The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-03-12

Democratic Committee.
WASHINGTON, March AT caucus OF
the Democratic members of the house of
representatives, held on the Sd of March.
1877, in the hall of the house, the follow
ing address was unanimously adopted
l., Q. @. LAMAR, Chm'n.
W N5Sf \. R Rd BASssSa, Secretaries.
At meeting of the members of the
National Democratic Committee, held on
the Sd day of March, 1877, the following
address was unanimously adopted:
A. S. HEWITT, Chm'n.
f, A. PRINCE, Sec'y.
To the American People,
We submit to the country the following
review of the events which have resulted
in the declaration that Rutherford B. Hayes
has been elected president of the United
States. In the late canvass two facts stood
out prominently:
First-The Republican party, true to its
sectional nature, thought to unity the
north against solid south, and while en-
gagged in that effort it was striving to make
good its probable losses in the north by
dividing the votes of the south. This di
vision il sought 10 effect by an unconsti'
tutional use OF the army in South Caro-
lima. Florida and Louisiana.
Second-The troops were sent to those
states when there was neither invasion nor
domestic instruction to require them, with
a legislature easily to be convened. The
only demand for their presence was made
by the state executive. c|-
The elections in these states therefore
were held in the shadow of military
power. The bayonets glisteDed at the
polls. In depositing their ballots the
citizens enjoyed only such liberty as was
permitted. In other states the elections
were unusually peaceful. Immediately
afterwards the result showed that 1876
Tilden electors had been chosen. Of the
whole popular vote they received a ma
iority Of more than a quarter of a million.
Of that Caucasian race which controls
every other christian and civilized GOV
eminent of the world they received a
majority OF more than one million, and
on the day succeeding the election it was
announced by the chairman of the Re.
publican national committee that lS4
Tilden and 1856 Hayes electors had been
chosen. Nothing had then been learned
of the election excepting the vote actual.
ly cast. Ii has never since been disputed
that by that vote majority of the T'ilden
electors had been appointed. Such an
announcement therefore could only have
been made IN pursuance of an arrange
ment to change the vote shown to have
been given by the people.
We charge that after the true result
had been proclaimed q conspiracy wa,
formed by the Republican leaders to re
verse the decision made at the polls. The
field chosen tor the development of the
conspiracy was the states of Florida anC
Louisiana. The persons to act with the
original conspirators we're the governors
and members of the returning boards Of
these states The field was well chosen.
The state officers selected we're suitable
persons for the work to be done. Fol-
more than ten years these states had been
subjected to governments not of theiI
choice Taxation and maladministratior
had robbed them of their substance, ant
well nigh destroyed their spirit aud hope
The army Of the United States had beev
freely used to maintain those government
in their acts of corruption and usurpation
1t was believed that its services would aiC
in the designed conspiracy. The name
of officers DEPENDED upon are: Marcellu
i. Stearns, Samuel B. McLin and Clayton
A. Cowgirl Of Florida, and VIM, Pitt Kel
logg, j. Madison Wells, Thos. b. Ander
son, G. Casanave and j, Is. Kenner o
Louisiana.
These men were not strangers to tn,
American people. They had before us
urped authority, The returning board
Of those states had made themselves by
words in the land. The governors wer
known 10 be pretenders. If there wer
two names dishonored in general estima
ton, they we're the names of VIM. Z
Kellogg aud j. Madison Wells. To sucl
men was the work of concentrating tn
conspiracy confded. They entered upo
their task with alacrity, advised and en-
.cOuraged by leading visiting Republican
statesmen of the north. They took eacl
step with deliberate and apparent regarC
for the law before the election in Louisi
ana. VIM. Pitt Kellogg and his subordi
mates assumed exclusive control of tn,
execution OF the registry law. They re
fused registration to thousands entitled
10 it, and added thousands to the list
who had no right to vcte. On the daI
Of election the polls were managed by Off
GERS appointed by the governor. Thes,
were in nearly every instance, members
Of the Republican party. United State;
marshals swarmed at every precinct wheI
il was thought necessary under the pre-
tense of preserving the peace, but In fac
to intimidatc voters. Ballot-boxes were
stuffed in the interest of the Republican
candidates. Poll books were falsifod il
instances. and some returned to the can
wasting board, while in other cases re
turns giving Democratic majOrities were
withheld from the canyassers altogether.
After the returns had been delivered to
the board they remained in its exclusive
possession, and while there they were
opened with its consent and the original
papers abstracted and false ones substi-
tuted in their stead. When the returns
were opened, the board. with an appear
aDce of fairness, permitted persons repre-
senting both parties to be present, but
when the decision was made as to what
should be counted secret sessions were
held, from which every Democrat was
excluded, although the law constituting
the board required that it should be com
posed of representatives of both political
parties. In counting votes it exercised
powers not conferred by the statute, and
in the most fragrant disregard of truth
and Justice, the members of the board
changed the poll books so that Republi-
can officers appeared to be chosen when
their opponents had in fact been elect
ed. They forged the names of off,
GERS to certificates of election. They
threw out votes of precincts upon affda-
Wits which they knew had been fraudulent
ly obtained. Indeed they themselves or
dered false affidavits to be made, hundreds
Of miles from the places at which they pur-
ported to have been taken in order that the
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