The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-02-01
VOLUME XXv--.NUMBER 1876,


just arrived from Louisiana, where | la,
known him quite intimately quar-
Ter OF a century ago, and he gave me tn
full history Of the State affairs
arising out OF the last Presidential elec
tion; he said that he had been spending
week or ten days In New Orleans. Til,
man then delivered to me that letter; h,
said that he had been some ten days Ii
New Orleans; knew that, for ! had noti
fed my Democratic friends down thert
Of the fact Of his having gone thither
and that he was an exceedingly danger
Gus man TO our party, meaning the Demo
cratic party; inasmnch us he had been a
resident Of New Orleans in former years
and had held high position there social.
y and otherwise, and they might not have
known lie was now member OF the Re.
publican party, and an emissary here, as
! believed, from the Government, TO as.
certain how the vote Of Louisiana should
be counted, and stating, from nv personal
friendship for him Of long standing, that
] hoped, ri there should be disturbance
there, as had occurred on previous oc.
casions, no harm should beiall him. By
some means he obtained information Of
my having written such a letter, and
when he came back to Washington he
repaired to my office and stated to ME
fully the condition Of affairs in Louisi.
ana. He said he believed, and that 9th.
ers believed, Louisiana was Democratic
by from 5000 to 10000 ma ority, but that
money would decide how her
electoral vote would be thrown; that his
sympathies were with the South and
with what was right, and that he had in
his possession, which he exhibited to me,
sealed letter purporting to be from Mr..
Wells to Senator West. My informant
said: ] have read this letter. 1t is
sealed. | cannot open il OF course, nor
would have you do it II you would, but
it informs Senator West that the Demo.
Gratis have put up million Of money,
and that we, meaning the Republicans,
would need million down there to settle
this thing. To counteract that, he
said he did not feel disposed to deliver
that letter; that it was not obligatory on
him, and il he followed the wishes Of his
heart and dictates Of his judgment he
would endeayor to have these
gentlemen supplied with what they
needed so as to determine the
result, and he asked me whether
| had any objection to cooperate with
him; l said, professionally can not, but
in view OF the magnitude Of the interests
at stake have no hesitation to do all
that is in my little power. The result
was, after one or two long conversations
extending over portion Of the next day,
and after some preliminary reductions
Of points to writing, repaired TO New
York and there had interviews with sew.
eral gentlemen eminentin the Democrat.
ic party, 10 whom / fully related all
those antecedent facts. | had but one
letter that which / have already produced
to the committee, and in order to conceal
the name Of the party to whom il was nd.
dressed | cut it out, but have it with
me properly identified arranged with
him certain preliminaries.
Q. Did you see The letter 10 Senator
West? A. l saw sealed letter; did
not see the contents, but this gentleman
voluntarily stated to me its contents, the
chief part OF which was, that the Demo.
Gratis had to pay 81, 100000, and that the
Republicans want n million 10 counteract
that.
Q. The gentleman with whom you had
this conversation, is, you say, in this bull
ding now? A. He was here this morning;
l came up to the Capitol with him.
By Lawrence-Who is this gentleman?
a. His full name is Joseph Harris Mad
dox: .UI'..
Q. Did he give you any other paper
than this letter, purporting 10 be from
Wells? A. Nothing in the shape of
letter or credential; we made some notes
as to the basis on which he proposes
that should endeavor to negotiate the
affair.
q. What were you TO negotiate?
was 10 negotiate, if possible, money
enough to pay Gov. Wells and his fellow
members of the Returning Board, to do
what considered right and proper, that
is to say, to determine the State for Til.
den. He informs me that they would
give it for Hayes unless they were paid
to give 1t for Tilden, under which circum-
stances felt perfectly justified in doing
all in my power, least | might regret it
every hour after. To attain that great
end with the gentleman with whom |
endeavored to make the negotiation, i
am happy to state, informed me that had
our positions been reversed il he had
been in my place and l in hil he wonld
have done precisely what ] did.
q. The thing which lie proposed TO
you was, that you should make the nee.
essary negotiation TO get Wells and the
Returning Board to give the State TO
Tilden? Is that it? A. He informed
me that the State was Democratic by
from 5000 to $4,000 votes, but that IL
would be counted for Hayes by that Re.
turning Board. He knew its conn mplexion.
He had been acquainted with Wells for
twenty.eight years, he said, and with
Anderson nearly as long. asscnted to
see these parties at his instance, and TO
endeavor to see if negotiation could be
made.
Q. In other words, the object wax to
ANnO huohCy M Must NHuOupttuIy-
not for myself, but for this great object.
Q. And the money was to be given to
Maddox? A. No, not to be given to him.
A stakeholder would have been chosen.
Q. Who was TO be stakeholder? A.
That was to be determined by those who
would supply the sinews OF war.
Q. Whom did you sec in New York Z?
A. | endeavored first to see Mr.. Hewitt
He was not in town that day Sunday,
but note was sent in the evening that
he had returned and did see him. Pre-.
yiously | saw Mr.. John Morissey, with
whom | had some slight acquaintance.
| stated these facts to him. He said that
while he had no particular objections to
paying a man 10 do. what was right, he
did not feel that he was in that necessity.
He said that he would buy these "fel.
lows" as readily as he would pigs, or
words TO that effect, in which ! conceded
with him in the interest OF 4O,OOO,OOO
people, but he said that we all knew that
Tilden was elected, and he had Just re-
eeived, or the public had just received,
Information from Oregon which made il
unnecessary to resort 10 such measure.
That was about the purporL Of my con-
versation with Morissey.
Q. Did you receive any money from
him2 A. None