The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-04-05
A Ready-Made Louisiana Report.

call to 60 to Louisiana, to divide with
him the esponsibility for the inevita-
BILE withdrawal of the troops from
that State. The trouble is To get re-
putable gentlemen to accept the posi-
ton for the reasons that commissions
leave a bad taste in the mouths OF the
people just now, and that theSherman
report made on Louisiana to sugar
coat the fraud by which the State was
given to Hayes, has fastened lneilace-
able disgrace upon its authors. 1t is
feared by the invited commissioners
that they will be distrusted from the
start by both parties that If they tell
the truth they must invoke the assaults
of mendicant organs and that if they
don't tell the truth, they will be exc
Grated by honest men. Apprehehdins
that the delicate and eXhausting labor
of making a report in the Louisiana
case may deter some good men from
accepting a place on the commission,
The TINES comes opportunely to the
aid of all such and furnishes the fol.
lowing as an entirely safe report on
all the ditputcd points, and it is all the
more handy as it can as well be veri.
fed aud adopted over a dinner at
Welcker's as in New Orleant. We
submit it in detail, SO that there need
be no mistakes in filling up skeleton
| work, viz:
L. The commissioners appointed to
inquire into the status OF the dual
state governments in Louisiana have
carefully Investigated the law and the
facts in the case, and respectfully re-
port that nobody outside ot lunatic
asylum or Federal or State office Sc
I iyin slv fhts
Nichols was honestly elected Govern
or of the State by over ten thousand
majority.
.. Considerations of delicacy have
prevented the commission from pre-
scnting to the President and the
country their unanimous judgment as
| to which electoral ticket carried the
State by over eight thousand Inajori-
ty.
3. Governor Kellogg, candidate for
elector, and Marshal Packard, candi-
date for Governor, selected the regis
tering officers for the entire State ; had
registered whom they chose to have
registered: rejected whom they chose
to reject, and all were absolutely dis
franchised under the law who were
not registered. They therefore decid-
ed, in the first place, who should and
who should not vote.
4. The said Kellogg and Packard,
candidates rs before named, selected
the Supervisors Of Election in every
city and parish III the State.
5. The i Kellogg-Packard Supervisors
of election appointed the election Of
ficers to hold the election in every
precinct or division OF every parish,
and they decided where the elections
should be held, passed upon the quail
fications of ever votery presented TO
them and accepted or rejected his
vote.
g. The election officers thus appoint
ed by the Kellogg Packard Supervis-
Ors, after receiving such votes as they
thought best to receive, counted and
certified the returns and delivered
them to the said Kellogg Packard Su-
pervisOrs TO be approved and forward
ell to the capital.
Z. That the aforesaid Kellogg Pack
ard Supervisors have the right under
the law to receive aflidavits of intimi-
dation, fraud or mistake as TO the elec,
ton, and when such atiidavits are made
at the time, the Supervisor is required
to report the same as part of the re-
turn, i'm which case, and only in such
case, the Returning Board is empOw-
cred to inquire into the integrity OF
the return.
8. That the aforesaid Kellogg-Pack-
ard Supervisors did make such legal
complaint of the returns from two or
possibly three parishes in the entire
State, and that all the other returns
were certified without legal or even
formal complaint from any officer.
Q. That the said Kellogg and Pack
ard, candidates as aforesaid, had three
regiments of United States troops to
protect the voters they had decided to
allow the right of suffrage; th,t said
troops were stationed in obedience to
the directions of said Kellogg and
Packard that they had all the troops
they called for or desired that they
had from twelve to fifteen hundred
deputy United States Marsha!s ap-
pointed by Attorney General TAFT to
guard the polls ana protect voters at
the cost OF the nationa! treasury: that |
they had the Louisiana militia in or.
ganiZed readiness to aid in maintain-
ing the peace and protecting voters !; |
that they had swarming cOnstabulary |
at hand TO support them ct the cost OF |
the State, and to all OF which may be |
added the entire large list of county |
and district officers, judicial, magis-
terial and otherwise, all OF whom held |
their plsccs by the favor of The aiorc-
said Kellogg and Packard.
10. That the Feliciana parish, where |
is alleged, has been care
fully considered by the commission,
and the unanimous conclusion has
been reached that with two Repubi
f<so ~. I
with all the Federal troops asked for;
with all the State militia desired with
al the deputy United States Marshals
petitioned for; with all the constabu-
larry that the aforesaid Kellogg and
Packard chose to have, and with all
he district and parish officers to aid
he voters who were two. TO one in
numbers that with overwhelming
numerical superiority and troops ard
,giciais enough 10 project every poll
ind escort every voter to his home,
he rumor of intimidation is quite too
Ittenuated by large majority.
III. That the votes SO registered, so
'eceived, SO protected, so counted and
10 certified by the officials selected bv
he aforesaid Kellogg and Packard,
rave Nichols ten thousand majority
or Governor, and his election agains, +;
III the moral, political and physical
power OF the government of the State
caches how futile must be every ef-
ort to defy the manifest will OF the
people.
II. That Louisiana IS a sovereign
State in the Union, and the presenc,
If Federal troops in her capitol when
Ter people are peaceful, and the effort
o subyert the government chosen by ,
eem, are in fragrant violation of the I
of the laws and of every
principle Of justice. All of which is
submitted.
The commission will save itself s
much trouble and gain much credit /
rom the honest men of all parties, by q
lantin9 the forco0iuG rennrt as q