Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-02-15

LlrFdS
II tie delay as possible and place Ebefore The
PRESIDENT the condition and pending danger OF
the situation! Should you conclude upon
prompt action in the premises. allow me to com
mend you to Senator West who i my friend,
and with whom you will freely .communica e. -
| At this point Senator West entered the room
| when Mr.. Field asked him to open The letter ad,
! dressed to him. He did so, and read as follows:
My Dear Senator: [ regret much not seeing
| you "hen here. wanted to say much to Won
which would be at least inprudent to put on pa
per. trust, however, to meet you in Washing
ton as soon as the canvass is over which is upon
| US. Our duties as returning officers have
| augmented the magnitude of the destiny of the
1 two great parties-Inay l not say the Nation I
/ fully comprehend the situstion, as well as nv
| duIy to the greatest living General e. S. Grant.
| and not with my consent shall this oppres sed
people be governed by his paroled prisoners aid
! ed by their white-livered towards of the orth
] Let me. my esteemed sir, warn you of the dan
] GER, Millions have been sent here and will be
used in the interest of Tilden, and unless coun-
| ter-movement is made it will ba impossible for
me or any other individual 70 arrest is product
/ i've results. The gentlemen esenting this let
ter is fully aware of the Roves, and if you allow
act promptly, or results will be disastrous a
word to the wise. Strictly private and confden-
tial Mr.. L1ttlefield was before the Senate Com
mittee, and reite rated his previous statements
relative to Vernon Pari b. etc he was subject, 10
an hours cross-eXaminalion by Nr. Howe to test
the correctness of his statements ando his recol
lection a. to the manner in which the fabricated
| retur.s of Vernon Parish had been made
up; witness was unable % state why, when
Gov Wells asked for three polls that
would make up the aggregate of Polls land 9
destroyed, he or Davis did not st once tell him
tnat the 16 votes We're % be ( ,und in Polls 2
and 9, ready-made to his hand. Gov Wells
sent the TO lowing letter 10 the House Commit
tee: The testimony OF Joseph H. Maddox having
been taken by the Committee in reference 10 al
legged co .versations between him and myself,
and certain letters having been produced, 1 most
respectfully insist that my testimony in re-
lati n 10 these matters be taken with
out delay. l feel this is due me, thai
| haI
be known to the Committee Immediately and
that the facts should go to the country with those
letters. There is nothing in connection with my
conduct as member of the Return ng Board, or
as an individual, touching the subject under CON
sideration, which desire to withhold On the
contrary, / am anxious that the whole of these
facts ehal be known. also desire TO be inter
rogat ed in rela ion TO the matter testified to by
the witness LittIefeld affecting me, and 1 most
respectfully protest against further delay in the
matter OF my examination"
G. Casanave, of the Louisiana Return
ing Board. called before the Committee on
the Powers, Privileges and Duties ofgthe House
III Counting the Electoral Vote, on the 5th; he
testified that he had no knowledge of any altera-
tion of the returns from Vernon Parish, and had
seen none on any paper placed before the Board; !;
had no acquaintance with Maddox and had no
knowledge of his having any conversation with
Gov. Wells in regard to the election; Gov. Wells
never suggested 10 the witness to take any money
or other valuable consideration to affect the
result of the election; had no knowledge o
the returns of Precinct No. 2, from Vernon Par
ish, being burned had 40 knowledge of heresult
of the election until after the r5turns had been
canvassed on cross -examin alton, witness insisted
that the Returning Board, IN rejecting any pre-
cinct poll, acted upon the evidence before them
and that atfidavts were before he Board in exec
aud stated that he met with Maddox, in Washing
ton, TWO or tgree years ago, and did not meet
him again until Nov. is last, when he came to
witness room in New Orleans and told him he
(MaddOX) Government
down there to look into the political situation:
witness subsequently, signed a letter, pre-
President, and commendatory of his (Maddox'sl
conduct officer, and also VI ote him
ano her letter of credentials: the next day wit
ness wrote letter to Senator West, and gave it to
Maddox to deliver to the Senator, as he (Maddox)
was going to Washington; witness never h any
conversation with Maddox relative to money TO
affect the action of the Board nor did Maddox
ever say anything 10 him about money or anything
