Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-06-13
Anderson and Weber.

Anderson and Weber.
In dealing with the testimony given by
James E. Anderson before the Potter Investi-
gazing Committee it must be borne in mind
that the protest which he says was filed at
the instigation of certain Louisiana politi-
Clans, falsely charging that voters were in
timidated in East Fcliciana parish, was sim
PHYS legal formality which had to be COM
piled with in order to give the Returning
Board jurisdiction over the returns. No votes
were thrown out on account of the allegations
contained in the protest, and it affected the
case in no way except. that the law required
that such complaint should be made before
the Returning Board could proceed 20 inquire
as to whether the election in that particular
parish had been yitiated by intimidation or
fraud When votes were rejected it was upon
testimony entirely outside of the protest. Isr
Everybody admits that the Presidential
election in 1876 in the Feliciana parishes was
singularly peaceful. The Democrats had all
the voting to themselves, and there being no
one to oppose, there was no, interference with
voters. The Democratic State Executive
Committee zealously' devoted itself 10 cult
waiting this condition of affairs for six weeks
before the election, to the end that the Super
visors might have no possible pretext for filing
protests. No sooner had Anderson and Weber
been appointed Supervisors of the two Felici-
anas than the Democratic managers began to
negotiate with them. Poor Weber is in his
grave, and it will never be known whether he
was influenced by the tempting offers made
by Burke, or whether he spurned the bribe.
Il isquite evident, however, that Anderson
determined to go with the side that promised
the most, and the letters which he wrote to
Weber before thcieleetion show that he was
greatly inclined to accept the offer made by
Burke's committee, The election passed off
peaceably in the two parishes, and Anderson
and Weber, by their failure TO send any pro-
tests with the returns, seemed to- admit that
nothing had occurred which would Justify,
sny interference with the result as duly certi-
fed. The Democrats were confid mt that the
uHaniinous vote Of the aFeliciana parishes
would be cnnnted for Nichols and Tilden.
The two Supervisors came to New. Orleans on
the day aftersthe election, and assuming the
letters exhibited by Anderson to be genuine,
it is quite evident that he at least intended to
stand by the bargain which he had made with
the Democrats, - -, =. -.
Rnf hnro frn nfr1 ..,tt1 H.
tion, What is the necessity for attributing
corrupt motive to Anderson !? The election
was peaceful; there was no intimidation at
the polls; hence, looking at the situation as it
existed on the I'd of November,@1S78 he had
no grounds for making a protest Why,
then, should there, have. been such mighty
commotion among the Republican managers
in New Orleans when it was discovered that
the Supervisors of the Feliciana parishes had
failed to- lay the foundation for an inquiry by
the Returning Board into the merits of the
election? The answer to this question un-
covers the point on which the whole contro-
versy turns. 1t has been fully discussed in
Congress, and was the subject of sundry
learned judicial disquisitions when the Lou
isiana case was before the Electoral Commits
sion. .Tat
~ There was fearful reign of terror in the
Feliciana parishes during the simmer of 1876,
but the murders and whippings ceased before
the registration OF voters began, and the peace
of the grave prevailed on election day. The
Republicans charge that the armed bands
which patrolled these parishes during the
siimmer months Of 1876, sconrging and killing
all the aggressive negroes that could be found
were in fact political clubs, and that these
crimes were committed for political purpose,
namely, the intimidation Of the Republican
voters. On the other, hand, the Democrats
contend that these armed bands were sort
of local police, organized for the eapurpose of
protecting property, and administering Justice
according to q rude code that obtains in law
less communities .s4aa .bl0oss s3iiog .5.11
When Anderson and Weber were appointed
Supervisors Of Election for these parishes the
Republicans expected them to take cognizanee
of the crimes that had been perpetrated by
the armed bands of .sbulldozeasn during the
summer, and to protest that the election was
net fair because no organizationscf the Re.
publican party could be. effected while the
reign of terror lasted, and because. most of
tie leader had been killed or driven from the
parishes. The Democrats, however, main
tained that the Supervisors could do nothing
except certify TO the coneilioh Of affairs that
ezisted during the period Of registration aad
on The dayiof election, and II they saw no
intifnieatioh they were bound to say that the.
elecsion was free and fair. Tie correspond
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