The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-08-21
FOSTERS REPORT ON THE

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! llFrom tho Congressional Record, page 1916
II 49, February ssrd. 1s751
!, The following is the report submit
. ted by Mr.. Foster:
i The undersigned, a majority Of th,
Committee on the state Of the South
, respectfully report:
That they can not agree to the re
, portmade to the committee by Messrs
Hoar, Wheeler and Frye.
The laws inimical to the colorei
people of Louisiana referred to Ia theil
report, have been repealed for years
Except during the chism Of Governor
Warmouth in 1872, the Repnblicau
party has long had control Of the ma
chinery Of the State.
The late reeistration shows an ex.
cess of the colored over the white vo.
| ters, giving SO, ,78l colored to 76. 1928
In the absence Of any direct evidences
that the late elections are not free and
fair, the assumption by the majority
that enough colored voters msst there
haye been preyented from voting .,
the late election by the recollection Of
the Colfax and Coushatta killings, and
by other riots which occurred years
before. to have changed the electlon
Throughout the State, 10 An assump.
tionl 20 violent, when It is recollected
that both those parishes elected q full
Kellogg ticket BY Republican majori-
ties. % not 70 be received. If any 9TH
or cause for the vote Of tho State can
be found. Such cAuses exist and are
obvious. Among them are:
IL The Registrations was sincorrecf,
/ The registratioN was wholly In the
hands Of the Kellogg officials, nth
whom Republican committee, with
United States llGarshsl r PAckard q their
head, co-operaletl. In ouly three par
i 116800 k4Se4 OeASsAe4 oeROAsy A1Vt
OF repatriation make any complaint OF
unfair or Insufficient registration. On
tho other hand very great complaint
vas mads by the GonssrsatiS yes, who
specified with proof, ffty two humid
red cases Of lconcesled registration in
New Orleans alone, and those Con-:
in joint party COMMITTEES TO secure Q
fair registration. gave up the effort In
despair. ,f:ssss1s is.ss
The census OF 1870 (the correctness
not being impeacheu) shows 87,O76
whites and sc, ,9l3 colored males over
| 81 years Of age. All the statiatics and
evidence before us indicated no change
IN this proportion in favor Of the col.
ored voters. Yet the registration of
colored voters exceeded by 1900 the
total number OF colored adult males
returned by the census while the reg
istfAtiOn Of white voters was 10 GOO.
2. The whole number of voters reg
istered was 167, ,6O4. or these LAG, ,523
voted. This is larger proportion OF
registered voters than usually vote in
any Of the Northern States. In an
agricultural State, ,thinly settled where
long journeys had often to be made to
reach the polls, it is unreasonable to
suppose that . greater proportion OF
tho registered blacks would have vol
untariIy turned ont to sustain . gov
Iernment under which the prosperity
| Of tho State, and their wages and the
value OF their shares of production has
steadily declined, than usually vote ct
elections.
3. In 1875, when the vote through
out all the States was seriously affect
ed against the Republican party,
change resulting largely from the fl
nancial distress of the people, and
which should. therefore, naturally
have been even larger in Louisiana
than elsewhere. s-e
4. It became the interest of the Con-
lservatives, ct least 1T the State cleo
ton, not to intimidate, but to acquire
by every fair means, the colored vote.
Psrties who were alleged to have
threatened blacks. even with refusal
OF employment were subject to prompt
arrest. ..sss8sss fsz.sss
It was known that pretexts would
be sought to deprive the Conserve
tivcs Of tho result IL they prevailed in
tho election. 1t was therefore their
interest to AVOID giving any such pre-.
texts. Accordingly they determined
everywhere to cooperate with and
conciliate the blacks. They voted
down the propositions or suggestions
which we're made in the early part OF
the campaign, for refusal to employ
those colored voters who would not
co-operAte with them, and generally
sought, by combining with tho color
ed voters, to carry the election.
Local combinations against the Kel-
lo9G candidates were made in many
parishes by men Of all parties and col.
orr. ID several parishes union tick.
et Of col0red Conservative voters was
voted for aud elected. 40 Intelligent
colored witness testified that he "de-
sirod better government, land to that
endaWas willing 70 o"swsllow the white
0eu, 81 sthe white men would swallow
shN eolored.r e These causes and feel.
ings naturally united to Newell the
Conservative vote In such localities
exactly as indicated by the returns.
5. Tho entire want of any direct ev-
idence TO show any general intimida.
ton Of tho colored voters. a.. ssi:.
|svOf course 10 90 large . State it
would be .impossfble there should be
no iustsnces Of refusal 10 employ nor
OF intimidation. Such occur in every
State. But the evidence certainly In
dicAtes no general Intimidation Of col
ored voters, and that such intinida-
ton as did exist in the State Vas rath-
or In the interest of the Republicans
than Of the Conservatives. The United
States Marshals, whose chief was
chairman. Of the Republican State
Committee, armed in some cases by
blank warrants. msde constant arrests
before the elections aud not after
ward. The overnight of the electl0ns
and of the returns was with Governor
Kellogg's officials. Their count and re-
turn did show twenty mine majority
Of members of the Lower House elec-
ted by the Conservatives without any
protest whatever, except in three par
ishes, although 1t was their province