Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-11-28
LOUISIANA.
More About How the Recent Dem
Ocratic Victory was Won.
Republican Meetings Broken Up
Negroes SnGt Down Like
D0gs-The Report of
NatiTe S0utllerner.

A Washington dispatch to the Chi
cago Tribute says:
United States District ATTORNEY
Leonard. of Louisiana, formerly
Confederate officer, who is here to con.
fer with the president ABOUT the late
@Gtrsges in Louisiana, conversed At
length to-day in regard to the situation
IN that state, He said that "if there
had been fair election Louisiana
would have gone Republican by 5000
I" 1900 ma ority, and three, possibly
four, Republican congressman would
have been elected. My own personal
experience Of the election was limited
to Caddo Parish That parish had
registered the votes of 1878 whites
and nearly $500 blacks, Of the
whites at least $50 would have voted
the Republican ticket, and announced
their intention to do SO. On = fair
aud peaceable election the Republicans
would have carried the parish by about
1900 majority. The vote as returned
was Democratic majority of 1850.
The Democrats openly took the cleo
ton by force and arlas.
There were twelve VOTING nrae;rot.
IN the parish. United States sunervi
sors we've appointed for all Of them hv
United States Judge Woods. but er.
eeD' Il I've precincts in Shreveport,
these Supervisors were not allowed even
to witness, much less to Serutinize, the
election. Tt9y were told thAs they
were not wanted, and, of my personal
knowledge, IN some instances, were
forcibly removed from the vicinity of
.tthe ballot-box. About week before
The election two military companies
were orga nized in Shreveport, and
= s0lne in the country. These compa-
mes a ppear ed on the streets with arms,
and ;aYersed the country roads. The
night of election armed men travelled
the country roads and fired into the
hou ;es OF negroes, in many instances
taxi ny negros and beating them" Ten
day before the election the Rcpubli-
CO as had much difficulty in holding
their meeting at Spring Ridge, twenty
miles from Shreveport. Public notice
had been given OF this meeting for a
long the, but the Republican speak
.ers consisting cf the candidates for
sheriff, the cana, late for the legisla-
turc, William Hooper, q ""ted c2iorsd
leader and the present senaCcr. ana
Leonard himself were notified at o,ISe
O'Clock in the morning, before arriving
there, by = friendly negro, thrt they
would be killed The Democrats
esarncd that the meeting called was
+hAir own. \ compromise was made
,..,,.. a.. +:r,o "HA rennest bY
the Democrats for a joint discussion
was regarded as peculiar, as there were
nn,v Ia, Ute men registered IN. the
place; yet there was a large numoeb
of white persons there, the purpose Of
whose visit was NOT known. The Dem
oerats agreed that order should be
maintained The joint discussion pro-
ceedcd. Leonard was the first speak
er. In tue course Of his speech he
was interrupted by loud cries deaounc-
ing him as liar, and dozen men
rushed from the crowd to attack him.
He stood quiet. and the attack was
postponed. The Democratic speakers
were not interrupted When the turn
came for William Hooper, the colored
senator, to speak, he had only said {
few words when violent tumult arose
He tried fer three minutes, In the din
TO speak, but was denounced by the
widest shouts from all quarters
Cries of .sKill him !" sshill him =
were heard. destroy the damned
scoundres !" 'sEud the Republican
party here - XIII the leaders -
Il expected, :" said Leonard, 'tha
they would kill Hooper, ana then ad
vance upon me. but it happened tina
they made their first rush for me. III
nally the Republican speakers left, an,
as they did SO the cries still continued
Kill them Kill them : -
The Republicans sent formal writ
ten request that a proportion of Re
publicans be appointed as inspector
and clerks Of election. No attention
WAY pSlu " ttifs tSiu6Sl, anu cACcpt j
two or three instances no Republican
were appointed, and these exception
were in the eases of two or three ig
norant negroes. who could neither rea
nor write. With this exception thes
election officers were Democrats. i O
the morning Of election at Shreveport
crowds of negroes We're in the street
before the polls were opened, and
was noticed that not white man wa
visible. At each polling place tire
boxes were found. The Louisiana lay
requires that the sheriff, who is the re
turning officer Of elections, shall sur
nish box at each precinct. Tn
commissioners had placed three boxe
n. each precinct, and they told the ne
-gro voters that they wanted the yot
for congressman in enc box, for repre-
sentative and the parish ticket in al
other. and for the ward ticket in ii,
third. protested TO the commission
ers against sucL violation of tbs sw