Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 January 1875 — The “Gigantic Fraud” in Louisiana [ARTICLE]

The “Gigantic Fraud” in Louisiana

Yesterday the Legislature of Indiana met in joint session and on first ballot elected Joseph E. McDonald, Democrat, United States Senator to succeed Hon. D. D. Pratt. The vote was as follows: McDonald. Dem0crat...........'.... 7s. Pratt, Republican -14. Buchanan, Independent. 13. Thompson, Republican <i. Holman, Dem0crat.......... 3. Curry, Republican 3. Absent 4. Delaware elected Bayard. Democrat, New York elected Kernan. l>emocrat, Pennsylvania, W all ace, Democrat, and Massaclmsets . Dawes, Republican. Tennessee, Michigan, Wisconsin. Nebraska. Maine and Missouri are still balloting. Potter, a Democrat, wrote the report of the New Orleans 1 n vest ipatimr Committee. No wonder it favored tile White Leaguers,-- Ind. Journal. It is truly wonderful and at th<‘ j same time absolutely shocking to see and realize what power for devilish wickedness a single Democrat sometimes possesses. Now here was a Congressional aub-com-miltee consisting of Messrs. Phelps and Foster, “whose personal integrity, and whose Republicanism,” says a leading Republican paper, “are beyond all question,” and Mr. Potter, a Democrat, sentNlown to New Orleans to investigate the cause of so much political trouble in Louisiana, and take testimony concerning the alleged violence and proscription of the White League. The sub committee completed their labors, and made their report to Congress; but instead of condemning the white people in Louisiana as banditti, according to the suggestion cf General Sheridan, they, if the Joinrnal't innuendo is true, exculpated .them from much of the blame that had been charged upon them. Here, then, is seen the spectacle of a single Democrat, acting ato HW CHTKOT 51 COIIIttH lice. 111 UKing a report to favor the side, with which he is in sympathy,, and by tome peculiar hocus piocus arrangement prevailing upon his two Republican colleagues to affix t heir signatures thereto! Now we beg to enter our solemn protest against any more Democrats being appointed on investigating committees with weak-minded Republican members of Congress, or else let them be declared bandits and turned over to the tender mercies of a drumhead court-mar-tial whenever they are guilty oi such atrocity as the Journal charges against Mr. Potter! President Grant, Senator Logan and the Republican press of the North -endeavor to make a serious point against the Opposition in Louisiana because merchants oL Shreveport prior to the. election last fall signed an agreement “to use every endeavor to get our employees to vote the People's ticket at the ensuing election, and in the -event of their refusal so to do, or in case they vote the Radical ticket, to refuse to employ them at the expiration of their present contracts.” And also because another large body published a paper in which they said “we do agree and pledge ourselves not to advance any Supplies or money to any planters the coming year who will give employment or rent lands to laborers who vole the Radical ticket in the coming election.” Weak indeed must be the cause whose advocates are compelled to seize upon such demagogical excuses to bolster it up. Call that intimidation do they, and make it the .pretext for sending United States soldiery to overawe the people at the ballot-box? Surely tyrants want but small provocation to justify their acts of usurpation and violations of constitutional For forty years there has not been a Presidential election held in the United States where the Administration in power did not make U6e of precisely the same measures of “intimidation” to influence Gov. ernment employees to vote as the party iu power dictated. Not a single Department of the National Government but has pursued an identical coarse towards the subordinates and clerlfis at VYasbington.. It is a notorious fact that every large manufacturing establishment jn the Northern States, and so far*

as possible .every largo newsptfper company, every railroad corporation, and every extensive fanner, adopts a similar course towards their employees, whenever political excitement attains to a high pitch. Even way back here in a little* country town as small as Rensselaer, men have been known to discharge* their employees because they could not control their votes 1 upon questions of purely local in- \ teresL It is probably safe to say j that not a single political campaign | passes but some excitable individual becomes offended at the course of a! iu wspaper, and withdraws his patronage because the editor dpeif not advocate a policy or vote to suit him. These are all notorious facts i that nonewill dispute. The desire j to promote what ts conceived to be j tor one's interest, bv everv means | at command, is inherent in all men, and in instances where that feeling is intensified, as during the excitement of political campaigns,-it.rnay -freipientlyr=overshadow the judgment of sober moments and then is manifested in such acts as President Grant, Senator Logan and the Republican press condemn in others but practice themselves. ~ •

