The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-04
LOUISIANA.

pointment
II.
LOUISIANA.
In Louisiana returning board existed. hav-
ing. by statute (but rs Wa think. contrary to tho
State and Federal constitutional discretionary
power In certain cases over the returns. They
usurped kindred power in cnses where mono
was granted. and BY arbitrarily and traudu-
lently rejecting more than ten thousand Dem:
ocratic votes duly cast and returned. gave that
state to Hayes
SUPERVISORS OF REGISTRATION.
The election laws OF Louisiana provided for a
regstraiion OF all the e.igiDle voters OF the
their clerks were to be appointed in every par
ish county by the Governor. These super
visors were to conduct ami continue the regis
tration from year TO year. They were to sit for
thirty days preceding the election in order TO
hear the persons seeking to be registered. and
TO reg ister or reject the same From their judl,-
ment there was no appeal. They could in eE
feet register whom thy pcnsed and refuse
the body Of citizens injured by improper regis
tration were alike without remcdy Possibly
some action at law might have been tken
against the supervisors. but none by which
practical relief could be secured before the cleo
The law further provided that these super
visors might designate the number OF polls
for each parish a9d the places ut which they
might cast their ballots at any poll within the
parish.
The law also provided that the Supervisors.
prior to the election. or Commissioners of Eec-
ton upon election day. might protest against
the freedom and fairness with which the regis
trRtinn or election had been conducted: and the
protest. II accompanied by the attidnvits Of three
cltlz ms IN SUPPORT of the same. should oe at-
tached to the returns. and forwarded To the Re-
turning Boarl And that a duplicate OF the
protest should be filed with the clerk of the par
POWER OF RETURNING BOARD.
This Returning Board thus possessed Of the
returns and of any protest accompanying the
same. were then to hear evidence rs 10 the al
legations contain ed in the prOltsSt fOFWnrdpd
and decide thereon: aud the law authorized
any poll duly protested against had not been
fair and free. to exclude the poll entirely. but
The power thus given to the Returning Board
WAS n novelty In no her State in the Union
has su'h a power ever been retained. MIR.
sherman and the visiting Statesmen" have de-
clhr-d that notllng could be more simple.
nothing more Just than tho provisions oil this
In our judgment. nothing could be more un-
Just. more wicked. or more nited to disgulse
ana cover up fraud. Loading Republicans Of
u,suna have spoken oi TINS law Rs the great
est political invention OF the uge: and. in the
sense ot its being the most dangerous and the
most atroclous. they were rignt.
In the first place the gistrars had almost
absolute control over the vote. II WIS not AN in
frequent thing when the supervisors were per.
mtt"d 10 be candidates. Tor supervisors OF
reg glstraitOn 10 come. Just before the election,
into localitrs where they were entire strangers,
and return themselves. AT the close OF the polls.
elected.
Under the provision bv which the supervisor
wns o. fix III, polling places Tor the parish he
could Withhold any AnnOun rement OF them un-
q 20 late tAHt the oDpos ton would not gener-
ally learn by the election day where the polls
were flNed whilr his own party friends. lore
wurned ot his selection could attend at the polls
Under iha provision by which the voter might
vote at any poll in the parish County, IL was
easy to have the II 'puhleHns Especially those
who were nrgroesl yote-lor Instance. in par-
ish of ten pos-dt Nos. !. 2. 5. and wuen
they had thus concentrated their votes ~ these
polls 10 create some prntrnd"l or real disturb
an al the other polls. AMI tn'u 70 claim. be-
cause there were no k'pu liran votes poed nc
these other polls. that such Disturbances had
prevented n Tree elect on there. and therefore
20 exclude such polls; whereby all the Rrpub-
licnn vote conccnt.atrd at the selected polls
would be preserved. wil" the votes excluded
would br mainly Demo 'ratc votes. And this
b"came very common ana Oarciaced perform
anrr under this law.
Beyond this the general control given to tho
Supervisors Of registration enabled them falsely
t. swell the registry NJ thrir party 50 that
whenever the. vote 9i the party lell short Of
boon Intimidation to drive oil their voters
II is always aim To prevent party in
AT an election, tut the extraordinary powers
given 70 the election and returning officers in
! Louisiana Of course added greatly 10 the oppor-
| tunlty OF such wrongs.
THE COLOR LINE PRETENcE.
The Republicans began .cnrly by assuming
! that tho color Inc divl'l"l the politics OF tho
! State, and in 1870 II ui-iantiully dld. A lew
| white men had obtained tue control OF The polit-
| icul machinery. nud partly through sympathy
| ana promises. phr'N ny urSnulition. ana part
! Is hv ,hrea's, they hr'u tire negroes in IA COM
/ plrte control But eraduuiiv tholr misnHnage-
/ m"nt oi the S'ntr er"r't such Iilsnpp 'intment
first ana gradually u're-upon loclI questions
/ state ounstons ana i--urs. ,in,iird t1 leave the
| Repuhi'an party and vote with lis opponents.
/ Ia" hrpuburns. ON a." oIh'r hhnd, Tor me
/ same cause r"r"lVi n9 "ossion from the
/ co.orrd people h,'omr thHt al the elec-
I tnn of lSfl ll'r h'"ors "iS s,W'l rs Gov