New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-08
DOCTOR LOOMS,
THERE WASNO FAIR ELECTION
Mr.. BOATNER's SEAT IN THE HOUSE TIC
BE DECLARED VACANT.
GROSS FRAUDS WERE COMMITTED IN THE
WITH LOUISIANA DISTRICT THAT THE
WILL OF THE PEOPLE FOUND
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
NO EXPRESSION

tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEI
WASHINGTON March I'm the contested election
case of Benoit (PopulisO against Boatner Demo
craft of the With District OF Louisiana, Elections
Committee No 2 Of the House of Representatives
to-day decided TO report resolution Gearing tha'
neither contesee nor contestant Is entlued 10 '.'e
seat. After a thorough Sitting and Weighing OF 'he
testimony 1t was found that the title OF neither OF
tho narties 10 the contest could be established
despite the fact that Mr. Boatners majority. ac-
cordng to the officials. exceeded $500 In total Oh
about q 500 votes cast The number OF votes re-
turned for Boatner 1880 and Tor Behoil o'''
Nearly one-haf G12D Of Boatners vote was re-
turned from the four parishes OF Concoraia, r,as'
Carol Madison and Tensas, from three OF which
total Of 81 was returned for Benoit ana from VIZ
fourth none In these parishes the coored voters
ounumbered the white voters about ten 10 one ou'
the former do not VOTE and for numDer Vi yeas
have not attempted to vote. The poiipooNs ies'
,raon hooks and all other records pertaining 10 Inc
election of 1894 in these parishes had disappeareu
and the most diligent and vigorous ehor's Vi 'le
contestant TO discover them were frustrated Mos'
of the election officers who were Summoned ~
testify failed to appear. and those VINO u'u 80
n testify under oath. the ground mat u! uoi's
an thew would ncriminate themselves Ali Oh
them without single exception. were acu'e par =
tisans Of the SoWnsIV and wuy falslhed the
turns was shown, not only by their refusal 10 res
tify for the reason given. but also by the rae, d a
none of the official returns were suoSe'o'N "'N
oath as required by law. ann
In short the testimony In the most compiete, ,no
vinc,ng and overwhelming manner. shows tnat sne
so-caed election in the four parishes named va
criminal OF the worst and ioui"t Psc,i
tious' spurious and fraudulent In degree when
has seldom. If ever been equaIiea IN une "'s'o'' -
Among the other eleven parishes In the district
are four Cayborne. Jackson Lincoln ana en nor
shes because the white people. who are small
farmers largely outnumber the coioTeu Peope, CON
these parishes elections have usually been con-
d'n,ad With a reasona BILE degree OF fairness ana
honesty and peaceabiy According 70 ,ns ,s oe, nd
Rosiner carried the other one the total vote OF the
former being $3.50 and that or the latter I,ooo W
returns from these four parishes were nov cna -
iensed by the contestant although he had reason 10
believe that frauds were committed III ia! ~, nc
parish by means Of wacn ne w, Sas other seven par
ishes of the district are three, Cadweil' N
and Quaerita in portions OF " me c .de voters
while in other portions the colored Vo'ers
i nei Wv, beavv frauds were committed. while In the
white districts where the election was conuu t,,e
with a reasonable degree OF fairness maJof'ueS
were returned for the contestant
In Ouachta Parish there were not only whoiesaIe
frauds but gross intimidation OF fepuDfan voe a,s
oren ballots on which Boatner,s name was m
scrbed driven from the polls by threats a ana Se
Contestant claimed that he was thus uniawiuy de-
pmered 81 good deal Of testimony in support OF his
Intention but the evidence whole did not FUR
nsh a sufiicient basis for an attempt TO purge the
false and fraudulent returns from that parish. and
| The same was true OF the other parishes In the
The democratic members OF the Elections CON
mittee vii! oppose the resolutions submitted py the
ma jority and offer a substitute one dseia'ihs
thai Mr. Boatner elected and Is entitled 70 lne
seat There only two kinds OF contested ei e
lion cases in which Dem ocrats find themselves aoe
| To- agree with their Republican colleagues one IS
composed Of in which the Republcans unah'-
con ;estant who Is a Democrat and the other 10 COM
nosed OF cases In which the sitting member. VINO IS
! Democrat refuses to defend his title ana per
sonally appears before the committee ana aeciarss
| that the seat rghtfuly belongs to the Repuphcah
I, * hardly proper refer to the only case OF the
iatter sort IN the history OF the United states co
aress as ,no OF a class That case was IN TINS 'o'i-
| eress and the Democrat who refused TO Occupy d
| Seat which did not belong TO him was MT Mcrahh
| ~ Illinois In that case the Democratic members
Of The Elections Committee. as well as their par
Associates IN the House Of Representatives. mace a
| virtue Ct a necessity and agreed win the hePu'"-
| ,.;,,o. NJ . tn +hraa
NJ the five cases thus far disposed OF o.! IL nas peen
| unanimous In each Of the cases the declsIon Wa
IN favor of the sitting member, who Is Democrat.