The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-25
THE SUBCOMMITTEE.


House affidavit dupes Of 1876, let their de-
nunclations of their fellow criminals vic
| tins were the better word-of that day be
never so bitter, they cannot blind the eyes Of
| the American people TO the fact that 1t was
over path Of inEamy paved with the oaths
Of these men, whom they now denounce as
"perjurers or Idiots; that their master.
| "Fraudulent Hayes" crawled his Shiny way
into power. Nor can they by such denuncla-
ton Of their former allies, "dear friends"
and Trustworthy citizens" overthrow the
testimony given during the past two days OF
such men as Gov Wickliffe, Col, s. J. Powell,
Capt Leake and Judge Kennard.
| These gentlemen ell took an active part IN
| the campaign Of 1876 as Democratic leaders.
| They testified that IL was the especial aim OF
| the Democracy 10 avoid everything which
could possibly be used as the basis for q
charge of intimidation. They especially
strove to impress upon the colored people
that they were free TO vote as they pleased,
but made strenuous happily SUGGEST
ful- efforts to induce them TO vote the Demo
| cratic ticket.
| The arguments used to this end were the
extravaganza ami prodigality Of the Repub-
liCans and the bad management of the public
schools: and having shown them that under
| the Radical regime, not a single competent or
moral teacher was employed In those schools
that their children we're learning nothing, and
that their daughters as they grew up were
being debauched and prostituted, they won
them from their carpet-bag allies, and per
suaded them 10 enlist with the Democracy.
| Another unpalatable chapter Of Custom
House, visiting statesmen" Returning
| Board history was read to unwilling Republi-
can ears, rs under the skilful handling Of
Mr.. Blackburn their own witnesses acknowl-
edged that the affidavits prepared by them
we're Of the most extreme ca pdrte nature
that they labored to make them as strong for
the Republican side as Il was possible TO do,
straining TO their utmost limits the state
ments of their colored brothers, and, that
they would under no circumstances, have al
lowed anything TO be Incorporated In any Of
them which would or could have
been hurtful to the Radicals, or of
advantage to the Democrats. And yet
again. when the character of one of said wit
nesses was brought out in the evidence of
John A. Stevenson, Esq, who testified that
T.. X. Russ was in 1865 or 1866 levee dis
charge clerk, and that several barrels Of whis
ky were mysteriously lost from q cargo
which he discharged, which being traced were
found warehoused in Russ name. That Russ
denied all knowledge Of the matter, but being
cornered went down into his pocket and pro-
duced and gave up the warehouse receipt for
that same whisky. and shook the dust Of the
levee from his feet.
The scent too, grows warm on Pitt kel-
loggs trail, as the missing ThoS. J. Kelly,
who was so quietly spirited away just as he
had volunteered to expose the forgery Of the
signatures of Levisee and JOffrOn to tho
second set Of electoral returns, and who was
Kellogg's messenger in the days Of the old
| regime. turns up just after his letter to Hon.
Clarkson n. Potter, in Cincinnati, on his way
to Washington, In company of one j. d. Ken
nedy (ooloredD, an assistant doorkeeper Of the
United States Senate, who kindly took upon
himself the burden Of Kelogg's travelling ex-
penses The correspondence In relation to
this matter speaks for itself,
Another prop fell away under the blows in
iliCted by the testimony OF Judge Whitaker,
of the Superior Criminal Court, and Mr.. J.
Douglas, engraver, when, as experts, they
declared that Joseph's name was signed after
that OF Lionel A. Sheldon, and explained how
q microscopic examination-sucha as they had
made established beyond doubt the fact to
which they testified, thus fatty contradiCting
the declarations OF Morris Marks, so positive
ly made few days since.
Still another unwelcome witness was found
in Thos. II. holland, who swore that, In the
preparation of the Custom House afIidavlts
| thn Vr,Io Tn IN it1o
statement from personal knowledge, all that
witness would or could say he had heard
and swear him to 1t without reading 1t over to
him. that every witness was attended by
some prominent Republican from his parish
who dictated the points upon which he
was to be questioned; that he saw very few
witnesses who knew anything of their own
knowledge; that the visiting statesmen
were very active in pushing the work OF
preparation of affidavits and were constantly
asking for copies of affidavits already made
that Garfield was there every morning, and
would go and look over affidavits as they
were being prepared.
i That the witnesses were sworn In patches
of three or four; that many more were re-
luctant to give afhdavits, as they had no per-
sonal knowledge; and that all these remarks
would apply to all the affidavits taken; that
the object of all this was to overcome the &C.
knowledged Democratic majority as shown by
the votes polled, and give the State to the
Republicans, and that he was told this by J
?. Harris and Judge Hugh J. Campbell.
To crown all came Wesley Jackson, who
swore that he was coerced by Gilbert Garter
and others in joining the Sage Hill club Of
negroes, learning after he had become mem
Der that their object was to kill off certain
white people. and that he was threatened
with death when he expressed desire to
withdraw. That the secretary of the club
had List of the names Of the white people