The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-19
MIR. kENNER's TESTIMONY.

MR.. kENNER'S TESTIMONY.
The testimony OF Mr.. Duncan r. Ken
ner, Of this city, before the Committee OF
Privileges and Powers, In Washington,
Saturday, will give the country q pretty
clear idea of the shameless character oil
Wells and Anderson, the two men who
controlled the Returning Board. That
Mr.. Kenner's testimony shows that he,
himself, and other well knowns and
prominent citizens of Louisiana were
willing to buy the State out of the
clutches of the local thieves and the
federal government. will not surprise
any one who is acquainted with our
political situation. The taxpayers,
merchants, and working people,
have tive or three times won the
State, defeating the thieves at the ballot
boxes, but in every instance the author
ity and power of the federal gov
eminent have been interposed to
annul the elections and maintain the
lawless and corrupt rule of our oppres-
sors. Our people have been willing to
do anything to rid themselves OF the
terrible incubus Of carpet-baggers and
scallawags. They have been willing to
go into elections; but every election
they have won has been nullifed;
they have been willing to fight; but
whenever they made q demonstration
to rid the State of its pests. the Federal
army and navy have confronted them.
It Is then neither strange nor blameful
that eminent citizens of the State,
knowing the venal character OF the men
in whose power they and their interests
were, should have discussed the feast
bility Of raising fund and buying
Justice. or, in other words. fair and
legal count Of the Wotes. Indeed, the
people Of Louisiana would have made
the grandest financial stroke of the ag
had they, four years ago, raised fifty
millions or more and bought up KEEL
logg, Packard, Wells, Anderson. and
all their thieving crew, to abandon the
State and never return. Had we got rid
Of these creatures then, Louisiana would
be to-day rich, prosperous. peaceful
and well governed State, and her wealth |
in trade, property, levees and railroads |
would have been greater by three hun
dred millions than it now is. SO much |
for the proposition, SO much talked |
about, Of Democrats to buy the Return
ing Board.
The Importance Of Mr.. Kenner's testi-
mony lies in the fact that it no longer
leaves the least doubt that Matt Wells
and Tom Anderson are pair OF con-
summate scoundrels, who. realizing /
that they-to use old Wells words--had
hold Of "ths biggest thing they ever had
to do WITH" were determined
to sell it to the party who would pay
the best price for it. Wells seems to
have been the spokesman for the two;
but Anderson evinced the greatest pru-
dence in the transactions Of the firm,
he having prompted Wells to break
of negotiations with Mr.. Kenner for the
sale of the State, for the reason that he
did not believe that Kenner had money |,
enough to pay the price. Wells only
wanted enough, he told Kenner, to en-
able him to go home and rest in peace
and quiet the remainder Of his days.
He was willing to sell out for that much.
Bat Tom, General Tom Anderson, he ia
younger and more enterprising, and he
wanted half a million OF least He
seems to have stood out for that for a
lime. But then, as the people OF the !
State are poor, and as he lives among
hem himself, Tom finally fell q little.
md old Matt then told Kennsr
N plain terms, that il he (Kenner)
would place in his (Wellso hands two I
hundred thousand dollars in green {
packs it was a bargain, and
he State should be counted for
Nichols. But that was the very
oWest figure he and Tom could afford a
oput it at; it was the biggest thing t
I their lives, and as they were closing t
ut the firm business, they could not t
ossibly go lower. Indeed. it was a f
argain at the price. and they would z
III for that sum to nobody else. But r
[r. Kenner didn't have that much i
loney, and SO the trade was broken 8
1. 6
1t SCENE, however, that th6re nas AZ q
'oubIe about selling out tho State. 4
@xs.& Ssss IL s4s