Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-02-09
Impolitio Policy,

AmfNAAehO AoAAuyt
We have had but little confidence in the
truthfulness Of the returns from Louisiana,
not because we wanted Tildeu "countsd in"
for we did not, but because the whole process
OF making up the returns from that state was
characteristic by such dishonesty, such disre-
gard for the laws Of the state and by such
evidences Of fraud that we could not silence
our unbelicf. The case was 30 unlike that in
Florida or even South Carolina that in its
isolated baseness it fairly repelled belief.
And now we are being entertained with tes-
timouy TO show that this Chairman Wells
was ready TO sell the state TO Tilden. Wheth-
or this testimony is true or not, and il would
be well net TO believe more than half Of il on
either side till it has been we'll established,
it still remains true that Wells and his asso-
ciates are a set Of political knaves, and when
Senator Sherman stands up in his place in
the United States senate and says Of the re-
port Of this Louisiana Board, that il was
performed Sin q manner to demand and re.
quire Of you the same respect for their de-
cision as would be given to the decision Of
the supreme court Of the United States" he
insults the common intelligence of the COM
monest citizen Of the land, and steps down
from his elevated position as a member Of
the United States senate TO the degraded one
of a low pettifogger. Senator Sherman knows
better he knows this board violated the
law in the matter of filling a vacancy in this
number, and fer him to say that the supreme
court would do the same is a falsehood. For
a republican senator to SANDER the supreme
court in that way, and utter such falsehoods
to carry a party measure can only react to
the party's damage just as it has done.
These extreme views Of Sherman and Morton
and Blaine and Garfield have given plausible
ground for the democrats to call them "ro-
publican conspirators." Senator Sherman
should remember that he is a member Of the
United States senate and a recognized leader
of the republican party, the party of reform,
Of moral ideas, of principle, Of patriotic love
of country the party to which we are to
look for safety, succor, and guidance; aud
for him to get up in the senate and utter
such deliberate falsehoods is to make every
honest man in the country shrink from sup
porting the party Of moral ideas, which seeks
to retain power by ISLANDERS and lying. Sem
ator Sherman asks us to put the Louisiana
board alongside the supreme court for hon.
esty, purity, uprightness of personal char
acter, general responsibility and trustworthi-
ness Does he, or any other man Of sense,
suppose a set Of political desperadoes would
bring such charges against the judges of the
supreme court as are now being preferred
against the Louisiana board?
Our estimate of Mr.. Wells may be called
in question, and we subjoin Gen. Sheridan's
estimate of him in an official letter to Secre-
tary Of War Stanton, of June 3, 1867, CIV
ing his, Sheridan's, reasons for removing
Wells as governor of Louisiana
After the adjournment of the legislature,
the governor OF the state appointed q board
of his own in violation Of this act Zone APP
pointing a board to disburse 81, 900 900 for
repairs Of the ~levees), and made the &C.
acknowledgement III person that his object was
to disburse the money in the interest of his
own party by securing for it the vote of the
employees at the time Of the election. The
board continued in office, but the legislature
refused to turn over to the governors board,
aud each side appealed TO me to sustain it,
which | would not do. The question must
then have gone to the courts, which, accord
ing to the governors Judgment when he was
appealing to me to be sustained. would re-
quiro one year for decision. Meantime the
state was overlooked. The levee boards
we're tied up by political chicanery, and
nothing was done to relieve the poor people,
now fed by the charity of the government
and charitable associations of the North. |
say now, unequivocally, that Gov Wells is a
political trickster and a dishonest man. |
have seen him myself, when | first came to
tnlS cOUnHlaDu, turn out all the union men
who had supported the government, and put
in their stead rebel soldiers, some of whom had
not yet dropped their gray uniform. have
seen him again, during the July riot of 1866,
skulk away where l could not fnd him to
give him a guard, instead of coming out as a
manly representative OF the state and join
ing those who were preserving the peace. [
have watched him since, and his conduct has
been as %sinuous as the mark left 10 the dust
by the movement of a snake. l say again
he is dishonest, and dishonesty is more than
must be expected of me.
At the same time Gen. Sheridan wrote
Gen. Grant explaining things in which he
used these words about Wells:
lie has embarrassed me very much since |
came into command by his subterfuge and
political chicanery. This necessary act
will DO approved by every class and shade of
political opinion here. He has not one
friend who is an honest man.