The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-12

sidered II strong and undould"d Rcpublican
district; anu they returned Mr.. l.. l.. Weber ns
returned were from undoubtcd Republican dis
tricts which had thrown Republican maioritles
In nvcry instance since reconstruction.
When the Legislature met on the first Monday
oil December the Republicans had sixty-sx
members in the lower House and nineteen menu
bers in the Senate all duly elected. making a
quorum in ench House.
:, Both Houses were duly organized. Witness
did not know OF any State officer having refused
to make his annual report to that Legislature
II continued IN session during the week and
passcd several acts. which were. duly approved
journal. Thequorum In the House continued. but
r. the Senate 1t WAS broken no on the following
have been elected TS T LcsisiaIurc Stature met tho
following Wednesday. and proceeded TO ELECT
senator In Joint, convention. not having .
quorum of both Houses, but only n quorum OF
nl the members elected TO both Houses under
that election the witness held his sent rs United
States Senator, Gov, Packard was innugurated
on the second Monday OF the session. Jan. 3,
1871. There was u quorum OF both HOUSES at
the election should be furnished the Legislature
by the Secretary OF State on the second day OF
the session next after the election. and that the
who were elected M Governor and Lieutenant
Governor. The Secretary Of state got these
power of the Returning Board TO count
the vote for Governor aud Lieutenant
Governor was disputed. but Warmoth and the
witness had been declared elected In the same
way that Packard was. and the Legislatures
course was generally acquiescod in ms the prop
or one. The returns were compiled or footed
up and the result declared by the presiding
ofncer; Tho actual ballots were not submitted
TO the Legislature. That body took the Return
ing Boards findings and acted on them. Il
the Returning Board and with them the action
nction Of the Returning Board. which returned
the Packard Legislature by ~ or IL majority
would also, u they had stopped there. have left
two Hayes electors In n minority.
by Mr. Butler-On the face OF the returns.
without any alteration or revision or throwing
the Tilden or the Hayes eloctors2 A.-The Til
den electors had majority. believe, on the
face Of the returns OF The votes as cast In the
different parishes originally. and so did
Nichols.
Questioned further the witness said he did
the time how the state had gone except from
the Secretary OF States Office. or from the Re-
Turning TURN, bosrd; ~ was perIectiy notorious n
the face OF the returns showed throughout the
State Witness telegraphed to Florida before
State had gone iavorably. He did this from his
knowledge OF the result VI the election rs indi-
Gated by the returns from the different parishes.
as he believed, would show the a6-
Returning Board in throwing out the vote. His
opinion, was In relation to the general result
that effect and also TO Mr. Chandler OF the Ma
tional Republican Committee. Tho witness
produced a ,eleeram addressed 70 Mr.. Zach
Chandler and dated Nov. 8. 1876. which set forth
that terrorism existed In certain parishes. and
that colored people were prevented from voting
on account OF Intimidation. &c. Witness could
not say that he got any information. direct or
Indirect. from the Returning Board as TO how
the. returns footed up. All the Information he
had was that which was accessible to the visit
irg committee and others. The Returning
Board had their meeting in the State House.
Committee came into his oiiice often. but he did
not think he attended one session OF the Return
ing Board-certainly not in private. He heard
from time To- time what was regarded as reliable
information rs TO the progress OF tho count.
The Returning Board. IN ali cases whore the
many votes for the Hayes elect1rs and so many
votes Tor the Ttllen electors. but where
ishes would be- sct inside Tor further octhion
There were seventeen Of these. where there
Vas y.s. morSS o. less intimidation alleged.
questioned parishes gave a, majority to
the Republican ticket throughout, In the
Of t the returns showed 1870 Republic aSs
votes and 2l.l33 Democratic votes; that Is.
i sr,y Ssys ws s94rea
ity OF 1888. That was the basis OF intimida:
tion. In the forty parishes whore all agreed
polled $4,000 votes and the Democrats SO 392.
giving Republican majority 81 over G.OOO.
The different officers kept a tally OF the coored
people registering and u the white people reg
isternR. and the Republicans assumed that the
Solored people voted tho Republican ticket aud
suit showed that to be- the fact in the forty parish
es They got as many white voters to vote the
Republican ticket as the Democrats got colorcd
men TO vote their ticket. The registration ot
1876 in West Feliciana showed about 800
white voters and 22l3 eoored. This was sub
stAntially the 1874 registration. with corrections.
There would be about the same number regis
tered in East Feliciana parish, whether Mr.. An
Supervisor. Intimidation did not have much TO
do with altering the registration, except that the
Registrar The bulllDZprs did not Affect tina
registration. II was not new registration. but
oH . s Ss S 6d N sf5 f on
the first Monday 81 January. 1877. when II met
at Odd Fellows Hall. There was considerably
ganized and sent Joint committee TO witness.
asking for recognition. which he declined 70
and sent his message to the legal Legislature
in the State House On the next day they met,
still having less than quorum. and proceeded
70 court the vote. from data furnished them 10y
agents OF the Democratic State Committee in
the various parishes aud declared Nichols
elected as Governor and Wilt as Lieutenant
Q.-Whsn did armed men appear on tho
scene? A.-The first knowledge ! had Of any
the platform after Gov Packard had delivered
his inaugural; There WINS no great tumult in
would shin the scenes IN u theatre. lust AS
quick AS that The old Government went out
and the moment il went out everything was
tumut and confusion. An irresponsible clnss
of people came down from the inaugural cere-
monies Of Gov Nichols and gathered around
the State House and made some demonstra-
tiOns Of violence. although there were not ap-
parcnty any armed men among them.
The witness then related at length the seizure
by force Of the court buildings and the break;
ing up OF the Supreme Court. The ousted
Judges were all Republicans holding over
under the Constitution. Witness believed that
three men from Ward 7. Now Orleans. who
never had been returned in any way. We're
seated by the Nichols Government. When the
Nichols Legislature was finally organized by
the MacNeagh Commission. II required these
three men TO make a quorum Alter the Mac
Neagh Commission had disposed OF tho Pack
ard Legislature, Gov. Packard threatened to
appeal 10 the Supreme Court: He would
have snbmltted his claims IL he could.
After Packard had threatened to appeal to
the Supreme Court Hayes destroyed hequorum
OF the court by appointing Mr. King Collector.
After Mr.. King had been in office a little while
and the court was destroyed. his name was
withdrawn and his nomination not acted
upon by the Senate Witness did not think
the Republicans wanted King as Collector
Mr. L. H. Morgan. one Of the Judges who held
over, was appointed by Hayes in May Of last
year to be Judge Of an International Court in
Africa,
Mr.. Butler-I want to ask you. in all solemni-
ty. this: Do you believe, from your knowledge
OF what took place. that there WAS any other
reason for appointing Mr.. King Collector than
70 get him out OF that court. SO that Packard
would not have his rights tried 10y legal court