The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1877-08-28
THE RETURNING BOARDS.
Wells and Anderson Propose to Put
John Sherman In Hole.--Inter.
view with the Boss of the Re-
publican Louisiana State
Republican Committee.
From Cincinnati Enquirer, J


"Governor' j. Madison Wells, both Of
fragrant memory in the Louisiana return
ing board, were in the city yesterday and
the day before, the presence of the latter
being duly chronicled with non.com-
initial interview in yesterdays Enquirer
They left together last evening nominally
for Chicago and the Northern lakes, but
really for Washington and the marshy
shores OF the Potomac.
1t is good thing sometimes in politi-
cal fnesse to lay out fictitious route,
and thus throw people off ones track
1t is better thing, however, to cover
ones track altogether. This the two
renowned citizens of Louisiana failed to
do.
There arrived in the city yesterday
another distinguished citizen of New
Orleans, an old political and personal
associate of Anderson and Wells, in. the
person of Gen. ID. j. NJ. A. Jewett, the
secretary of the republican state central
committee of Louisiana. He didn' tcome
with Anderson and Wells, because he
wasn't ready to start when they were,
but his destination is the same as theirs.
and he will in all probability arrive in
Washington about the same hour this
evening that they do. They will then
form themselves into triumyirate and
proceed to business.
Gen. Jewett is a carpet-hagger, he
says. That is. he was Northern sol
dier from Massachusetts, who went
South after the close of the war. He
has been there seven years, and intends
to stay. He has been Republican ever
since the war, though during that epoch
be was War Democrat. He now con.
siders himself quite as good Republican
as John Sherman or Murat Halstead, or
DO Medill neither of whom shouldered
their musket and went out to fight for
their country. He believes in the doc
trine of the Republican party and did his
share of the work toward the election OF
Hayes and Packard, particularly the lat
ter, whom he doesn't like personally,
but who represents in his mind the best
phase of Republicanism as it has grown
up in the Southern states.
With this brief introduction of Gen
Jewett, we will now proceed to let him
talk.
Il came up here he said, "to take a
look at the campaign in Ohio. ] may
make some speeches before | go back
home-that is, if can see place where
| can do some good--say somewhere in
the Reserve, may be where our old friend
Garfield and our old friend John Sher-
man are looking for big returns"
Have you seen Wells and Anderson
lately ?" was the first inquiry They
are in town, or were yesterday, at
least
Yes, they were yesterday, and o.day
| believe They are looking out fol
Sherman, They want to see him. They
have some business on hand for John. y
lis that so? What kind of business
could they have with John nowS'
"He knows well enough what it is
They'd have met him at Mansfield the
other night when he made his speccl
there, only they. didn't got there soon
enough. That was what they intended
to do when they left home"
Something about the vote of Louis
lana, which those eminent statesmen
went down to see counted ?
YES. that's it. There was bargain
between them, and they mean to see that
it's carried out. too. That's what they
came up here to look AFTER
"Then the bargain hasn't been lived
up to I"
Il notice." said the general musingly
"that Packard isn't governor any more
Now, what was Packard's status in the
Louisiana business? lie certainly
received more votes than Mr.. Hayes
more votes than any Of Mr. Hayes
electors. | was secretary Of the repub
lican state committee, and bel ped to 60
over the figures of the election. But
first l must tell you that we have differ
ent mode of counting our votes down
there from that followed by you here in
the North
"Yes, nave been led to believe that
from what l have seen and read during
the last six or eight months"
"A very different PLAN" he went or
to say 1--WE have a law that provides
for certain supervisors OF an election
and certain other officers. but you mus
bear in mind that our laws draw the line
that a simple ballot is not an expression
of voters preference unless it is certain
that it is done voluntarily and without
coercion on the part of anybody else
To ascertain If that be the case is the
function of our returning board. They
decide what are legal votes and what are
not legal If they are not legal, it's tbeil
duty to make their protest within day
of the closing of the polls"
Eyes, SO I've understood; and the
illegal votes are the Democratic votes
generally"
The general appeared to take no notice
of this remark, but went on to say.
"Now, when the votes were cast las
fall for governor and president, ther'
we're some parishes where the supervi
sors of election made their protests tina
the votes had not been cast legally
that is to say that coercion had heer
used-and others where they did not
Now, | happened to be in position
where | was allowed to keep an accoun
of those votes, and happen to know
shat by them MI Packard was elected
and feur of the Hayes electors also TIN
other four electors, who had the major
ity were for Mr.. Tiiden. So somethn:
had to done, and Mr.. Sherman and MIR
Garfield were consulted as to what tina