There can be no longer any question as to the facts of the occurrence at New Orleans on the 4th of January. The attempted revolution by the Democrats, aided at first by the interference of the military upon their invitation, was frustrated in the end Lfy the like interference upon the request of the Governor and the Republicans of the Legislature. The whole country lias settled down to the conviction, so forcibly stated by the President, that, while interference by the General Government m a case not involving rebellion or insurrection ought not t-o be permitted or justified, still there were “circumstances connected with the late legislative imbroglio in Louisiana which seem to exempt, toe military from any intentional wrong m the matter. That special in alter disposed of, spectacle of a State Government in Louisiana which exists from hour to hour only by the force of f ederal bayonets. What is this State Government, and how did it originate? In 1572 there was an election for Presidential Electors, Governor, and State- officers —a-rtd-Lcgislature, in that State. Both parties claimed to have elected their ticket. Congress,in February following, refused .to count the electoral vote of the State. v The existing Governor of that State was deposed by a Legislature installed in ollice by Federal troops, acting under the authority of an order by a Judge of the Federal Court of New Orleans. Un.det the same authority, what is called the “Kellogg State Government” was declared elected. The Senate ot the United States referred this matter to a committee of seven Senators, ail of whom were acknowledged Republicans except Mr. Trumbull. That Committee, after a thorough investigation, made a leport iti February, IST”. They find that the Kellogg Government was “counted in” by a Board of Canvassers, of whom.the Committee say: . There is nothing iu all the comedy of blunders and frauds under consideration piolo indefensible than the pretended canvass of this Board. . . . The testimony abundantly establishes the fraudulent character of their canvass. . . . It is quite unnecessary to waste time in considering this part of the case; far no person can examine the testimony ever so cursorily without seeing that this pretended canvass hadnoseinblanoeof integrity. . . But -for rlie interference of Judge Durell i:i the matter of this Stale election—a matter wholly beyond his jurisdiction—the McEnery Government would to-day haye been the dc facto Government* of the {state —Judge Durell interposed the army of the United States'between the people of Louisiana and the only Government 'which has the semblance of regularity, and the result of this has been to establish the Kellogg Government, so far as That Israte now has auy Government. conclusion that, if tpe election held in November, lt>72, be not absolutely void for frauds committed therein, MeEitCrv aud his associates . . ought lo be recognized as the legal Government of the State. The Committee therefore investigate whether there was fraud, aud say: And, although we cannot approve of such a canvass as that made by the Lynch Board, who seem to have acted uj*on the principle of “fighting the Devil with fire,” aud circumventing fraud Uy fraud, and cannot say that Kellogg’s Government was elected, nevertheless we believe that Kellogg's Government was defeated, and the popular voice reversed, by the i fraudulent manipulation of' the i electiuu. The Committee concluded “that there is no State Government at present existing in the State of | Louisiana,’J and reported a bill providing lor a new election in the 1 State. This report was Signed by

