The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1877-01-04
Colored Democrats In Louisiana.
Fron the Springfield Republican.

rom the SprinS acid Ropublican.
The testimony produced before
the House committee of investiga-
ton at New Orleans, very recently
has only confirmed and supplement
ed the evidence already furnished
the Northern public by such in
tslligent observers as Messrs. White
of the New York Tribune, Redfeld
Of the Ciacinnati Commercial snd
Handy of the Philadelphia Times.
No candid person can longer doubt
that there was q large colored
Democratic vote in Louisiana at the
recent election, and that more ne
groes would have voted the same
way but for intimidation that was
frequently practicea, Intimidation
none the less effectual that it was
ofson of a moral OF religious rather
than q physical character.
1t is not singular that the Demo
Gratis should have won over o. large
cction of the colored people to
their side. AS early as two years
ago. they had accomplished consid-
cradle in this direction. Indeed,
the Democratic programme in ell
parts Of the State, except perhaps
portions of the ''bulldozed' parishes
seems to have been the same during
the last campaign as in 1874, which
lntter Republican Congressman
Foster, Of Ohio, thus described:
1t became the intcrest Of the
Conservatives, at least at the late
election, not TO intimilate, but to
acquire, by every fair means, the
colored vote. Parties who we're
alleged to have threatened blacks
even with the refusal of employment
were subject to prompt arrest II
Was known that pretexts would be
sought to deprive the Conservatives
Of the result, if they prevailed in the
election. 1t was, therefore, their
interest to avoid giving any such
pretexts. Accordingly, they deter
mined everywhere to cooperate anil
conciliate the blacks. They voted
down tho propositions or sugges-
tions which were made in the early
part of the campaign for refusal to
employ those colored voters who
would not cooperate with them,
and generally sought, by combining
with colored voters, to carry the
election.
At the gnme time the more in
telliyent negroes were already in
1874 approaching the fact that their
own interest were bound up in the
change of government. can in
telligcnt colorcd Witness" says Mr..
Foster, "testihed that he desired
better government, and to that end
'was willing to swallow the white
men, if the white men would
swallow the colorcd.' "These causes
and feelings" Mr.. Foster continued,
''naturally united to swell the Con
servativo vote in such localities
exactly as are indicated by the re-
turns, Though the very fact of
such swelling of the Conservative
vote, then rs now, had been seized
upon by the Republican managers
as proof conclusive of Democratic
intimidation, and justification for
that "illegal" reversal Of tho result
which incurred Vice President
Wheelers ''emphatic disapproba
ton"
If the Democrats got considera-
bic negro vote in 1874, it would
have been strange, indeed, if they
had not secured much larger ono
in 1876. Two years more of dis
graceful Republican rule have been
imposed upon them,--a govern
mont, tho enormity of which has
never been more forceibly described
than in these extracts from last
years files Of two Of the chief Re-
publican organs Of the Countrywide
New York Times and tho Boston
Ad0ertiscr.
The government Of William Pitt
Kellogg in Louisiana is one which
we have never been able to defend.
Durell's decision, which aided in
establishing it, was mn outrage.
The conduct Of tho Returning
Board which declared it elected was
dishonest. The taxation since 1872
has been arbitrary and oppressive.
Legislation has in hundreds of cases
been shameful farce. Districts
have been represented by men who
never saw them. The small revenue
cleaned from the impoverished peo-
pie has been diverted to improper
uses.
For years, the great State of
Louisiana, whose people have as
good a right to be left alone to
manage their own affairs as the peo-
pie Of Massachusetts, has been ruled
not by it's own citizens, but by two
carpet-baggers (referring to Kellogg
the present Governor, and Packard,
the Republican candidate to succeed
him) holding Federal office and
having the adroitness to enlist all
the power of the Government upon
their side in the inevitable confusion
which they provoked. Whenever
tle elections have not been carried