Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-03-26

contrasted with that OF General Francis
c. Barlow, whose fidelity TO all his
obligations, and integrity, indopend-
ence, faith and truth, the report espcial.
ly commends
THE LOUISIANA FRAUDS.
In regard to Louisiana, the report
begins with reference to the anoma.
ious power possossedb by the Returning
Board, which, it says never before ex'
listed elsewhere. Under it, electors
and returning officers held the grossest
power over the receiving and counting
of votes. Under the pretext that the
color line divided political parties, they
had used this power to fraudulently
count the State for the Republicans,
and had been exposed by the Republi-
can committee of tho Forty-third Con-
gress which had reported that the
whites and blacks OF the State being
equal, and some of the blacks and all
the whites having voted for Democrats
in 1874, the State had necessarily been
carried by them, although counted for
Republicans. Hereupon, Republicans
set about false census in which they
made it appear that there wero $4,000
moro black votes in the State than
white, and as illustrating the fraudu-
lent nature Of this census the report
refers to the fact that while this census
reported but $1,000 colored men, wo-
men and children 10 New Orleans, il
made out Of them NEARLY 25, 900 color
ed voters. 1t then Instances fraudu-
lent registration that was based upon
this fraudulent census, whereby it was
made to appear that registered Repub-
lican voters exceeded white voters in
the State more than $4,000, while, ac.
tually, there were 10 more, and the re.
iusal of the authorities 20 correct this
false registration in cases where its
falseness was pointed out. From this
report rccites tho direction of the Re
publican authorities to Supervisors OF
the parishes, requiring them to return
votes according to the census that is,
stating the colored adults, by that
census, in their parishes were SO many,
and they were expected to return q
Republican vote corresponding to that,
if they ever expected any reward OF
preferment
Notwithstanding this organized
fraud, says the report, when the cleo
tions were over, Democrats had ma
jority as returned by Republican cleo
ton officers of some ten thousand, the
vote polled being the largest ever poll
ed in the State, and larger in proper
tion to population than that of othel
States. The Republican officers mad,
returns of the vote accordingly, ant
declared that the election was perfect
ly peaceful and fair The Republican,
! in order to overcome this majority
then usurped the powers not given Il
them. In support of this, the repor
cites the finding of the Hoar, Wheeler
and Frye Committee that the Return
ing Board had no power to discarC
votes where protests, as required By
law, had not accompanied returns, NJ
instance Of which existed q. this eec
tion. Notwithstanding this, the Re
turning Board decided to discard tn,
necessary number of Democratic votes
As pretext for this usurpation, they
obtained protests from certain parishes
which they picked out as parishes il
which TO pretend intimidation haC
taken place. The parishes were al
largely Of the negro population which
Democrats had easily carried.
THE ouEsrioS or INTIMIDATION.
The report then deals with tho ques
! tion Of intimidation and argues that |
was impossible for Democrats to gair
anything by it because the Return
; ing Board had been created on purpos'
to neutralize any such action by throw
ing out votes in localities where |
would prevail. 1t recites the out
, rageous conduct of the same Returnin,
Board IN that respect in 1874, and how
its action had been condemned by th,
Forty.third Congress, giving instance
where they had counted in official
without color Of right, men whom tb'
Congressional Committee had causet
to be turned outand their places givei
to Democrats, the Democrats knowing
that they could gain nothing by in
timidation, but they could only hop,
for some show OF justice by avoiding
anything which might be made pre-
tense tor alleging it,
The report then recites efforts tina
were made throughout the State b,
} Democrats to conciliate the black vote
showing by the evidence Of Republi
: can witnesses, as well as testimony o
gentlemen of character like Governo
Whitfield, how planters combined will
( negroes to get up clubs of both color
and referring TO promises and assur
ances made to negroes even to equalit.
in cars, theatres, etc., tar outranninl
} Republicans. The leaders having join
, ed the Democrats the whole mass Q
negroes came in and became quite er
: thusiastic supporters, and thus the vot
. in some Of the so-called bull-dore'
parishes was the largest ever cast.
. As to tho conspiracy in East Feleci
r ana parish, the report states that, afte
the Democrats had conciliated the M
groes there Kellogg wanted Anderson
. who was Supervisor, to have no ele'
= ton, and Anderson fraudulently ra
] away with that view, to furnish an es
. cuso to throwing the parish out q
. Grant parish was thrown out, becaus
: the Supervisor Of Registration absente
a himself on election day notwithstant
q ing this tho officer held the clectio