, 1877-03-17
Democratic National Address.
WASHINGTON, March 5, 1871

Hdop'ed:
To lie zDlyi1nu Psople: We submit TO the
country the following review of the events
which have resulted in the declaration that
iR B. HAYES has been elected President of
the United States In the late political can
vass t===,o facts stood out prominently:
First-The republican party, true 20 its
sec ional nature, sought to unity the North
against the solid South, and while engaged
in that effort. 1t was striving 10 make good
lis prchable loses il the North by dividing
the votes of the South. The division 1t
sought to effect bv the unconstitutional Use
If he army III South CarOliLia, Florida sad
Louisiana.
Seccnd-Troops were sent 10 those States
when there was neither invasion EOr domes-
tic insuIrection to require them With leg
islgtures easily to be convened, the only de-
maud FOR Their presence was made by the
Srute executives. The elections in these
States, therefore, were held in the shadow Of
military power The bayonets glistened at
the polls i'll drposiring their ballots. They
oniy ,rioved such liberty as the army per-
mirred. In other States The elections were
unusually reacefuI. Imm-dia'ely afterwards
/ the result sh wed that 1856 Iilden electors
had been chosen. OF the popular vote they
! T. crivrl a majority of more than one-quar,er
/ Of a million, and Of that Of the Caucasian
race, which controls every other Christian
and civilized government OF the world, they
! receive "a moi jIrIty of more than one million.
| On the day succeeding the election 1t was
uuuuunced hy the chairman of the republic
can national committee that lS4 Illden aud
! lSj Hayes electors had been chosen. Moth
( thing had been learned of the election except
/ he vote actually cast. 1t has never since
/ been disputed that, by The vote, he majority
/ of Tildeu electors had been appointed. Such
announcement, therefore. could only have
/ been made in pursuance of arrangement 10
change The vote shown to have been given by
the people. We charge that after the true
result had been proclaimed conspiracy was
! formed by the republican leaders 10 reverse
/ the decision made at the polls. The field
I chosen tor the development OF ;hc conspiracy
was the States of Florida and Louisiana.
/ The peIsOns 10 act as the original con>piraturs
were the movers and members OF the re'urn-
/ ins boards Of rhese States. The field was
well chosen For more than 10 years these
/ States had been subject to governments not
/ of their choice Taxations and msladminis-
tratiUus had robbed them of their substance
/ and well nigh destroyed their spirit and hope.
! The army OF the United States had been free
! " used To maintain these governments IN
| their acts OF corruption and ururpatiOn. IL
/ Was believed Its services would aid in The de-
/ signed conspiracy. The names Of the officers
| depended upon are Marcelles l.. Stearns, S.
! Is. McL;uu, and Clayton a. Ccwriti, of
/ FLORIDA, and VIM. Pitt Kellogg, J. Madison
! Wells. ThoS. Il. Anderson, Il Casauaye and
/ J. g. Kenuer, Of LouiSiaua. These men were
! not strangers 10 he American people They
( had before uSuIpei authority. The return
/ ius boards OF those States had Gade them
selves by words in the land. The governors
/ were known 30 be preieuders. Ii there Were
names dishonest IN general estimation they
were names oi Wan. Pitt Kellogg and j.
( Madison Wells To such men was the work
! Of cousummatIug the conspiracy cOuhted.
| They entered upon their task with alacrlty,
advised and encouraged by leading visiting
republican Statesmen uf the North. They
took eacn step with deliberatiou ard appar-
/ ,nt regard for law. Before :he election III
! Louisiana, Wm. Pitt Kellogg and bis subor-
| dInat-s, assumed exclusive control of the ex-
eculiOn Of the registry law; they refused reg
| is'ration to thousands entitled to it, and add
cd thousands 20 the lists who had 10 night to
the vote. They were IN nearly every IN
stance, members of the republican party.
! United States Inar>hals swarmed at every
precinct, when thought necessary, under pre-
tense Of preserving tn peace, but ~ fact to
I intimilate voters. The ballot boxes were
stuffed il the interest OF the republican can
! diiares; the poll books were fdls.tird in some
Instances, and then returned to the CANVASS
! ing board, while in otLer eases returns giving
/ demucratIc majoriJieS were withheld from the
cauvasseTs altogether After the returns had
been delivered 10 the bo4id, they rem aimed
in IT, possession and were opened with Its con-
saut and the original papers distracted and
false ones substituted in their stead
When the returns were opened, the board,
with an appearance of fairness permitted per-
sons repres, nting both parties to be p,esent ;
bat when the decision was made as - what
should bs cOuuted secret sessions were held
from which every democrat was excluded,
although the law creating the board required
that II should be composed of representatives,
of 10th poll zeal par,Is. Ia counting I'll,
votes it exercised pow ers not confe red by the
statntes, and in most hagrant d sregard 10
truth and Justice, members If the board
changed The poll books 50 that the republican
officers appeared 10 be chosen when their Op-
poueulS bad In fact been elected. They forg-
ed the name OF an officer TO the Ger iiica e. of
election they threw out The votes OF precincts
upon stfi lavits which they knew had been
fraudulenJly returned; indeed they them
selves ordered false aftid ivIts to be made
hundreds Of miles from th- places which they
purpor;ed 10 have been tAken, III order that
the decision might appear justified which
( they had in advance determined 10 make
They threw ont the votes where there was no
preliminary statements from the eommis-
siuners Of election t. give them jurisdiction ;
they cOIruptiy, In order TO elect favOfItes
4 and TO correct mistakes of certain differences
in voting for electors, added 10 the list votes
" hich had never been counted hie con-
sidering members of The board endeavored 10
enter into negotiations with the republican
and democratic national committees 10 sell
their decision Half q million OF dollars
was The price asked Not obtaining 1t, they
tried 20 bargain with the leading democrats
OF Louisiana 10 elect a State ticket OF their
parry J. Madison Wells, with the approval
OF Thomas c. Anderson, offered TO elect the
3
hand The money wa not paid and nsgotia-
tons were then stopped if not broken of
by the leaders Of the republican party,
aud the result was declared in It's favor.
The chief conspiFator, j. Madioa Wells,
intimated that be was paid by the latter
organization for his decision In Florida
the saInc fraud characterized The returns and
the acton OF the returning board Votes
were thrown out with the SAME disregard OF
: Justice Besides, 10 that State, It refused 10
regard the order OF courts OF competent
jurisdiction, and proceeded in defiance oi
judicial authority. In this manner more
than 1900 Tildeu votes were thrown ont II
Florida, and more than IL. 600 iu Louisiana.
The votes Of those States in consequence oi
the conspiracy, which had in fset b7en cast