The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-04
voting Ia to nssume the existence of conduct as
| impossible M It would have been insane.


voting ia 10 nsaur,e tbe exlstence NJ conduct as
in,ss, I ~ n" i, ,,id bo,. hn,,n inanrr ~
'''' ,,,,
AND uNSufPohItD AND DlsfhoNbD'
II 800 square milrs OF territory were in n atate
OF such Terrorism the fact must needs hive
been MS intent ms if il Ind showed upon eln,,-
tion dnv md vol of Mi tbs norsons IN ibnt mar.
ish. tho Returning Board only collected twenty
two to stutc any instance OF intimidation com
nected with the election Of 1876 OF these the
foremost Witnesses were JHmrs l.. Anderson
and Thomas c. jerks; both subsequently re-
ira ted under oath an they then suid, and con-
frssed the ronspr ary which existed; and no
ono would receive the evidence of either un-
supported This testimony was overwhcm-
ingly contradictad and npgativrd mt the time:
11GG witnesses appeared to contradict the ale
cations " these nnldavits. and to establish that
tho election In East Feliciuna Ind been per-
fectly pencrnhin free, and fair
II Is So rnsv to- supur,ss truth to dlsfort facts
and to mislrad witnesses. especially when igno-
rant or stupL. or rpc tlpss Tint OK plrtr tr.ti-
mony is rarely entitled tn much weight. II was
common thing for Tn So Enst Feliolann am
davits to state ms ground ior Cxriud M the
parish thnt no Republican tickets were per-
mitted at the polls. That WIS true. hut II was
the Republicans who would not permit them.
And, coming Ms thcsc Returning Board afldn-
vita aid. from Republican cump followers and
negroes. they we're of hardly any value nj All !;
and in view of the controlling facts and proba-
bilitos and circumstances OF tho case never de-
served considerations
RETURNING BOARD ATF1DAv1Ts.
In Louisiana the crowd of ignorant md
thoughtlrss ncgrops summoned from their
for the first time i'm their lives 10 n rrnnt ,.itv
wrrc marched through tho crowded streets pnsf
cor,lons of polire nnd nlntoons Of troons inio
tho great Government building. where ;hey
were brought fare to fnre with mn nr,nv OF clnr
ard sienogrnphrrs and officials, and nil the ma.
chinprv nf n great State. Ushrrrd nj Inst into
some inner room and there rnqnged in N con.
versntion. in which they snnnlIeI some Of the
answers and the persons stnnding around sun
Pn'd more. they might. when dismissed, well
scrurlrs about the business 10 mnke th"ir
Il. - M
sons who do not read and write know how
reWliy thcv nfIiN their marks H. rrcnipts or i,nv
pnpprs connected with business when told to
do so. bccnuse hos" by whom tbiv mr.. toi,i
know SO much better than they do what il 10 he
done 1t is curious and Instructive To hanr tho
accounts OF the negroes who nude am dnyits
Tor the E,turninr Board Of the nroeess bv
which their evidence was manufactured -
They wers brought down from the country
and ulnrpd bpf,re "A clerk whrn Tho prnsrui
process wnnlI seem 10 be- somrthing Ike his.
Thav Womb bs nsknd n ,hmv tnevv ~ r,rt,,in
Disturbances in their pnrishes. II thnv mr. =
swrred ihny d Il moi. SOME nnr ofthe bystnndnrs
would say. Why, lie WIS the man who was
killed brhind tho corn crib m surh n nlnrta.
lion Nv such A pprson: then tho negro Witness
would answer Yes. / heard Of him hut never
henrd nbhut TINT: then another one Of tho hv-
stndprs would give the detail. s. and present v
wnen tho affidavit is finished we have the vii.
nces's story. stuffed partly upon his own kuowl-
eng. ana nlrlly nnon inlnrlnailon anu oriei,
a. ~ u, y ~, ~ "S, ~. VIZ u Ivy An'H ,u.,u
h.1,,r,. ma ~ ~. be ,i,nt,'s iis nal H
o.,ure' III -. 10 .n, s n' lll"hrS nis nlaiA vs.
field from which he WIS brought.
vi the witnesses IN feuciaua whom Mr.. Sher-
mhn desired 10 nave called nlt'Hn nav" an
prhr"d h"iorr Us; OF these thlrtoen have re-
tracind thrir testimony To-, violence ~ given to
the returning Board. me statements OF the
otner Two witnesses. Duh ana SwaNze were
made under suspicious rlrcumsinhces. even If
they mai not been IA conflict win all The known
anu established lhcts
uor-u, r.s>,-,s -, --,,,s -,-sr,,,o,,~
"O"t LA99 - 'i ms .L't i"VNi'
IL was claimed 10y Dula that Weber after he
hhd testified before thls committee; desired TO
be supported IN ms statements ny NE negroes
OF ms NlcinhEe whose reader NJ had h'"n, AMI
70 thW emf WIS engaged IN perSuAdlng and
brlhlng them 10 lhkr hark their testimony be-
lore the returning bohrl
Duhs statement was mat ne had been paid
t9O ana WAS 10 .. phid more Tor testiying us
Meb'r urslr"d. lie was man .oi pt9rlously
eid chnrac,tri anu me ihctthhl h"lioSg sagent.
6rinn m arr yus v,i, D, ma S ~ -a,T
IN" manner in which his testimony was given
satisfies IL his story WIS AN imposition which
hHd been Iut upto deceive the Committee
But even II II were true that the Frliciana ne
gro,.s were so utterly rock lrss A. 20 what they
testified, and followed tho Mabers for favor or
Tor bay upon whir hrv-r side they swore il only
establishes how utterly worthless their t,stf-
nnnv originally WAS and upon what a wretched
and deceptive iounuutlOu all this pretence OF in
limitation WAS based.
onJrcr OF THE tSrr,frnA rroS pRrr-Ncr