The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-02-08
A MODEL RETURNING BOARD.

made to blush during the latter portion
of its first century, none have become SO
famous as the Louisiana Returning
Board. The very mention Of the name
has for years been suggestive of rascality,
and is well-known and generally accep-
ted synonym for official fraud and corrup-
ton, but recent developments are of such
an astounding nature as to distance every
dishonest achievment of these men in
former elections, and hold up to the
present and future ages the late canvass
of the vote of Louisiana as the most in
famous record that has ever been made
by any set of officials. 1t would be vain
to search the annals of crime for par
allel to the reckless outrages perpetrated
by this Board, if there is the least conf
dence to be placed in the revelations be-
fore the House Louisiana Investigating
Committee. Fraud, forgery, perjury,
bribery and corruption characterize the
whole proceeding. j. F. Little6eld, one
of the clerks of this Board, was before
the Committee, and, after being imprison-
ed for a short term for contempt in not
answering the questions of the Commit
tee, at last acknowledged to having
changed the figures of Vernon Parish,
and, to show the truth of his statement,
produced the original return. This
alteration was made. he says, under the
direction of J. Madison Wells, Chairman
of the Board. Other changes were also
made and the originals were destroyed.
The reason assigned for changing the
vote of Vernon Parish was to elect a Re-
publican and friend of Wells District At
torney. Another witness named Joseph
H. Maddox, an Internal Revenue Off
Ger, swore that Wells had authorized him
to sell out the vote of Louisiana to either
party for one million dollars. That he
said to throw out eight or ten thousand
Democratic votes to elect the Republi-
cans was a heavy job, and that the Board
ought to be paid for it. Maddox accord
ingly approached Zach. Chandler and
Cameron with the proposition, but they
refused it. He then, through man
named Pickett, a Democratic layer in
Washington, had Mr.. Hewitt, the Chair
man of the Democratic Executive Com
mittee, approached with the same propo-
sition, but he positively refused to have
anything to do with the matter. Mad
dox then came down to the least figure
he said for which the State would be given
to the Democrats. 1t was the modest
amount of five hundred thousand dollars.
Mr.. Hewitt still declined anything to do
with the matter, and there it ended.
The Republicans pretend to disbelieve
the testimony of Little6eld, Pickett and
Maddox, but unfortunately for them Lit
tlefeld had the original returl from Yer
non Parish and it substantiates his state
ments, and Maddox had the following
letters, which go to prove the truth of
his testimony:
New ORLEANS, November 20, 1876.
j. H. MADDoX-Dear Sir: Under
standing the political condition of matters
here from association with both political
parties, and friend of the President and
government officer, would it not be con-
sidered part of your - to so at once
to Washington with as little delay as
possible, and place before the President
the condition and the pending dangers o,
the situation? Should you conclude
upon prompt action in the premises.
allow me to commend you to Senator
West, who is my friend, and with whom
you will freely communicate.
Yours, truly,
j. MADISON WELLS.
New ORLEANS, November Il.
My Dear Senator:
I regret much not seeing you when
here. I wanted to say much to you,
which it would be at least imprudent to
put on paper. 1 trust, however, to meet
you in Washington as soon as the cam
vass is over, which is now upon u. Our
duties as returning officers have aug
mented the magnitude of the destiny of
the two parties-may not say the ma
ton? I fully comprehend the situation,
as we'll as my duty to the greatest living
General, U. S. Grant; and not with my
consent shall this oppressed people be
governed by his paroled prisoners, aided
by the white-liyered towards of the
North.
Let me, my esteemed sir, warn you of
the danger. Millions have been sent
here and will be used i'll the interest OF
Tilden, aud unless some counter move
ment is made, it will be impossible for
me, or any other individual, to arrest its
productive results. The gentleman pre-
senting this letter is fully aware of the
moves, and if you allow, will communi-
cate freely. See our friends and act
promptly, or the result will be disastrous.
A hint to the WISE Strictly private and
confidential.
Yours, very truly,
(Signed !. MADISON WELLS
j. r. WEST, Washington, D. G.
OF course Wells and the other men,
bers of this board all deny these allega-
tions, but the support given the sworn
statements of Littlefeld and Maddox by
the written documents is too strong to be
circumvented by the word Of Wells or
other members of the board. The coun-
try has at last awakened to the true con-
dition Of affairs in Louisiana, and we
have no doubt the result of these discov-
cries will materially strengthen the Dem
ocratic cause.
= Capt Wade H. Manning has been
appointed Private Secretary to Governor
Hampton. He is a son of Ex-Gov. Man
ming.