else OF value for witness or any other member of
the Board to affect the result of the electon wit
ness denied ever having given Maddox authority
10 negotiate for tie payment of any money to-
himself, to West or to any other mem
Der of the BOard had no knowledge of
the transfer of, votes in. Vernon Par
ish; witness was cross examined at great
length relative to his letters to Senator West,
which. he said, related mainly to Senator Vests
re-eeC ion, witness being a friend of the Senator
and being anxious for his reelection; wi ness
also ated that Hon. Damon f. Keenes. very
veal by gentleman of Louisiana. had proposed to
give him $2O0OO0 to change the, vote of the State
FIR Tilden this proposition was smad de oa the 19 h
of November; that portion of the "a est letter
which stated that never, with witness consent,
should the State of Louisiana be delivered over
to the parolsd prison. RS, meaLt that he (witness)
knew that the State was ia rly Republican by 15
OO0 majority, and that he never would consent that
by bribery should the parties referred to in the
letter obtain control OF the State; if the election
was fairly conducted, and there was nc b ibery,
no Intimidation and no frauds then witness had
no objection 70 either partyecontrolling it: with
regard to the re- urns from VerGon Parish, on be-
II tho
Democratic to the Republican side, W tness ad
mitteu that 1t must have been done for frandu-
lent purpose, but denied that he had any knowl
edge as to ho " or wEen 1t was done. Littlefsld
was before the Senate Committee on the 5th, and
was questioned as to bali given by
co ored woman at which he met several
Democratic visitors from the North, including
Gov. Palmer and Judge Trumbull; witness had
no knowledge that TIumbul and Palmer met
Spearing at Mrs. Martins house, where Spearng
boarded, and never told anybody that Mrs Mar
tin had told him hat Spearing Trumbull and
Palmer, either of them, had consulted together
about buying sn Electoralvote. Mrs. Martin told
witness certain parties had been 10 her hous9
with Spearing, and had talked about buying an
Electoral vote; witness asked Speariog about it
gent emen were ever at Mrs Martins with him.
In the Senate. the 81. Mr West
made personal explanation in rel ,ton to
the letters of Gov. Wells to him; he said he be-
came aware of the existence of the letter some
time the revious week, through the public press,
ana, when he found the Committee had le tei,
out any subpoena and read the leTter to Them;
about the time hat letter should have been de-
ivered to him, he informed by the Secre-
tary of War that man by the name of Maddox
was in Washington attempting to trade off The
vote Of Louisiana; he g. esD Immediately denied
he had any such authority, and telegraphed to
New Orleans to a friend, in substance as 1ollows:
: Tell Gov. Wells that mau by the name OF Mad
dox is here prof ssng to be autnori zed to speak
for him aud the Returning Board of Louis
lana. What does this mean?" he answer came
back as soon as tie wire could, bring 1t; : Mr..
answer to question of Mr.. Bogy as TO what ex-
PLANTATION he conld make of the letter, said that
ne (West) was ambitious to be his own successor
in the Senate. and theslet er referred to that; as
preston in the same manner as Col. Sellers did;
he meant there was Dartel OF money there 10 be
ustd against The Republicans and aid was needed:
that is If money was 10 be spent on one side 1t
must be spent on the other; he (West) would not
rest for moment under any suspicion that he
was raffcking in Electoral voc
Gov. Wells was before the House Com
mittee again. on the 9th, and further cross -ques-
toned: he said he did not have, just before he
lett New Orleans, a discussion with A. j. Bar
rett, member of the Packard Legislature about
the action of the Returning Board; ne did not
state to Mr.. Barrett that he had determined to
make statement to Gov. Nichols, or that he
would make clean breast of it, the
statement that he did so witness pro-
nounced an infamous lie; witness refused
until the House should have relieved him of the
charge of contempt of its authority, when he
would feel free TO answer any question concern
ing the action of the Re uTning Board; votes
were thrown out for fraud. intimidation and vio-
lence at the polls. The House Louisiana Sub
Committee examined Charles s. Abell resident
| of New Orleans since 1871. who was Secretary
of the late Louisiana Returning Board; knew
Littlsield; recommended him as Clerk for
| the Board at his Litteield'sl request; from
| the Parish of Vernon there were no returns re-
| seived as from minis sioners; only knew of the
| c nsolidated statement of the Supervisor from
,ard.S a..