National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-06-11
LOUISIANA BULL-DOZING IN WASHING
TON.

The Democrats, with the unparalleled ef-
frontery of practiced talsitiers of fact, have
uniformly denied that there was any such
thing as "bull-dozing" in Louisiana. They
have said that the Democrats did not pre-
vent colored men in that State, by force or
persecution of any kind, from voting as
they pleased, and there have been Republic
cans in the North credulous enough to be-
licve these Democratic statements. The
management of the SPoFFORD case before
the Senate Committee on Privileges and
Elections, and which BEN HILL seems to
run, should convince these credulous people
that they have been mistaken.
SPoFFoRD through his agents, one Of
whom is, we believe, an employee of the
Senate, has been searching through Louis
lana to find witnesses that would swear him
into the Senate, aud finally succeeded in Sc
curing eight men who probably desired TO
visit Washington at Government expense,
and who said that they would swear as Mr..
SPoFFoRD or his agents should direct. These
witnesses were put in charge of one CAV
ANAC as conscience keeper, to be trained by
him IN perjury, and brought before the
committee. On arriving here some of
them concluded to tell the truth, and in
stead of swearing as they were instructed
to do by Conscience Keeper CAVANAC, that
KELLOGG had bribed them TO vote for him
as Senator, they swore that SPoFFoRD was
the man who had done the bribing. This
action disturbed the equanimity of Con-
science Keeper CAVANAC. The first of his
witnesses on the stand, by whom he was to
blacken KELLOGG and exalt SPoFFORD,
went back on him." Here was an un-
looked-for contingency, but Conscience
Keeper CAVANAC was equal to the emer-
pency. He remembered how bull-dozing
worked in Louisiana-how the whipping ol
shooting of one negro prevented Others from
going to the polls-and he determined tc
trya little bull-dozing in Washington. He
promptly repaired TO that laboratory where
Louisiana politicians resort when they want
to convince the public mind-an affidavit
shop-and there swore out or up, or down
AN affidavit that JOHNSON had committed
perjury.
This was intended to have'a dual signif
cance. The witness JOHNSON was one o.
SPoFFORD's own" and it was necessary t.
discredit him before the public, MS he haC
not "panned out.n An anchor was thu
laid 10 windwurd for the Democrats TO faster
their charge that the witnesses were peuur
, ing themselves. The other significance q
this conscience keepers affidavit was il
p threat TO succeeding witnesses. 1t wa
equivalent TO saying to them, Swear as
: have directed you and as you have prom
"' ised', or | will have you all arrested 70
q " pcriuryn This is Louisiana bulI-dozinl
in milder form than it is practiced in tha
State. There it takes the shape Of double
' baueled shot-guns aud reyolvers in tn,
v hands Of n crowd Of cowardly murderer9
u who surround the cabin Of some poor negrt
. and say Vote ~ we want you TO or b
= " shot;n or it may be the shape of the bul
= whip, from which the practice takes 1T
) name, handled by the same crowd of COW
c ards and "well laid ON the back of th
G negro to make him a Democratic voter
u Here bull-dozng is by alidayits, but tn
+ intention is the same. The effect aimed a
is identical with that sought for throug
= the shotgun, the revolver and the bu
. whip. Men are to be htmiaated int
: doing just what the Democrats want ther
5 to do.
f 50 far the conscience keepers tactics hay