The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-02-02
THE eREAT swINDLE.

= - tn Is GREAT SWINDLE.
The revelations of fraud in the cen.
. duct of the members Of the Louisiana
Returning Beard, made by witnesses be-
fore the House Committee at Washing
ton are most appalling. 1t Is hard to
realize that the destiny of the people OF
the entire nation have been in the hands
Of such infsmou, Villains. LIrrJ JErIELD,
who was one of the clerks of the Return
ing Board, testified that Gov. WELLS,
the president of the tribunal, absolutely
instructed him TO take figures from the
column of Democratic votes In Vernon
parish, and add them upin tie Republican
column. In accordance with these in
itructions LlTTLEFIELD did make the
changes and the members of the Board
all certified to the. correctness of these
fraudulent returns, having burned the
originals. From what was done IN this
one parish we can form some idea OF
what manipulstions we're bad of the re-
manning parishes, and we can readily see
how Democratic majority OF thirteen
thousand in the State of Louisiana was
converted into Republican majority OF
four thousand
In addition to this comes the testi-
mony Of the witness MADDOX,
who, according to his statements,
was made the agent to negotiate the
purchase of the Returning Board, this
tribunal Of Extraordinary powers having
announced that the little sum Of one
million of dollars would be an induce
ment to do the fair thing and count the
state in Democratic, as the voters intend
ed it to be counted. But the Democrats
failing to come down with the "slnews of
war" those loyal scoundrels set to work
and figured out q result favorable to the
other party. 1t has beeh we'll known
that some kind of rascslity had brought
about this result, but heretofore the in.
committees had failed to
worm anything out of the party, the Re-
turner's preferring to suffer imprisonment
rather than TO lay bare the secrets of
their midnight sessions. But fortunate
ly for the country one OF the shrewdest
lawyers of this or any other country, was
sent to Congress to FL vancancy just at
the most apportune moment. This gen.
,leman was Mr.. DAVID DUDLEY FIELD,
OF New York. Mr.. FIELDS experience
in criminal practice had qualified him
for the work in hand, and 1t is due to
his shrewdness in the examination
of witnesses and his great legal talent,
that the facts were worked out
of the witnesses who have so
testified. The probability is
that as the ice has been broken, and
Mr.. FIELD has discovered the clue by
which the well-frsmed network Of fraud
can be unraveled. the whole fraud will
bc developed aud the HAYES electoral
vote OF louisiana will vanish. This tes-
timony is being brought out just in time
to be laid before the High Commission
appointed to decide upon these matters,
and the high character of the gentlemen
composing that Commission is a sutti-
cient guarantee that they will never con-
sent to count In President who
holds his election upon returns
made by such notorious scoundrels.
The result will be that the electoral vote
of Louisiana will be counted for TILpES
or not counted at all. in either event
Mr. TILpEN will be elected. 1t will,
however, be humilisting reflection to
the American people that a great politi.
cal party came 20 near succeeding in
pslming its candidates upon the people
bv the nefarious work OF n corrupt Can
vassing Board, such as they have had IN
t'lorids and Louisiana.