Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-04-05
THE PRESIDENTIAL COUNT.

John Young Brown OF kenCucKy, has
by consent of the writer's made public
the letters of Stanley Matthews and
Chas G. Foster of Ohio, whereby fill.
clustering was prevented and the Pres.
idential count completed. The follow
ing are extracts from Browns letter,
explaining how the letters came to be
written:
On the Goth of February last sent
a page from the House of Representa-
tives to the Senate Chamber for my
distinguished friend, General Gordon,
and he came over in a few minutes.
told him that wanted an interview
with Hon. Charles Foster, at which l
desired his presence. I outlined to
General Gordon what I intended to
say to Mr.. Foster ,and he said he would
with pleasure accompany me. We
found Mr.. Foster in the room of the
committee on appropriations. No one
else was present during the interview.
1 told Mr.. Foster that had, as he
knew, been voting against all dilatory
motions had in u speech advocated
the innexible execution of the elec-
toral bill f; had stated in the Demo.
cratic caucus that I would so vote
il were the only man from
the South to do so: that the
vote was approved by my judgment
that felt under the obligations of
honor to stand by the result, bitter as
it was. feeling that the situation was
not chargeable to the electoral bill, but
the majority of the commission, whom
we had agreed to trust. l told him
had received dispatches and letters
from cherished and trusted friends,
conveying most empathie remonstrance
against my course, but that, with my
convictions about the question, if a
petition signed by every voter in my
district should be sent to mo request.
ing me to support the dilatory motions,
it would not by a hair alter my purpose.
I said to him that there was but one
| thing which would change me, and it
was if thought by voting to complete
the count, which was the result of the
inauguration of Mr.. Hayes, would be
aiding, directly or indirectly, in per.
petuating the usurpations of Packard
and Chamberlain in the States of Louis
lana and South Carolina, ! would re.
versed my action, and do my very
utmost to defeat the execution of the
ill.regardless of consequences, calam-
itous to the country as l believed they
would be.
THE result of this interview was
that Foster and other Republicans con.
ferred together and the next morning
Foster brought him an unsigned letter
as he( Brown1 insisted on written pledg.
es. Brown made some changes in the
draft and his letter continues j
In an hour I went to his desk and he
delivered me letter signed by him
self and Matthews. l observed that it
was in a different handwriting, read ii
hastily, and remarked that it contain
ed some generalities l did not like,
He replied that Mr.. Matthews had re.
written it, and added, "Brown, it is
intended to cover the whole case, and
can promise you there will be ne
doubt about the ful6llment of all thu
assurances have given YOU" I no
ticed the original letter on his desk
and said, "sign this also" and he re
piled, 'Certainly with pleasure. A!
was leaving he called me back an(
told me that President Gran
would, as soon as the count wa.
completed, issue certain orde,
to Gen. Augur in Louisiana. He re
requested me not to mention this fac
for several days, but expressly CAV
me permission to make any use of tn
letters might desire. The order re
ferred to was issued by Presiden
Grant. l gave copies Of the letters t.
Messrs. Levy, Ellis and Burke of Lou
isiana, and to General NJ. G. Butler 0
South Carolina, with authority to us
them whenever they pleased. Whel