CHAPTER II

The conspirators' operations in Louisiana - · William Pitt Kellogg ing statesmen in New Orleans

- VisitThe composition and operations of

the Louisiana Returning Board — Garfield — Sherman - Anderson Jewett Eliza Pinkston Fraudulent registration The reward of the conspirators.

THE methods by which Hayes electors were secured from Louisiana were, if possible, more shameless and indefensible than those employed for the like purpose in Florida.

William Pitt Kellogg, then Governor of Louisiana by virtue of an illegal order of Judge Durell of the United States District Court, enforced by federal troops under orders from President Grant, enjoys the credit of having concocted the measures by which the people of that State were deprived of their choice of presidential electors. His objective point was a seat in the United States Senate for himself. He had already managed to subject all the elective machinery of the State to his personal control. He had the appointment of the supervisors and assistant supervisors of registration for every parish and ward in the State; he dictated the appointments of all the commissioners of election, the State register of voters and his clerks.

Events subsequently disclosed a deliberate purpose on the part of Kellogg and his Republican confederates to invalidate the election in seven parishes where they found they could not control the negro vote, and by fictitious registration of names to make up whatever number of votes might be needed to secure a majority. To understand how this was to be accomplished it is necessary to

VOL. II.-3

adow end vaccade registration and election." Twat done, they were to take up the cases where the comroner. had reported that there had not been a fair, free,

The law required this Returning Board to meet in New Clean "within ten days after the closing of the election,

to canvass and compile the statements of the votes made by the Commissioners of Election," and to continue in session till "such returns have been compiled." The law also required that this board should consist of "five persons to be elected by the Senate from all political parties.' The Senate pretended to have complied with this law by appointing four Republicans and one Democrat. The Democrat that was appointed resigned. The law provided that in case of any vacancy by death, resignation, or otherwise, by either of the board, then the vacancy shall be filled by the residue of the returning officers." It was very certain that the presence of a Democrat to witness the work they had in hand would prove most inconvenient, and therefore they refused to fill the vacancy.

The scheme upon which Kellogg finally settled for invalidating the election was by alleging intimidation of voters, and upon that pretext throwing out enough Democratic votes to give the electoral vote of the State to Hayes.

During the two weeks succeeding the election, visiting statesmen of both the great political parties had flocked to New Orleans. Several of the more conspicuous representatives of the Democratic party there lost no time in addressing a note to Stanley Matthews, James A. Garfield, John A. Logan, William D. Kelley, John A. Kasson, William M. Evarts, E. W. Stoughton, and John A. Dix, each and all of whom claimed to represent either the President in esse or the President in posse, or both. In this note they stated that having understood that the gentlemen they addressed were there at the request of President Grant, to see that the Board of Convassers make a fair count of the votes actually cast, they invited a conference in order that such influence as they possessed might be "exerted in behalf of such a canvass of the votes actually cast as by its fairness and impartiality shall command the respect and acquiescence of the American people of all parties."