The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-07-21
SOUTHERN POLITICS,
from the Chicago Tribunal

attest that it is the purpose of the South
ern Bourbons to make desperate effort
to carry all the Congressional elections
next fall, and stop at nothing in the
shape of fraud or violence which may be
necessary to the success of their under
taking.
Advices coming by the way of Wash
ington Indicate the adoption of an cleo
ton law in Louisiana. which will be the
most barefaced outrage upon the popu-
lar electoral system ever perpetrated In
this country. A copy of the bill was
sent to Senator Kellogg by member of
the Louisiana Legislature with the in
dorsement ''This is right from he'll"
The character of the bill warrants the
strongest language which Louisiana
politician can use. If it shall become
law, and there does not seem to be
much doubt of it, such thing as free
expression of the popular will In elect
ing Representatives to Congress will be
simply impossible in the State of Louis
lana. In effect, members of Congress
from Louisiana will thereafter be APP
pointed by coterie of men of the Gov
errors selection, without regard to po-
litical maiorities.
The proposed law provides that forty
days before the Congressional election
the Governor shall appoint for each
parish County, in the State three Su-
pervisors of Election. There is no limi-
tation whatever upon the Governors
selection of these men, and, as he is
likewise given the power to remove as
well as appoint the Supervisors, they
will become, of course, mere tools in his
hands. These Commissioners are en-
dowed with the highest police powers,
and authorized to revise the registration
books and poll-books of the parish,
and erarse names or add names to the
voting-lists at their discretion. These
three Supervisors also appoint for each
election district in the parish three
/ Commissioners, who are given the pow
J er of judges of election, and upon the
selection OF whom there is only one re-
striction, VIZ: that they shall not be of
the same political party, eff suitable
persons of different parties are to be had
! in the election district. 1t is entirely
safe to predict that In every district
! where the Supervisors cannot find
plant tool in the person of some pre-
tended Republican they will exercise
their discretion and make up the election
Judges exclusively of Democrats. Be-
side, the Commissioners or judges are
authorized to receive only such votes as
have been previously listed by the Su-
pervisors.
It would seem as though the machin-
cry already described would be ample to
assure Bourbon majority in every cleo
ton district, but, in order to make as
surance doubly sure, there are still other
provisions for excluding Republican ma
iorities which may possibly slip in. For
instance, the election judges are required
to receive the ballots for Congressman
in separate box, lock it as soon as the
polls are closed, and transmit it, along
with the key in a sealed envelope and
the poll lists, to the Supervisors appoint
ed by the Governor, who are given five
days to tinker, throw out, add to, tabu-
late and return the maiorities. Thus
the result of the election turns in every
instance upon the will of the State
Supervisors whom the Governor ap-
points. All the other provisions Of the
law would seem to be practically superb
rogatory. We presume, however, that
other restrictions are imposed merely to
make the work Of the Commissioners
easier. OF such is the provision that
nobody shall approach nearer than twen-
ty-five feet from the polls except those
engaged in voting and those engaged in
receiving the votes. The effect of this
will be that most of the colored men in
Louisiana will come within about twenty
five feet of voting. Further prohibition
of voting is contained in the following
conditions imposed upon the form of the
ballot:
No ticket must be used at any election unless
l. 1t is written or printed on paper furnished
by the Secretary of State, or upon paper In ev-
cry respect precisely like such paper.
2. It's size shall be one and one-half by three
inches, or within sixteenth of an inch of such
size.
3. The name OF the person voted for and the
Office designated are printed in black INK and in
long primer small capitals, and both without
spaces except between the different words in
each line.
3. II printed, the same margin is left above
the printed matter as below 1t.
5. II printed the lines are straight, and the
size Of margin of each line is equal
No ballot must be used at any election having
any mark or thing thereon whereby it might be
distinguished from any other ballot used on the
same day.
No ballot or ticket must be used on the day of
election having any mark or thing thereon by
or from which it can be aecertained what per-
son, or what class of persons used or voted it,
Or at what time of the day such ballot was voted
or used.
Under these terms it is possible at any
i fha+ kIo q 5oI
the Office of the Secretary of State may
give out altogether after the Bourbon
tickets shall have been printed, and in
any case it will be difficult to avoid every
one of the manifold irregularities in the
preparation Of tickets which would vitiate
the ballot.
In spirit, in terms, and III its practi-
cal operation, the law is evidently de-
signed to nullify the national election
laws, to defeat the will of the majority
whenever that majority is opposed to
Bourbon rule, and to accomplish under
the gulse of law all that has been accom-
pllshed by the Bourbons heretofore by
terrorism, tissue ballots, ballot-bOx
stufing, and other devices of fraud.
In South Carolina preparations for the
election of solid Bourbon delegation
to Congress have been made upon a
different but probably less effective
plan. What is called the edible plan |"
for redistricting the State contains sys-
tenn of gerrymandering altogether un-
paralleled in previous efforts. Counties
and even townships are split into frag-
ments in order to assure Democratic
majorities everywhere. One district has
apparently been conceded to the negroes,
! into which 81, ZOO colored voters have
beer crowded, with only 1000 white
voters. To do this it has been necessary
to include within this district territory
in pretty much all parts of the State.
1t Is described as follows:
beginning with Sumter county in the
heart of the eastern division of the State,
the district runs southwesterly through
, Richland county, from which it takes q
single township thence southerly it cuts
off seven townships from Orangeburg
county thence due south, taking all of
Charleston county except the city Of
Charleston and a small outlying terri
tory. West and south of Charleston, it
includes mart of CoIleton and all of