The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-02-03
]. NJ. WELLS TESTIMONY.

The President of the Returning
Board has had his, say before the
Congressional Committee, and no one
of our home readers will be at loss
to recognize the bold falsitications on
nearly every line. The admission
that the polls in Rapides were thrown
out on his affidavit, when he con-
fesses he was not in the Parish on
election day, the unfounded state
ment that the Supervisor of Regis
tration here did not dare to make any
protest because it was worth any
mans life to do it, that Judge Man
ming is one of the worst White Lea
guers in the country when every one
knows he is no White Lacquer at all,
and no such organization exists or
has existed here, and the final coup
that Wells himself was in danger of
assassination here, is such tissue
of falsehoods that every one here can
but wonder how the man could have
been so reckless as to make them.-
The amusing part of the testimony
is the statement that he had 127
slaves and two plantations when the
war broke out, when for thirty years
and more he has claimed not to own
a dollars worth of property, and has
put that denial on record hundred
times in suits, and instead of acqui-
ring no property since the war, it has
only been since the war that he has
acquired any in his own name. His
neighbors treated him very we'll I'M
til the White League was organized
is his last admission. Now as there
never has been White League in
Rapides, what becomes of that, con-
fession? Here is the concluding part
of his testimony:
eft on the oath on the steamer Les
sic Taylor, landed at the mouth of Red
River, and reached home OH the 25th.
My wife had been quite sick all winter.
1 stated the object of my departure to
the. board. I did not leave home till the
9Th of January, and arrived in New Or
leans On the 18th of January.
/ saw by newspapers that the COM
mittee was here; never received any
notice through any source; was anx-
ious to get here, and did not think the
committee would leave when they did
my counsel told me a subpoena had been
issued. l read the report Of the CON-
mittee, and considered it my duty to ap-
pear before the Legislature and follow
the committee tomake my statement,
but heard that another committee was
coming, SO did not go.
4 4 4
All the polls in Rapides were thrown
out on my evidence; we had no other.
| made fly atfidavits on the IA Decem-
Der. l filed these statements and men
toned these facts to the members of the
board.
Mr.. Hoar asked if the counsel had
access to that affidavit before filing their
briefs.
Gov. Wells said that he thought they
did.
Mr.. Hoar-Was it filed before going
into secret session?
Wells-Just before; the counsel would
have had time to examine that affidavit if
he had remained long enough to have
reached that Parish. He could have had
time if he had wished it. There was no
protest by election officers in Rapides, be-
cause it was worth a mans life to do it,
Judge Manning, one of the worst White
Leaguers in the country, made up the Su-
pervisor's statement.
The sheriff of the Parish, White Lea
guer held on till the Goth December; they
put in the regular sheriff afterwards. The
Recorder is a McEnery man.
MIR. Marshall asked if Gov. Wells had
been assaulted in Rapines.
Gov. Wells--I was not assaulted, but my
life was threatened. I received letter
from my son-in-law (the letter was read.
1t advised the Governor to beware; that
he would be killed by stealth, and that as
it was in the discharge of his duty, his
friends would die with him in protecting
him.
He said assassins can intimidate me, but
my enemies dare not face me. am not
afraid! I will make man go for me, and
will meet him any way he may select.
Zone of the Governors friends requested
him to quell his rising ire.)
GOVERNOR could not speak in the Pa
rishes, would have been killed. The COL
ored people were my only friends during
opinions; they watched over me and cared
for me.
/ heard no man threaten me. l am 81
years old; was born in Rapides; was a
wing before the war, and voted for Doug
las to avert the struggle. l was sheriff
before the war; was Federate during the
war; had to sleep in the woods during
the war; was called jayhawker; I am
proud of the name; l would rather be a
jayhawker than traitor; was Governor
after the war and was removed in 81 by
Gen. Sheridan; had one hundred and
twenty-seven slaves when the war broke
out; owned two plantations but am very
poor now. My guards during the war
while was in the woods, were about $50
in number, and were the poor people who
had not owned any slaves, but had to pay
the levee tax; was nominated by both
Democrats and Republicans, and elected
to the office.
l appointed great many Confederates
to office. The Legislature began to disa-
gree with me; they wished the Judges re-
moved. The most serious difficulty was
an appropriation of$2OOOO which vetoed;
this was to send Randall Hunt and General
Gibson to Washington.
/ have acquired no property since the
war; could not pay my debts, but may be
able to do SO if I live lOnp enonuh NV