The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-02-10
DEN1ALs DooUNTER-CHA

DBNIALs AND COUNTER CHARGES
The members of the Louisiana Re
turning Board have testified before
the House investigating committee
denying in toto the allegations OF
fraud made by Littlefeld, Maddox
and Pickett; and it is not to be sue
cessfully denied that their statements
have broken the force of the stories
told by the trio of unprinclpled men
inst named, whose confessions OF
treachery and misconduct render any
allegations they may make so justly
liable to suspicion and discredit.
Hon. T. C. Anderson of the Return
ing Board, besides contradlcUing the
statements that returns were altered
by the direction or connivance OF the
Board. swore that DR.. W. A. Robert
son of the Nichols Senate twice ap-
preached him with an offer of $2O0,O0
| to secure a CANVASS of votes favorable
to the Democratic candidates. Gov.
Wells swears that "a similar bride was
rendered him by Mr.. Duncan F. Ken
ner. Mr.. Kenner denies the charge,
and will probably go to Washington
to give rebutting testimony. His YER
sion of the affair is that Gov. Wells
sought the bride and was refused.
These charges have created
a sensation in an opposite direction
from that of the original declarations
which is intensified by the emphatic
testimony of Gov. Wells in refutatior
of the Maddox charge that he made
nropositions to the Democratic nation
al committee to secure the electora
vote of Louisiana to Tilden for mill
ion dollars, and demanded like sun
from the Republicans to count thu
vote for Hayes. The unsigned letter
detailing this proposition, which wa
said to be in the handwriting Of Gov
Wells, was repudiated by the witness
who swore it was not his writing and
that he had never before seen the doc
ument.
Senator West went before the com
mittee and opened the sealed lette
addressed to him by Gov. Wells, ant
delivered to the committee by Maddox
We give herewith the full text of thi
document:
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 81, 1876.
Nv Dear Senator:
: / regret much not seeing you when herr
|, wanted to say much to you, which Woul
be at least imprudent to put on paper.
; trust however. to meet you IN WasMngto
/, as soon as the canvass is over, which Is no
upon us. Our duties as returning omeel
have augmented the magnitude OF the de-
: tiny of The two great parties-may not sa
i the nation? | fully comprehend the sltuatlo
4 as well AS my duty to the greatest hvin
!; general, u. S. Grant, and not with my COZ
! sent shall this oppressed people be goVerne
y by His paroled prisoners, aided by the
| white livered towards of the north.
= Let me, my esteemed sir, warn you Oh u
Ii danger Millions have been sent here al
Il will he used in the interest of Tilden. an
: unless there is some counter movement,
Y will be impossible for me or any other 1ne
vidual to arrest its productive results.
I The gentleman presenting this letter
y fully aware of the moves, and II you tllo
y will communicate freely. See our irien
u u and act promptly, or the result VIII ne
astrous word to the wise strict
' private and confidential. Yours very trul
-e ]. MADISON WELLS.
I To j. r. West.
If Gov. Wells emphatically denl'
= that there was any hidden meaning
y this letter, or that it was intended
,e suggest that money to bride the h
Of turning Board should constitute &
', "counter movement " referred to.
a. claims with much force to have ht'
Id actuated only by motives OF patriu
e ism and fealty to the interests OF 4
= Republican party. Mr.. West effer
ID in the Senate personal explanatl'
/ concerning the letter, corroboratlI
J, the interpretation of Gov. Wells a
is denying that propositions of bride
had been preached to him.
n ~,
Of And the cry is, still they go! 1
e.. e. suspension of the Feliciana Ledger
announced, and the Democratic 81