the same
means of questioning it as employed by
Democrats, that Of inquiry at each house,
was adopted, but with this difference:
Instead of sending two partisans to
trouble and alarm the residents, cireu-
lar-the sewing machine circular-was
sent to each. A blank envelope would
not have answered the purpose, for the
simple reason that it would have caused
immediate Democratic notice to be
given to all people to receive all
letters the postman brought, no mat
ter whether the party lived there
or not The circular postponed detection
long enough for all to be delivered or re-
turned. The infamous notice, so signif-
cant of fraud, was then given, but too
late to affect its purpose. Twenty-one
thousand were sent out, and nearly two
thirds returned. If Democratic hands
had controlled the election machinery,
this would have been evidence enough to
erase every Republican vote. But those
returned were subjected to second test
of visit by the police, and the number
was still further reduced, omissions by
letter carriers being thus corrected.
Even this was not deemed sufficient,
and afidavits were then made by the
officers, and the marshals deputies
put to work in the search for legiti-
mate voters. For the first time the
Democratic managers came forward in
aid of the law. They published at their
own expense the docket of the court as
notice to all Democrats to come up and
prove the legality Of their registration pa
pers il they could. About thirteen hun
bred succeeded in doing this. There re-
NAMED about seven thousand white and
three thousand colored fraudulent regis
traion papers in existence, and the names
were properly designated that voting on
them might be prevented. In all fright
and Justice not one should have been
used, but Governor Kellogg, in Difference
to the cutlery of the disappointed perjur-
ers, but in defiance of Law, permitted the
votes to be taken s'under protest, and
some sixteen hundred fraudulent votes
were cast This fact proved in any other
State would invalidate an election, and it
can be proved. With the exception Of
few polls, however, the Returning Board
allowed the parish Of Orleans to stand.
Every step in this proceeding is sanC-
toned by Law and justice. II is the duty
Of the registrar to use every endeayor to
keep the registration perfect. The ex-
pense incurred for the circulars and post
age was certainly legitimate one Of his
Office. The sending Of them has
been violently denounced by Democrats
as 'susing the postofaee for political pur-
poses. Bat. under the Law, how was it
possible for the department to refuse to
receive them, or for the letter carriers to
refuse to deliver or return them2 The use
of the police AZ canyaasers is denounced
by Democrats in the same terms. But
under the law election matters are put
especially in their charge. The drag
ging Of eitizens to court" was also de-
nounced BY Democrats. but the service by
the marshals vas compulsory on them,
and except IN an aggravated case no one
was locked up. The Democrats forget at
this time that they, on less grounds, had
had 500 coIorsd voters arrested, and
had Is many thousand afadaYits pre-
pared for service, but feared to use
them, the perjury being TOO palpabie. As
a matter Of statistics. the afiidayits made
bv Democrats were sworn 10 on the aver