Year: 1877

STATE, ana restored Jne uBurper 10 Jne
place which did not belong to him. The
Democrats regularly elected a majority of
the Legislature; as regularly the Return
ing Board certified a majority Of their
seats TO carpet-bagg ers or sCalawags or
negroes not chosen; and when the true
members met to organize for business the
army was punctually on hand to tumble
them out Of their hall.


Applied to the Presidential Election.


The election came off on the proper day
supervised and controlled at every poll
ing place by officers of the carpet-b bag in.
terest. According to their count, the re-
suit was majority of 1859 for the Tilden
electors. 1t has never yet been denied
that this majority was made up of ballots
cast by citizens legally qualified. The
vote was regularly taken and properly
counted, and q true record of it made In
perpetuam rel memOrian These facts be.
ing undisputed, il follows that the Tilden
electors were duly appointed, if the peo.
pleofthe State have the appointing power
which they certainly have, unless the
Constitution and the statute book are not
to be relied on.


But the opponents of Tilden and Hen
bricks determined that the record of the
appointment made by the people should
be mutilated and changed so as to make
it appear as if electors for Hayes and
Wheeler had been chosen. They preten-
ded to believe that violence and intimi-
datlon had frightened the African Hayes
men from the polls, and that their
CowardiCe ought to be visited, in the form
of disfranChisement, on the heads of 9TH
ers who had intrepidity enough to per-
form their political duty. The allegation
was utterly false. 1t was made not only
without evidence to sustain it, but in the
face Of overwhelming proof to the contra
ry. All the places of registration and vot-
ing were guarded by the creatures of the
Federal and State administrations, super
intendents, commissioners, deputy mar
shals, and soldiers, and all of these with
one voice said that the elections were
peaceable and free. Indeed, it is literally
impossible that any intimidation or vio-
lence could have been practised. No SEN
sible person ever gave credit to it for
moment. Notwithstanding much men.
tai anxiety about the result, various rea-
sons combined to make the election in
Louisiana probably the most quiet and
undisturbed in the Union.


The Character Oflts Members.


The personnel ofthe board justified the
faith ofthelcarpet-baggers and their allies
If the evidence concerning its members
be rightly reported by the investigating
committee, they we're marked out by the
history oftheir previous lives, noted and
signed to do any deed of shame which
might be required at their hands. Wells
was a Custom House officer at New Or
leans, and one of the worst of that bad
lot; defaulter to the State Of long stand
ing, without character for integrity or
veracity, and for thirty years regarded as
unworthy to be trusted. Anderson's cha
ter for honesty was equally bad he had
earned it in part by aiding while he was
a Senator to putup fraudulent job upon
the State, and taking the iniquitous pro-
ceeds to himself. OF the two mulattoes,
one was indicted for larceny, and after
admitting his guilt, was allowed to escape
punishment, and promptly taken into
the board. The other was too ignorant to
know his duty, but his testimony showed
such indifference TO the obligations of an
oath that he was deemed as safe for the
carpet -baggers as either of his colleagues.


They comprehended the situation, saw
the difficulty of the work before them,
and resolved to make it pay in something
better than mere promises of "recogni-
tion," however generous and ample"
Wells, who was their spokesman in pri-
vate as in public, wrote in strict conf,
denCe to a carpet-bag Senator then at
Washington letter which, being con-
densed into plain English, means this
"There's millions in it. See our friends
and act promptly, Buy us Immediately
or we will sell out to the other side. Talk
freely to the gentleman who presents
this; he knows the moves" To the bea-
rer of the letter he explained that it was
very hard work to count in the Republi-
can candidate-the Democratic majority
was to large to handle-he wanted to
serve his party, but he would not take
this job without compensation he must
have 100000 apiece for himself and An
derson, and a smaller sum for the niggers.'
On this basis he authorized his ambas-
sador at Washington to negotiate with
the Republican managers. At the same
time he was Offering himself at New
Orleans to the Democrats, at first for half
a million, but afterward proposed that
he would leave in enough votes to elect
Mr.. Nichols Democratic candidate for
Governor) if 100000 cash were first
placed in his hands.


Their violations Of the Statute.


The action of the returning officers in
this whole business was unsupported by
legal authority. The Legislature of the
State did not, because it could not, give
them power to disfranchise qualified
electors. They lacked, therefore, the
general Jurisdiction which they assumed.
But that is not all; they proceeded in the
very teeth even of the void statute which
they professed to follow. That statute
pretends to give them no such authority
as they exercised over any return to
which a protest or statement or charge
of intimidation is not attached when it
is sent in by the Supervisor of Registra-
ton or the Commissioner of Election,
and the charge so attached to the re.
turn must be supported by the aAidavits
of three citizens Of the proper parish.


Wanting this, the board was absolute
ly without the pretence of power to touch
the return from any parish or polling
place, except for the purpose of compil-
ing it and adding it as true to the others.
By the election law of Louisiana the
board has no more authority to examine
or decide a question of Intimidation
which is not raised by the election off.
GERS than a private individual would
have to steal it from the records and
burn it. So stands the law. The fact is
established by conclusive evidence that
from every one Of the Democratic par
ishes the returns came up without any
charge, statement, or protest. In all
those cases they were therefore without
color of jurisdiction.


Forging AildaVits aud Returns.