The Portland daily press., 1878-07-26
Secretary said that while in New Orleans ne
wrote letter to Hayes as follows:
STATE OF LOUISIANA, EXECUTIVE DEPT,

STATE OF LOUISIANA, EXECUTIVE DEPT, |
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. %, 1876
MIR. Dear Sir Il have written you sooner for
the progress of visitation will be known to you
through the papers sooner than from my letter, and
the telegraph office here is. more public than
sheriff's sale We sometimes hear OF private
kilograms before they are delivered. The action Of
the Returning Board thus far has been open fair and
only confirms the general result known before. We
are now approaching the contested parishes. In
five of them namely: Baton Range, East and West
Feliciana Morebouse and Ouacbita, the evidence OF
intimidation is so well made out on paper that no
one can doubt as the just exclusion of the vote.
In these parishes alone We ought to have majority
Of 7coO but under the law the entire return must be
excluded. In all election districts where intimda-
ton has affected or changed the result this IS done
The result will give Hayes electors a majority,
aggregating "a III, and 1ilden electors 1888, but
in the most every parish the official returns vary
somewhat from the state maorities thus far slightly
reduce the Republican majority The vote Of each
disputed parish has thus far been laid aside and
among them are two parishes where most foolish
bunder of some one is made in emitting from the
Republican tickets names of all electors but two
senatorial and one district elector.
The Democrats claim this will lose over 1000 votes
but our friends whose information have general.
ly found confirmed, say it will lose us at the most l93
votes The law seems conclusive that defective bal
lots cannot be counted for any electors but those
named on the ticket. though it is concusively
shown that the remaining electors omitted by
mistaken idea that the district could only vote for
one eecor. The whole trouble has grown out of the
fact that in these two parishes candidate for DIS
by the state committee We undertook to correct
this by printing new tickets which were voted IN
those parishes. The result OF this bnnder Will leave
the poll close to render it probable that one OF
more of the Tlden electors would have majority.
There other parishes where organized intimda-
ton was not so geneIalas in the parishes named,
though in single election precincts it was elective.
The parishes where formal protests have been filed
are Bienville, Bossier, Caldwell, Franklin, Grant,
Iberia, Lincoln, Richland and Sabine. How far the
proof in these parishes will sustain the protests
cannot judge until the evidence is heard before the
Returning Board We are now collecting testimony
as to the buldozed parishes. 1t more like the
history of hell than of civilized and Christian
muniies The means adopted are almost incred ible
| but were fearfully effective upon an ignorant
have received at fair election large majority in
Louisiana man can question. That you did not
receive majority equally Clear but that intmida-
ton provided against by the Louisiana law did enter
than would change the result and give the vote,
believe as that write this. The difficulty Of
| gathering this testimony and putting it into legal
form has been very great but believe it has beer
fully met. The whole case rests upon the action O
the Returning Board. have carefully observed
| them and have formed high opinion Of Gov. Well!
and Colonel Anderson. They are firm judicious anl
as far as can judge thoroughly honest and con
| scentious. They are personally familiar with thu
nature and degree OF intimidation in louisiana the.
| can see that intimidation as organized was with
| view of throwing out Republican parishes rattle
than endangering Democratic parishes. Our it'll
party is dividing out the disputed parishes will
de syy y Many are mpasieMt Ct delay and som
have gone home. We will probably be able to kee
about ten here. We have incurred liabilities 70
National Committee will make this good. If not
| we must provide for it ourselves. We are in goo
hope and spirit. 1t is papable that you ought t
have the vote OF Louisiana and we believe that yo
will have it by an honest and fair return accordn
to the letter and sprit of the law of Louisiana.
| Very truly yours,