The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-06-15

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New Orleans. Then Mr.. slidell hired steam
boat and on the day OF the election, after they
had all voted in New Orleans, the men were
! taken ON this boat and carried to
law gave them right to do; and the state was so
evenly divided bstween the two parties that the
addition Of these GOT new lendholders to the
regular voters Of the parish carried Louisiana
for Polk. The voting was contrary to the usage
in most Of the States, but it was in accord with
the law and the usage OF Louisiana. IL Was q
sharp political trick, having its expenses paid by
the money won from Dr. Duncan but u was NOS
illegal. and cannot be correo ly described as an
act of fraud. Besides, AZ we hsve said, Polk
| would have been elected without il.
This is mass of errors. There never
was o law in Louisiana that man could
vote in any and every parish in which
he had land. Nor did Mr.. Slidell or
ganize this plan of voting in Plaque
mines persons who had already voted
in New Orleans; nor had he anything
to do with buying tract Of land in
Plaquemines and giving lots to voters
to be voted on after they had voted in
New Orleans: nor did he hire boat to
conduct these voters to the polling
places in Plaquemines.
As for Mr.. Slidell's bets, we think
the SIN, is equally at fault. That Mr..
Slidell had bet on the election, we think
highly probable, as ii was the fashion
at the time, but our impression is that
his bets were only made with Mr.. Alex
ander Barron, then Senator from this
State, and were on the general result of
the presidential contest. Mr.. Slidell was
an active and ambitious political chief
tain, but he was a prudent and adroit
man, who always strove to keep within
the law. He was not the plotter of the
Plaquemines scheme. 1t had been ar
ranged before he returned to the State
from Washington. Its chief author
was Judge Gilbert Leonard, Of Plaque
mines, who was candidate for the
United States Senate. The plan
was laid to evade the require
ment OF the old constitution Of a
property qualification for voting.
It was Judge Leonard who bought the
tract OF land that was laid out, as
the town of PIaquemines, in small lots
which were sold to voters who had the
other qualifications for a dollar a lot,
and on which tax of twenty five cents
was paid. 1t was on these tax receipts
that the votes were admitted. The
holders Of the deeds and receipts were re-
CURED to pay for the same, which they
did, but they had to show that they were
otherwise good voters. This plan had
originated with the Wings, who had To-
Gated their town In Baton Rouge parish.
Under this arrangement the vote of the
parish Of Plaquemines was greatly in
creased, as large class of the people Of
that parish were fishermen and oyster.
men who had no land and paid no taxes.
steamer and. penetrating the bayous
and other resorts Of this class, managed
to collect and transport these people to
the polls and thus succeeded in polling
an unusual vote. It was always con-
tended, and it was so reported by q
committee of the Legislature, that these
were legal votes. The whole business
was managed by Judge Leonard. and
Mr.. Slidell had no knowledge Of or par
ticipation in this part OF the plan.
The other feature of the plan of vot-
ing in Plaquemines some two hundred
aud fifty voters who were residents Of
New Orleans was suggested and car
ried out by a committee Of Democrats
in this city, several Of whom were law
yers of good standing. They were all
good voters, but had been deprived of
their votes In the city by the absurdly
inadequate regulations Of the election,
which limited the whole city to
three polling places and closed the
polls at 3 p. m. By these arrangements
several hundred voters were shut out
and. being advised that they were en-
titled to vote anywhere for Presidential
electors, many Of them, of both parties,
proceeded up and down the river to the
nearest polls In the adjacent parishes,
where the polls were kept open
for three days. This was done
openly and without any consciousness
of any illegality in the proceeding.
Citizens thoughtsthey were entitled to
vote somewhere In the State for Presi-
dent. They had been excluded from
the polls Of their domicil by no fault Of
theirs. In most of the parishes, how
ever, they were rejected and thus lost
their votes, but in Plaquemines, to which
the Democrats had sent their surplus
of city rejected or excluded votes, it was
urged by the late Judge Larue, and
other distinguished lawyers, that these
votes could be received under a fair con-
struction of the law, as Plaquemines was
a part Of the old county of Orleans,
wherein any citizen had the right to
vote for presidential electors. Under
this construction, these residents Of
the city, on proof Of their qualifica-
tions, were admitted as voters in Plaque
mines, and thus added some two or