The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1877-03-14

ACTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC cACcrs.
At the caucus of Democratic members
OF the House Of Representatives,
held March 3. 1877, in the hall OF the
House, the following address WAS unani-
n,onsly adopted. J. q C. LAMAR, Chm.
HESRy B BANNING, sec'vs.
WV n. RoBBINs,
EcrIoS OF TuR NATIONAL COMMITTEE
Ala meeting Of members Of the Nation
al Democratic Committee. held March 3,
1877. the following address was unani-
mou-ly adopted: A. s. IIEwIrr, Chm.
r. q PEINcE, Sec'y.
TEXT OF TuE ADDRESS.
To THE AMERICAN PEoPLE:-We submit
to the country the following review Of the
events which have resulted in the decla-
ration that Rutherford B Hayes has been
elected President Of the United States.
In the late political canvass, two facts
stood ont prominently:
First-The Republican party, true to
its sectional nature. thought TO unity the
North agrinst the solid South; and while
engaged in that effort, it was striving to
make good its probable losses in the
North by dividing the votes of the South.
This division it sought to effect by the
unconstitutional use of the army in South
Carolina. Florida and and Louisiana.
Second-The troops were sent to those
States when there was neither invasion
nor domestic insurrection to require them,
with legislatures Easily to he convened
The only demand for their presence was
made by the State executive.
sThe elections in the States. therefore
were held in the shadow Of military pow
@r. The bayonets. glisiened at the polls
In dcPosi,ing their bsIIois, the cii;erns en-
jjoyed only such liberty as permitted. In
other States the elections were unusually
peaceful. Immediately afterward, the re-
sult showed that l9G Tilden electors had
lecn chosen ofthe whole popular vote,
they received a majority of more than q
quarter Of q million or that Caucasian
race which controls every other Christian
and civilized government of the wo-ld. they
received u ma j1rity gilmore than 100000
On the day succeeding the election, it was
announced by the chairman ofthe Repub
lican National COMMITTEES that lS4 Tilden
and ISIS Hayes electors had been chosen
Nothing had then been learned OF the
election, except the vote actually cast. Ii
has never since been disputed that 10y that
vote a majority OF the Tilden electors had
been appointed. Such an announcement,
therefore. could only have been made in
pursuance Of an arrangement to change
the vote shown to have been given by the
people. We charge that after the true re-
suit had been proclaimed, n conspiracy
was formed 10y the Republican leaders to
revise the decision made at the polls. The
field chosen for the development OF the
conspiracy was the States Of Florida and
Louisiana. The persons 10 act with the
original conspirstors were the governors
aud members Of the Returning Boards OF
those States. The field Was well chosen.
The State officers selected were suitable
persons for the work to be done. For
more than ten years those States had
been subjected to governments not OF their
choice. Taxation and malsdministration
had robbed them OF their substance, and
well nigh destroyed their spirit and hope
The army of the United States had been
freely used to maintain these governments
in their acts ofcorruption and usurpalion
Ii was believed that its services would aid
in the designed conspiracy. The names
Of the officers depended upon are Marcel
lus L Stearns, Samuel D. McLin and Clay,
ton A. Cowgirl, OF Florida. and VIM Pit
Kellogg, J. Madison Wells, Thos. B An
derson, f. Casanave, and J. B Kenner
Of Louisiana. These men were not stran
gers to the American people. They had
before usurped authority. The Return
ing Board Of these States had made them
selves byworls in the land. The govern
ors were known to be pretenders. /
there were two names dishonored in th,
general estimation, they were the names
Of William Pitt kellogg and ]. Madiso,
Wells To such men was the work n
concentrating the conspiracy confded
They entered upon their task with alac
rity. advised and encouraged by leading
visiting Republican statesmen Of thu
North They took each step with delib
crate and apparent regard for law. Be
fore the election in Louisiana, William
Pitt Kelloggand his subordinatcs assume,
exclusive control of the execution Of tn
registration law. They refused registra
ton TO thousands entitled toit and adde,
thousands 10 the lists who bad no RICH
to vote. On the day OF election the poll
were managed by officials appointed b.
the goternor. These were in nearly ever,
instance members of the Republican
party. United states Inarshals swnrme,
at every precinct. when thought neces
sary, under pretense of preserving tn
peace. but in fact to intimijate the voters
Ballot-boxes were stuffed in the interest @
the Republican candidates Poll-book
were falsifed in some, instances. and the
returned to the Canvassing Board, Will
in other cases retnrna giving Democrat