Senators Carpenter, of Wisconsin; iLognu, of-Illinoijj Anthony, of Rhode Island; Alcorn, of Mississippi. .Judge Trumbull agreed with the facts staled, hut insisted that the McEnery Government should be recognized. Mr. Morton, u liile denouncing Judge Durell’s high-handed action, denied the right of Congress to interfere by ordering a new election, eto. As , to the election, lie a aid: ! Without concurring in the opinion | that the election was void, I entertain j no doubt that it Was an organized • fraud of the largest dimensions. Mr. Joshua Hill of Georgia, a Republican,conceding the accuracy lof the statements by the majority iof the Committee, opposed the remedy proposed. Here, then, we have.the solemn judgment of Senators Carpenter, j j' Logan, Anthony. Morton, Alcorn i i and HiH’, all Republicans, as to! j the. fniudulenT character of the j j election, and a solemn declaration; by Messrs. Logan, Carpenter, An-j tliony, and Alcorn-, that, if that j election was not void by reason of fraud, the McEnery and not the Kellogg Government was the true Government of the State. In the President’s —special message —to Corgross on Thursday last, he declares that in his judgment that election of 1872 was a “gigantic fraud,” and the Special Sub-Com-mittee ot the House, ill their report made the same day through Messrs. ! Phelps, of New Jersey, and Foster, of Ohio, who are among the most able and sterling Republicans of that body, also declared that election a “gigantic fraud.” So glaring was Durcll’s conduct, that Republican Committees of the House prepared articles of impeachment against him, and he only escaped by resigning. The concurrent testimony of the Republican Committees of tlie Senate, and of the House, and of the President, is, that the election of 1872 was a ■‘gigantic—fraud;” Congress, by its non-action, has forced the President to maintain thisefe facto Government by military force. The people of Louisiana and of the country have long since accepted as the true judgment that Kellogg was never elected, and was installed in office by an illegal order of Court and the use ot Federal arms. As a consequence, that £ lover mi re at has, never had- the moral gu pport of any- periori—ofparty. The President sends troops there to suppress domestic violent**, and, while surrounded by bayonets, the Government is valiant; the moment the troops retire, the Government tumbles over, the Governor and officers run away, and the troops have to Vie sent back. It is conceded by all that the Kellogg Government could not stand an hour without national Troops. It lias no followers save officials; it has no hold on the respect or confidence of any one, because it attainted with the original fraud and usurpation by which it was forced into power. Now comes the election cl 1874. Here we have the deliberate judgment of Messrs. Phelps and Foster, whose personal integrity and whose Republicanism are beyond all question, that- the election of 1874 resulted in the electron of a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives ot the State Legis--lat lire; that the Returning Board had acted unfairly and unjustly in altering the returns; in declaring men elected who were neverelected, and in excluding those who were elected. It must be borne iu mind that this is Republican testimony —not the tesliraqny of parti sans, and members of the various factions in New Orleans, but of respectable and honored Republicans, who have given their judgment like honest judges. A single illustration furnished by the report of the Returning Board confirms this view of the case. The returns made by the j election officers for Congress and j for State Treasurer, and the same' returns “corrected” by the State Board, show the following results: original corrected RETURNS, RETURNS Rep- Dm. Rep. Dm. Congress.. 68,907 77.5*29 67,465 71027 Treasurer. 71,962 74,901 69,544 63586 The Republican candidate for Treasurer was a colored man. The State Board concede by their; .official report a Democratic majority of 4,102 for Congress, and claim | a Republican State Treasurer by j 96R and a Republican Legislature, j Now, the Democrats mainly sought \ the election of the members of the Legislature; to that they devoted] their whole strength. Yet the Re- j turning Board, conceding that the j Democrats had carried the. State by over 4,000 majority for Congress, coup ted out a Democratic majority, which had unquestionably been elected, in the Legislature. It is a remarkable fact that iu a large majority of cases the votes of parishes or counties, and precinots, were rejected, not because of intimidation, as is now alleged, but because ot informalities in the returns, thus.giving to the mistakes of* a returning pflieer the loroe of defeating the popular will, and,

tending to produce violence and disorder. We respectfully submit to the Republicans in Congress and out of it, that the party cAn not carry Kellogg and his taction any longer; to do that is to put the party iu the position of carrying a £ ‘grgantic fraud,” as the President-declares it to be, two years longer, and doing this by the employment of the army. The Republican record on this subject is too strong and overwhelming. There is' the re-corded-evidence and solemn judgment of John A. Log an, M? JI. Carpenter, Henry B. Anthony, J. J. Alconi, and Joshua Ilill, that, unless the election of 1872 was void because of fraud, McEnery Was the legally-elected Governor of Louisiana, and that that election was void. Er. Morton’s jitlgment was that the election was a fraud, and the President now, after two years’ consideration of the case, declares it to have been a “gigantic fraud,” in which opinion Mr. Foster and Mr. Phelps now concur. The Republican party cannot go back of this record made by its own most eminent leaders. It cannot uphold the gigantic fraud by force. Tfie countrywill not sanction any such proceeding, supple-mented-as it now is, according to Mr. Phelps and Mr. Foster, by a hardly less atrocious fraud in de* -during the result of the election in 1874. Tiie Republican party has already suffered from the odium attaching to the Louisiana business far more than the party in possession of that State can ever be worth to it. The present Congress will be adjourned within six weeks, to be succeeded by a Congress whose popular branch will be ‘overwhelmingly Democratic for two years. We submit to Republican members that they cannot afford to adjourn and leave the “gigantic Kellogg fraud” on the hand's of the President to be upheld by Federal bayonets tor two years longer, and make that, an issue in the next Presidential election. This “gigantic fraud” must be got rid of in some way satisfactory to the sense of right and justice of the people. The President insists that' this Congress shall solve the problem of giving the people of Louisiana a Governor of their own free choice, and the members of the Republican party 1 Tutors e 11 1 i > demand. Ne i i herli otheaded counsels nor the game q 1 bluifi will answer the purpose.