The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1876-10-19
RIDICULOUS TESTIMONY.
The Kind of Witnesses Who StCe0r that
Hayes Is Not a PeTjITeT.
Ct,ioooo Tir,os, yrernont fOA Teleyiam


The republicans here are devOting
their time just now to that pastime which
occupied the attention of the boy in the
woods-whistling like mad to keep their
courage up. These recent exposes of
the failure of Gov. Hayes to make hon
est tax returns to the assessor Of San
dusky county, thereby swindling under
oath the state out of its just dues, have
told with alarming effect. Those who
have stood by the immaculate Ruther-
ford during his long public career find
host of excuses to offer in defense of his
acts which have just come to light but
when it is known that nearly, if not
quite, all are in the same boat, and have
followed up, systematically, the same
course on the tax frauds, it is not to be
wondered at that they should spring to
the front by published afidaVits, and
announce that Hayes has done nothing
wrong.
THE SWORN STATEMENTS
which republicans expect are to take
the sting out Of these exposes come al
most entirely from those who have reason
to expect most from him should he be so
fortunate as to secure an election. The
exception politically is democrat, who,
however, can not we'll afford to be other
wise than faithful to his former master
One of the afidavits just presented, and
which has with the others gone out to
offset the publication of Hayes perjury,
is from A. H Miller, cashier Of the First
National bank of Fremont, which is
owned and controlled by and carried
around in the pocket of R. B. Hayes. This
man Miller, among other things, at
tempted to swear away the obligation
that Hayes had no more than 81 900 in
personally in 1874. Mr.. Miller is one of
those patriots who will dodge q tax levy
whenever he can, and he succeeds every
time He lives in elegant style-in such
a style as one would expect of a bank
officer-and yet for years he has listed
his personally at about $500. This year
he swore to 1850. Mr.. Miller has
his piano, alone worth $3.50, and horse
and buggy, worth $3.50. This leaves the
meager sum of $3.50 in household goods.
OF courseh he couldn't see anything wrong
in
HAYES LISTING HIS PROPERTY AT A MERE
SONGS VALUE.
Another man who makes affidavit is
Mr.. Wilson, president Of this bank. He
is reputed the richest man in Fremont,
yet his household goods are worth 1910.
Another afidavit-maker isl John NJ
Smith, a democrat, who was a member
of the board of equalization in 1874, and
who reconciled to his own satisfaction
the discrepancy between Orchards
$9,982 and Hayes $1,000. l have it
from gentleman who was one of that
board that Smith, who was appointed
committee to look into it, never went
near Hayes, and saw nobody but the
Miller mentioned above. Neither was
he shown any papers, but reported back
that it was all right. Smith formerly
worked in the First National bank.
These are few samples of the men who
have undertaken to defend Gov. Hayes.
l have, in previous dispatches, confined
myself to the mortgages which were held
by Gov, Hayes, which formed a portion
of his credits, and yet were omitted en-
tirely. have shown that he was carry.
ing about $l1 900 worth of this paper,
every cent of which was subject to tax
alton, and yet he has
sOLEMNLY SWORN HE HAD NO SUCH
PROPERTY.
There has also been something said of
his personality. To-day called upon
person who at one time lived in the
family of Birchard, and more recently
with Hayes, and who is pretty familiar
with the family mansion. The CONVEX
sation turned upon pictures which Birch
ard owned. "Why," said my informant
che had a very large number of them,
fully eighty, should think. Many
them were very fine, and cost all the way
up to $500 a piece. should estimate
them to be worth fully $4,000" "How
about Gov. Hayes books?" asked.
"You were at his house all the year
1874, and you ought to know whether
he added as largely to his library as he