Marshall County Republican., 1877-02-08
AN INFAMOUS WITNESS.
j. H. LittIenelds story Before the House
Committee.


Committee.
tFrom the Chicago Tribunel
Democratic papers are seeking to make po-
litical capital out of the testimony Of the man
Littlefield, Clerk of the Louisiana Returning
Board who from his own confessions, is 80
far untrustworthy and perjured that he would
not be believed npon the stand in any court
The history Of this champion political scoun.
drel, as gathered from his own testimony, the
testimony Of the Returning Board. and state
ments both from Republican and Democratic
field is Northern carpet-baeger, who went to
New Orleans and obtained the Office of Hay
Inspector from Gov. Kellogg. from which he
was subsequently removed for cause by Lieut..
Gov. Antoine, during the Governors absence
frofPthe State, thus giving hlm at the
outset q motive for revenge. He next
turns up Ms Clerk of the Returning Bosrd,
and In that capacity is conveniently found
and coached by ex-Gov. Palmer, who
turns him over to Judge Murphy, OF Daven-
port. After Littlefisld has distracted the gen.
uine Vernon county returns from the Office of
the Secretary Of State, substituting forged re-
turns for them. Judge Murphy takes him to
Iowa, having q copy OF the forged returns in
learning his lesson, and at the proper time
starts for Washington. stopping en- route at
Springfield long enough to receive additional
coaching from ex-Gov. Palmer. He next turns
up in Washington, transfers the forged re-
tnrns or the stolen original ones-it is not yet
quite clear which-to David Dudley Field. the
protector of Boss Tweed in his villainies, and,
after being coached by Fed, appears on the
stand and testifes that he'was diRected to
alter the returns from Vernon county by trans
ferring certain number Of votes from the
Democratic TO the Republican eide. What
the condition Of the return was when it was
signed it is impossible to state, "a Little
ieli or some one else has stolen the
original and substituted q forged copy for it.
but the testimony sheds a food of light upon
the affair nevertheless. 1t shows that in the
bull-dosed Vernon parish there were 200 Demo-
cratic voters TO two Republican, result al
most as notoriously corrupt ~ that in East
Feliciana. After receiving sufficient proof Of
the violence and intmidations practiced In
that parish, the Returning Board excluded
three of the worst precincts which aggregated
17S Democratic and no Republican votes, and
Littlefield was directed to make out the re-
turns in this manner. but, instead OF doing
this, he deducted the i7s votes from the Demo-
cratic side and added them to the Republican.
and then sold out his infauy to Murphy.
Palmer and Field. The proof that this in
fanny Is all his own is clear from q variety Of
reasops among them the following: L
The Returning Board knew nothing Of
the diconal change and ordered |
nothing OF the kind. 2. Li.tlefied stole the
original returns and substituted q copy in his |
own han iwriing. 8. The change did not Affect |
any candidate to the extent of changing the \
result and thus nothing WAS gained by the
Board in doing what he alleges the |
board did. No one was elected by Il, and no |
one was defeated by it, but everything was left |
where it was before. In point Of fact, . DEM |
ocratic state Senator was elected by 133 ma /
jority. 1t did not carry the State FOR Hayes !
nor for Packard. nor for any Republican MEM 4
Der Of Congress, nor affect the result In any |
parish on district. The Democratic committee |
may assume for sheir partisan purposes tnat the /
Board is composed OF knaves, and |
hire thief, blackmsiler aud forger to prove IL,
but tney have no right u assume that they are I
such idiots - TO alter returns knowing that they
cannot Affect any result, and knowing that the !
fraud would show on its face or to order
their cierk to DO il. The objects of the man
are apparent enough. He rs seek |
ug. in the first place. to magnify himself; Ina
The second place. TO secure revenge for
bis removal from . profitable place; and
Tue estimate that is TO be placed upon the
testimony of such an infamous witness aud
upon the conduct of the man Field, who has
ann IN charge. may be best hxed from Mr.. |
Morrison's refusal TO have anything TO do with
he witness or the stolen property, which
weeds lawyer wanted to shove into his hands.
4 this is the manner In which the Democracy
8 to conduct its case after the appointment Of
Board of Arbitration Il would seem to indi-
ate that they do not want an honest decision
wen from that body.