Volume 18 , Issue 41

1876 - The Political Situation

In The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, Maryland, 16 December 1876, Saturday, on page 6, was the following news article: "The Political Situation." The Republican frauds in Louisiana - Gov. Hampton's Inauguration - Judge Bond Censured, etc.

Found on Newspapers.com

The testimony Thursday before the congressional committee in 1876 sitting at New Orleans, engaged in the investigation of the recent election in Louisiana, was of an interesting character, exposing as it did the bare face frauds of the Kellogg officials. The first witness called was F. A. Clover, supervisor of East Baton Rouge. Clover swore that he was a resident of Louisiana, and had been for one year. Mr. Jenks asked him whether he had drawn his pay from the Mississippi Legislature up to January 1, 1876. Clover answered "No."

The same question bing pressed, Clover replied "Yes," and saved himself for a time fro an indictment for willful perjury. The same witness having been detected i lying twice on Wednesday, was discharged without cross-examination. Clover submitted a copy of the affidavit which accompanied his return, showing riot, tumult, violence, fear, dread and terrorism throughout the parish on election day. He said he did not witness any of the violence, but was informed of it by other persons. On being cross-examined he said that the affidavit accompanying the returns was prepared in the custom-house in New Orleans, and that Hugh J. Campbell assisted in preparing it.

George Johnson then entered the room. He was a colored democrat. His head was bound with bloody bandages, and his clothes were nearly torn off. He testified that he was beaten nearly to death, on the day after election, for voting the democratic ticket, by two colored United States deputy marshals. He appealed to the police for protection, and the officer told him that he was a damned demcorat and shouldn't have it. He went to work at the coal fleet Thursday morning. Ex-deputy Marshal Davis, at the head of a crowd, attacked him, crying, "Kill the *@##*!" White men interfered and saved him. The result was his present appearance. Mr. Hurlbut spent one hour i badgering the wounded witness, and then let him go.

Owen Roper, deputy marshal, testified that Clover told him a few days after the election in Baton Rouge that it was the fairest t he ever saw. On November 23 (1876) Clover told him that Baton Rouge had gone democratic by 600 votes, but he had fixed it up republican by 300 and odd majority. Clover was capper for a snake show in 1868.

John Moylan, republican, swore that Clover had told him and Judge Hunsaker, republican, that the election in Baton Rouge was fir and peaceable.

M. A. Bondreaux, republican supervisor of Assumption parish, acknowledged the receipt of the notorious D. J. M. A. Jewett circular. This circular was in the form of instructions to the supervisors to return certain republican majorities without fail, and promised ample and generous reward in case of compliance. He compiled his returns according to law. Dernan, the republican candidate for parish judge, before he had filed the consolidated statement of the votes, called him aside and asked him to make away with the 13 democratic majority recorded against him. Witness refused. M. R. Ledet, supervisor of La Fourth, the adjoining parish, told him that it made no difference whether his parish voted for Nicholls or Packard; that after the election he would fix it up for Packard. Ledet kept his word.

D. A. Ward, supervisor of Grant parish, testified that his residence was in New Orleans and his poetics republican; he had received the Jewett circular; he produced it and pronounced Jewett's signature genuine; he left Grant parish on October 21 (1876) , and did not return until after the election; a drunken man named Thompson threatened him; he had heard of no disturbance or murder in the parish for six months; the Colfax tragedy of 1873 left a bitter feeling; he restored white men with shotguns and negroes with two revolvers hanging in their belts; there was no government in the parish; both races went armed, but no disturbance followed; he received instructions from Jewett and Kellogg not to return to the parish to hold an election; he had appointed commissioners of election previous to the departure from both sides; he told Kellogg on October 31 that the parish registration shoed 87 democratic majority, and would have elected a democrat to the Legislature. Witness repeadedly urged that he should be allowed to hold an election. Kellogg told him that he had told Major Burke (democrat) that Registrar Ward had been sent back to Grant parish. One day when Burke called on Kellogg, Ward was with him. Kellogg said, "As I have given my word to Major Burke that you are now in Grant parish, it will never do for him to find you in here."

Before Burke entered the room by one door he (Ward) left by another. Witness thought the election inGrant parish was fair and legal. This was entirely owing to the action of the democratic committee in New Orleans, and not to Kellogg.

W. D. Phillips. Republican judges Grant parish, testified that Secretary of State Dee Londe said to him after the election, and before the meeting of the returning board, "Do you suppose we are going to let the democrats carry the State when we have got the returning board?"
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