New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-01-06
TnE HOUsE INVESTIGATING COM.
nIITTERs



pOrtaut part in the campaign in cenvaseing
the various parishes in the State for
the Republican party in company with
Mr.. Packard, Colonel Jack Wharton, and
others; made speeches in almost every par
ish we went to until the day preceding the
election; we all mixed with the people for
the purpose of ascertRining the public SEN
timent; had considerable conversation with
cOlored men in East Baton Rouge; Colonel
james Lewis, who was also one of Mr.. Pack
ards party in the canvass, did almost all
the talking to the colored people In the par
ish of East Baton Rouge; We had very
large meeting; there was a communication
addressed to the meeting by oolorod in
dividual residing in the parish-st Port
Hudson-who stated that he would very
much like TO attend the meeting, but he
was afraid of being bulldozed If he did
come; he signed i6 'No Name No Blame;"
the people of Baton Rouge seemed
to think that 1t was great piece Of pre-,
sumption on the part of Nj. Packard and
party to come there to hold any meeting
and make spec ches; everything looked SO
threatening that Mr.. Burch became go
frightened that he thought it advisable, and
went to the military headquarters at that
place, and remained there until the meet
ing was over and we were ready to leave
the place. The cOlOred people were afraid
to attend Republican meetings in some of
the parishes which we visited; had charge
of the clerks who made the affidavits; num-
Der of the parties who made these atiidavits
stated that they were afraid to state
all they desired in the affidavits, as their
lives would not be safe when they returned
home if it was known that they had made
them; ore of the parties, Mr.. James Law, of
East Feliciana, who made an affidavit,
stated that he would not be allowed to re-
| main at home in his parish alter having
made it; he was afraid his lite would be in
| danger, and had to come to this city and
live and hire man to go up and attend to
his business in East Feliciana aud take
charge of his plso, was elected member
of the Legislature on the Liberal ticket in
| 1872, from my parish; was supervisor of
registration there in 1874; an opposed to q
solid South the same as l am opposed to
every white man being Democrat or every
colored man being a Republican; large
number of Democrats attended orr meet
| ings at Clinton, Baton Rouge and other
places; they attended these meetings partly
/ in obedience to q circular sent by Colonel
Patton, of the Democratic State Committee,
| and partly through curiosity; / think that
| if the cOlored people had been freed by
the Democratic party, they would have
| had the same confidence in that
/ party that they have in the Republican
| party; know of no oOlOred persons who de-
| sired to affiliate with the Democratic party,
| that were intimldated in any manner by
| Republicans; many cOlOred men belonged
/ to Democrats clubs, who were Republicans
and intended to vote the Republican ticket
| If allowed: they belonged to these clubs
| fearing that their lives would not be safe if
they did not. George JOnte, cOlored man
who was vice president of local club,
/ voted the Democratic. ticket in POinte Cou-
| pee, scratching Tilden and Hendricks and
| voting for Hayes and Wheeler, bat failed
| to scratch the Democratic electors; ALEC
1 -. H. Al E.. d.
r. b. GOrham was the next Witnees-Re-
| sided in CatahOnls during the campaign;
since moved to the parish of NatchitOohes;
| WAS district attorney of the Twelfth Judi
| cial District; was elected district attorney
of the Seventeenth Judicial District; can,
vRssed various parishes in the State during
the campaign, in company with Hon. j. T..
| Leonard and Uthers; In the parish of Gaia
ahOula had q joint canvass and discus.
| sion with several parties on the Demo
cratic side; everything in this parish was
quiet and orderly; in the parish of Ouachita
| the Republicans have become disorganized
since the killing of DR.. Dinkgrave; assisted
in organizing the party in that parish in 90.
| tober; Mr.. Leonard was inaulted and inter
| rupted while addressing a meeting in this
parish found the Republican leaders afraid
to participate and preside over the meet
| ings held there; met q number of cOlored
people throughout the parishes wearing
Tilden and Hendricks badges, who
stated that they were compelled to
join the Democratic clubs and wear the
| badges, but that they we're Republicans in
their hearts and intended to vote the Re-
publican ticket il they received protection
on election day and after, as two men, one
| Wade Braner and another man whose name
do not remember, had called at their
houses and ordered the colOred people not
TO attend the Republican meeting to be
IL Aha hair
would not be safe If they did; saw a large
number of white meR around the school
house where the meeting was to take place:
on our wsy from Bastrop to the school
house we were followed by q number
of cOlored people; we were met BY mum
Der of white men on horseback, who rode
| past us several times and then went in the
direction in which the colored people were
coming, and believe made them return to
their homes; the oolored people in this sec
ton are afraid of these white men, who say
they will have them spotted If they do moi
Join the Democratic club; the colored peo
pie say they are afraid that their hOmel
will be visited by these men at night, and
that they will be killed or whipped
their LIES are not cafe; but that
they would vote the Republican ticket if
possible; on our way to a meeting at ST.
James Chapel we stopped at the house o.
V. r. Duncan, q mulatto, who stated thai
he had Joined the Democratic club as al
the cOlored people had to attend the Demo
cratic meetings and barbecues, or they
would be spotted or bulldozed and driven
from their homes, and by so doing would
loose their crops; but that nearly all the
| colored people would vote the Republi
can ticket on ele otion day. The witness
testified to what he had heard
about the killing of DR.. Dinkgrave, tht
PinkstOn murder in Ouachita and OtAel
outrages committed in that section of the
STATED Does not think there were ovel
fifty golored men who voted the Democratic
ticket in Ouaehita parish.
The evidence of this witness was con
tinued until eleven o'clock this morning
and the committee adjourned until sever
o'clock in the evening,
EVENING SESSION.
Mr.. F. G. Zacharie, who was before thu
committee Thursday night, was the frs
witness called rs told the COMMITTEES
about the workings of the Returning Board
which failed to meet the ideas of the Dem
ooratio party. 1t was agreed by the com
mlttee that this witness should step asidt
Il for short time to allow another witness
who WAS present, to give his testimony.
Mr.. Oscar Arroy o, of the parish of Plaque
mines, was the next witness. He testified
that he was elected member of the Re
turning Board November IS, 1874, and re
manned on the board up to December %
1874; served the whole time the canvass o
the votes was going on; did not 7, 8 gn u lti
the vote Of the whole State was can
vassed; entered his protest to the can
vass of the votes in q great man,
parit hes. The witness, who was Rrmei
with large bundle of paper, testified as t
the workings of the board, and also to tn