The daily gazette., 1877-02-07
From the PHI iladelphia Telegraph, (Rep.
Wells, President Maker.

From the PHI iladelphia Telegraph, (Rep.)
Wells, President = Maker.
We refrained yesterday from making
any comment upon Ex-Governor Wells
letter to Senator West because Mr.. Wells
had then been refused the opportunity to
explain 1t. Later the opportunity was
presented to him, ,and he did not embrace
1t. The letter stands just where it did
and as 1T did, in all its monstrous shame
lessness and infamy when Senator West
divulged its contents and testified to its
genuineness before the investigating
committee of the House. If it were pos
sible for us, as it was impossible for Mr..
Wells, to ignore it. or confute it or ex-
plain it, in any manner that would be
consistent with the theory that its writer
was not dishonest man, trickster, and
q political trader, or that it does not
mean what it seems to mean, we should
only too gladly do it; but that is a task
impossible. Tha country is bound by
every sense of right, and by every incen-
tive to preserve the sacredness of the bal
lot, not to ignore this letter, or to refuse
to accept its meaning and purpuse.
If this man Wells were other than he
is, if he were mere private citizen and
not in fact and truth the Returning Board
of Louisiana, Just as much the master
and manipulation of all its bad work as
he is its President, it would matter little
what he wrote or said; but when we
speak of Ex-Governor Wells of Louis
lana. the man whom General Sheridan
said might be traced as snake is traced,
by its shiny and sinuous course, we ne
cessarily speak of the Returning Board,
for in effect he is all of it, for he directs
and controls it, and has done so for
years past. His letter is not that Of the
private citizen; it is that of the President
of the Board, who can and who will
shape its decisions in any way that he
sees fit to shape them
II fully comprehend the situation, as
well as my duty to the greatest living
general, u S. Urant, and not 1Uith my con-
sent shall This oppressed people be governed
by the paroled prisoners, aided by the
white-livered cawards OF the North"
Let it be remembered that this declara-
tion was written before the Returning
Board of Louisiana began its work of
| disfranchising whole parishes and max
ing forged returns of others. 1t was
while he, Wells, had power to give the
elective vote of the State either to
Hayes or Tilden that he said never, with
his consent, should it be given to Tilden.
Without his consent it could be given to
neither of the candidates, and the subse
quent proceedings and conclusion of the
board, together with this letter, admitted
by Wells to be genuine, give shape and
reality to every suggestion or rumor of
fraud that has thus far followed its ver-
diets
"Millions have been sent here and will
be used in the in the interest of Tilden; and
will be impossible forme or any other inss
dividual to resists its productional results
The gentleman presenting this letteris fully
aware of the modes, and If you will allow,
frSs. Il
act promptly. or resultly will be disas-
trous. A hint to the wise. Strictly private
and confidential"
That is the concluding paragraph OF
this infamous epistle. The election was
then fortnight old, the votes had been
cast and counted, and thereturns of theu
were already in the custody of this man
Wells. What if Tilden had sent millions
of money to Louisiana, how could 1t
avail except as temptation to j. Madl-
ton Wells, the Returning Board of Louisi-
ana, the man who alone held possession
of the returns? He wrote to West to
make it known that millions were want
ed from Hayes, or, if it were not forth
coming, he (Wells) or any other individ-
ual would be unable to resist the preduc-
tional results of Tildens millions. One
does not have to go hunting about in this
letter for its purpose; its author makes 1t
clear as the sun at MONDAY; its purpose is
money for the man who wrote 1t, for the
man who held the returns and could
manipulate them as he saw fit, and who
wanted to be paid for manipulating them.
| He states that on the face of it to his
| friend West, and he intrusts 1t to gen.
tleman who knows the modes, and who
will communicate them freely to his
| friend Senator West from Louisiana.
This gentleman is going to Washington ;
he has no other business there than that
of Governor Wells broker, to sell on
commission the electoral vote of Louisi-
ana which Wells holds as in the hollow
| of his itching palm. Does any one doubt
this? The gentleman himself, this fellow
huckster of Wells testifies that such was
| his business, and the Secretary of War
and the Hon. Senator West testify that
| he tried to sell the vote to the Republi-
cans, and when they kicked him out he
tried to sell it to the Democrats through
Mr.. Hewitt, where, fguratively, he was
again kicked out. He did nothing else
in Washington except to sell that vote,
and his credentials as an authorized agent
to sell it are contained in Wells letter to
Mr.. West.
| All unpleasant facts to read and to be
| forced to accept, but we cannot set them
aside. His own evidence, even the tele-
grams passing between him and that 9TH
er political trader Pickett might be set
| b0ey Mtlo hSA oiAOh
the conspiracy could not be proved as
against Wells, but this infamous letter
Connects the three men in an unbrolSen
chain. He is in the North as Wells ac-
credited agent to sell the vote of Louisi-
ana. and the work he was sent to do he
wen1 about vigorously, first carrying the
vote to one market, and being kicked
out of that, to another only to be again
kicked out. 1t is no use in this case to
abuse the plaintiffs attorney and his wit
nesses. The country cannot afford to
turn pettifogger. 1t must face the dam.
ming evidence of these scoundrels, and
see to what results it leads. 1t is not lies
that are now wanted, but the truth, nc
matter whom the tfath hurts or helps
Maddox may be a liar, but in all that he
has said this letter of Governor Well:
, proves. his truthfulness; Littlefeld may
} be liar and scoundrel, but for foui
/ years be was the confidential friend o
l Wells, and clerk of the Returning Board
l Nothing that either of these witnesse: