River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-02-08
Associated Press Reports of Political Inyes.
LEGATIONS.
LOUISIANA.


The House committee on powers.
privileges, and duties of the House in
coun ing the electoral vote is dragging
along with daily sessions the greater
! portion of which are not of absorbing
public interest. On the Goth ult., one
| Littletield, clerk of the Louisiana re
turning board, testified thai on the Sd
| of December he altered the returns
| from two of the polls IN Vernon par.
| iSh so as to transpose LIS Democratic
votes over to the Republican candi-
! dates F; that be did this by the express
| direction of Gov. j. Madison Wells,
and that after making copies of the al
tered originals and substituting them
FOR the originals, the latter were
burned, either by himself or Governor
Wells-he did not remember which,
hui at all events with Gov. Wells
/ knowledge.
Gen. Hurlburt, of Illinois, cross-ex-
amined Littiefeld, and reading certain
answers from the stenographer' notes
of yesterday, which witness is record
ed as having then made, he asked him
| how Tt was that his answers of yester-
day and to-day did not agree. Witness
said he did not make the answers as
| claimed, but that he refused to answer
all questions, and he stated here. as he
did at the beginning of his direct eX-
| animation, that he made no such an
swers on his examination as were re-
| ported.
On the 3lst of January, the commit
tee had John L. Picket, a Washington
| lawyer before them. The substance
of his testimony was, that Joseph III.
Maddox, an old friend and former res
ident of New Orleans brought him, on
the Odd of November, the following
| letter:
New ORLEANS, Nov. 20, 1876, name left outl
My DEAR SIR: You fully understand the
situation. Can you not advise with me rel
| alive thereto.
Yours very truly,
J. MADISON WELLS.
Maddox explained verbally that he
had a letter from Wells to Senator
West, stating that the Democrats
would have to give a million dollars to
| secure the count in Louisiana and that
it was necessary Cor the Republicans
to secure a similar amount to counter
act it. The witness testified that he
went to New York to see whether the
Democrats would raise million dol.
lars, and that he consulted with Con.
gresham Hewitt and John Morrissey,
both of whom declined the proposition
| Mr.. Maddox was next called but he
proved a very unwilling witness. Sew.
eral papers were shown witness, which
he recognized as genuine, including cor.
4 respondence on his part. The follow.
ing memoranda was read
''For one million dollars the vote OF Louisi-
ana can be secured to Tilden and Hendricks
Manipulate must be done by me, and as fal
as possible to protect members OF the return
! ing board who favor >uch result; If may b.
! necessary to elect two or three members oil
the board to reach what we want details to
| be agreed upon: money to be paid in Install
lnents-say Une-fourth when the fifth MEM
| Der is elected; one-fOurth when one member
| resigns ana another is elected in his place,
| and One-iourth when another resigns, with
another elected in his place; the Balance oil
one-iOnrth to be paid when the certificates are
given"
Witness for long time declined to
say who wrote him the letter quoted
above, but finally the following was
elected:
By Mr.. Burchard @. Did you see Mr.
| Wells wri e the letter TO yourself which has
been Produced here A. Yes, dictated it,
and he wrote it.
The witness was then given until
| the next day to determine whether he
would answer other questions.
On the I'd inst, the recusent wit
ness, Maddox. was again before the
/ House committee and consented to
answer the questions which he declin-
| al tlA rNravinnc dow Hn
! hen proceeded to detail conversations
which he had with Gov. Wells relative
! to giving the vote of Louisiana to Til
| den for one million dollars. Witness
swore that Gov. Wells told him he
| wanted for himself and Anderson at
| least $500, 600 apiece, and a smaller sum
for the negroes on the returning board.
Gov. Wells was present while the wit
ness was present. He denies the tes-
/ timony and both he and Anderson ex-
pressed themselves anxious to testify
| in rebuftal of Maddox and Pickett.
! Witnesses have also b,en summoned
| from New Orleans to ebut and, it is
claimed, impeach, Dittlefelds testi-
mOny.
Maddox continued his testimony on
| the ID, reiterating his story about
Gov. Wells offer to sell out. He
claimed to have Wells letter to Sena-
tor West, Offering to sell to the Re-
publicans, and promised to produce it
the next day. Gen. Anderson, of the
Returning Board, was the next wit
ness. He denied having heard either
from Maddox or Wells any proposition
for buying the electoral vote, but said
DR.. W. A. Robson, Democratic State
Senator, sought an interview with
him and told him that he could have
100000 to insure the State for the
Democrats. Witness said be spurned
the proposition. Morton's Senate COM
mittee had the witness LittlefielI, clerk
of the Louisiana Returning Board, be-
fore them on the I'd inst. He stated
that the House committee obtained
the Vernon parish return through his
uncle, Mr.. Spearing, and that he wit
nessl had not been paid to produce it.
The House committee continued the
examination of Maddox on the 3D.
Tie produced two letters from Gov.
Wells-one addressed to himself, and
the other to Senator West. The one
addressed to Maddox was dated Nov.
20, 1915, and requested him to go to
Washington and ''place before the
President the condition and pending
dangers of the situation" 1t also re-
quested him to see Senator West. The
letter to Senator West was dated Nov.
2Ist, 1876, and said the Democrats had
sent milliens TO Louisiana, and that
it was necessary to have a counter
movement on the part of the Republic
cans. II was marked strictly private
and confidential. Gov. Wells sent a
letter to the committee stating that he
had nothing to conceal and that he
wished to testify and have his state
ment 90 TO the country with the No
vember letter. The committee prom
ised to hear him on Monday the 5th,
inst. The Senate committee continued