New-York tribune., 1885-02-09
FIGHTING A RING.
nruocRAr1c METHODS IN LOUISIANA
rur couNT1NG-oUT PROCESS MADE EAsf-D0S'
MESS MEN GROWING TIRED OF IT.


frpoN STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.
Nrw-ORIEANs Feb. 4.-If the people OF the
North who come to New-Orleans to vlsit tne EA
bositon. will take the trouble to make inquiries
leading business men here they VIII return nollo
convinced that the half has not been toid conoei"
tng the outrageous methods employed by the DEMO
cratic ring in carrying elections IN Louisiana A"
what is true of Louisiana Is almost eqnaiiy ',ue
avery other Southern State, so far as irauuu0no
elections are concerned. IT the Expositioh soi'9.
to IMPRESS these facts upon the Northern people IL
S,ll be worth its cost to the National Treasury
One of the gravest questions that now coHiiono
the Republic is that growing out OF these irauuu-
liant elections When the late war broke OUT IL "a'
4he general belief here that one 0ou'n %
erp volunteer was equal TO three 1anho"o. -,
illusion went down In the smoke OF the pa''''' W.,
to reappear twenty years after the war AZ po
nsl fact Tn one Southern district at tho ias' 0
fion only 1000 votes were cast, ana 'na'
to elect n Democratic member OF Congress ny
large majority" who has equal voice al "aslhs, No
Ton with a member representing nearly oo,ooo
Northsrn voters, The ratio of votes for Presiden-
tial electors in Louisiana was 1s,2oI wni,o n ~ ~
Northern States the ratio averaged from 3o,ooo 10
az 600. How this unjust condition Of things Is 10
he corrected is no doubt the leading politcai quoS
tion of the future. 1t is q state OF aHano ua0 "
the farcical character of the elections IN the sou'
fact of which any person can soon Sa'i'iy r..S
here Many business men in New-Orieahsaroi ia' "
ino enoug gh to know that so long as these whoesio
frauds are continued the South Will suIer coni-
mercially. But there Is little prospect VI any
change. There Is no doubt that the Republicans
.Ioot.d THAR candidate for Governor at the last
Stat. election. and there is no doubt that Blame
carried the State. but under existing laws and
yretheds an bepest election almost Impossible.
II is all right in the eyes of Southern Democrats to
cheat Republicans in National contest, but many
of these same Democrats rebel when they hnd
themselves cheated in State contest
The celered exceeds the W hite population in this
State by at least 10000, and it is an admitted fact
that there are over 5000 active white Republican
voters In the State. Of the white males thousands
are aliens and nonvoter., merely residents OF the
State-mostly in New-OrleaAs-engaged In COM
mercial pursuits 1t is conceded by all far-ninded
Democrats that In National contests the
colorcd voters will, If permitted, all
vote the Republican ticket. 10
fact the head of the Democratic ring In this state
said within few days that with the exception OF
smal purchasable element the negroes all vote the
Republican ticket. The claim, therefore, or ne
publican majority in this State is justified by an
overwhelming array of facts. To overcoae that
majority in the first place, as is well KNOWN DULL
DOING methods including the shotgun, were re-
nm Infamous set of election laws placing all power
In the hands of the Governor, by means OF which
an honest election is impossible unless the Governor
no wills This has created State ring and city
ring. who perpetuate themselves In power. Inc
effect is well stated in address issued previous
TO the last city election and signed by John Phelps
President of the Cotton Exchange Carl Aohn, fres-
fdent of the Union National BANK
E. X Converse, President of tho Pro-
duce Exchange, James l. Day. PRESIDENT
of the Sun Mutual Insurance Company, Henry
BALDWIN. Simon Hernstein, George b. Jonas, and
many other leading business men Of the city, nearly
all Democrats In that address they said:
Murder runs riot in our midst and the hand Of justice
ispaTalyzed political influence and corruption I I
streets are q Of reeking tlth, and our plDnc
school system, which in former years WAS pointed 20
with pride the ne best @ SdTmsr % any ' eyeece shall
we resign al hope Of the bright future which shou9 De
Sela,SeTs openly and agrsnty violate law aud eonstu
tiona right to elevate them 70 their badly administered
tbs depiorabe condition Of our affairs. We
long trade and the scope for the a5orng ring nan
from abroad produce more work aad we can only at
tract it by inspiring confidence through good gov
ernmeEt
This and much more of the same kind from the
presidents Of the varions exchanges and other bnsl-
ness organizations reveals the increasing dissatis-
faction among Derecrats whose pockets are touched
bv the outrageous msrule Of the men they aided to
place in power and cannot now dislodge. The Psc-
ayune one Of the leading Democratic journals OF the
South, has been assisting IL this hght on tHe rhg'
and il said a few days age:
Bad as the situation Is 1t would be incacuaby worse
the ring and the city ring should be reinforced
rspeat itself and we should Governors and United
sates senators nominated and virtually elected without
the slightest reference to the popular WILL
This will servo to shsw that there are Democr is
In Louisiana who rebel against present methods.
The interests of tho State are peculiar. Her
planters Of sugar and rice are dependent
upon protection. The city requires pro-
lection for its manufactures and to aid its COM
merce A large majority of the people are IN favor
Of protection TO all American industries. This ma
fority is opposed to continuing the countlng-Out
process in elections. AS business men they named
an Independent Democrat, General w. j. Behan, a
wealthy wholesale merchant, for Mayor at the last
city election in opposition to a young ward leader
pnt Sy ths T G be was eeS
majority of 7207 votes according to his own
. swern statement and that of Twenty-Five other
citizens, yet he counted out under the methods
that prevail here without the least trouble. What
those methods may be easily gathered from the
election laws There ffty-seven parishes in
the State and for each one there is officer known
as the returning officer, who Is appointed by the
Governor and removable at his pleasure. This re-
Turning officer appoints many places fcr voting as
he plsases in his parish and these voting places are
presided over by the commissioners and clerks
whom he appoints. They make their returns TO
bim and he sends compiled statement to the
Goyernsr's Secretary of State, who promulgates
the sas.c officially. Every voter must be regis
tsTed by an officer alse appointed by the Governor
IL will thus be seen that the entire election
machinery of the State is in tie hands OF the
Governor. Every officer in any way concerned in
registering counting and returning the vote is
erssture Of the Governor. Let the voters in New
York for instance consider for moment what
uould be tho effect of the passage of law placing
such power in the hands Of Governor Dave
Hill. Allow him to name every election oilcer lm
Eew-York City and State, and TO choose them all
from his own party. and to promulgate the returns
6lrnself not permitting any person except his own
- T.. IA the X0fnR taken