Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-08-15

to James e. Anderson.
| New YORK, Aug. 14.-The Potter Congress
sional committee continued their investigation
| this morning, and Col. VIM. 81. Roberts, Of
the New Orleans Times, testified. He said he
aas familiar with what was going on; saw all
| of the visiting statesmen at New Orleans.
! They were not consulted about his visit to
| Ohio. He merely mentioned to Stevenson,
Matthews and Sherman that the situation OF
the white people in the State was desperate.
We had been defeated by the returning board
in 1872, and were afraid Of being defeated
again in 1876 ard the people were beginning
| to think an election was utterly useless. We
considered the election a fair and just one,
and we polled every white vote available, but
we feared being counted ont by the returning
board. We all believed the returning board
would not dare to have done what
ed the moral support of the visiting
statesmen. These apprehensions about the re-
turning board were what led to my visit to
Gov. Hayes. We wanted to know what action
he would take if elected. He knew perfectly
we'll that was talking for the Democratic SIDE
understood Hayes to mean by fairness and
justice that the returning board cheating should
cease, and that, as told him we had O CLEAR
ma iority of over 1000 IN the State, the Nichols
government would be recognized. There was
no determination to resist the establishment of
places in the Federal government. We were
deeply interested in finding out what would be
done if the Democratic vote of Louisiana was
| thrown out and Hayes counted in. l did not
hear of any forged electoral certificates of
Louisiana. In conversation with Foster ne said
it was strange that no Republican vote was cast
in East Felicians. In my conversation with
fpld I inv
Hayes very fair man, and that he
had told me he would be President of all the
United States or not at all. detailed to the
Senator all my conversation with Hayes.
Conkling replied: II am opposed to all this
sort of thing. If Hayes is elected he should
get in without concessions to Louisiana and
it he is not elected he should not get in at all.
In conversation with several gentlemen l re-
marked that the crookedness of the returning
board i'll Louisiana was SO bad and glaring
that even Republicans had to dsavow all con-
nection with it. This applied to previous pc
titions. We understood that the military
would be withdrawn after the 4th of March,
and they would be let down easy, but they
would be let down.
Gen. Butler-Who do you mean by they7
A.-The Packard government. There
was a committee appointed to go down to
government down easily. 1t looked better.
you know.
This ended Roberts testimony. The
next witness was Join E. Lee, who is a
reporter on the New Orleans Times He testi-
fed that about 1872 he was engaged in getting
up facts and evidence in support of the KEEL
logg government to layabefore Congress. o her
people made affidavits and witness compiled
them. There were endless commissions and
| committees and calls for more evidence from
Senator Morton. 1t wa alleged that the DEM
| ocrats with Yarmouth had swindled US Repub-
A tkoh hast bod y.oar, lal
to the returning board in 1872 to get them to
| count in Kellogg. Witness was to get the best
Office traded off already and picked out the Of
| flee OF harbor master. never went near the
office except to draw pay. Was con-
stantly associated with Kellogg. Lost
confidence in Gov. Kellogg when | was re-
moved. then got q position in the State Sen
ale as clerk. Kellogg's excuse for all his fail
| ings that he was tied up and embarrassed
and could not do what he wanted with his
patronage. He was situated just as H yes is
now by the returning board of 1876. Witness
| believed Anderson on both. He was after
/ wards made a tax collector In small town
which he traded off for q seat in the State con.
vention that nominated Packard in 1876. Wit
| ness was opposed to Packard, and Kellogg
/, wanted him to spring the nomination of vii.
| Hanson. Kellogg pretended to support Pack.
! ard before the convention but he never IN.
| tended him to be nominated.
| Here Mr.. Roberts recalled and Gen
| Butler said: When did you first hear of the
| McVeagh commission?
| A. About the 10th of February, think.
was speaking with several parties, MIR. Foster
among others, and the question of letting down
| the Packard people easy came up. Then
commission with a majority of Republicans in
it was suggested. Major Vining and Others
said it was a capital idea, that a commission
sanctioned by the President and secretary OF
state would make Republicans in Louisiana
yield and give the State to the Nichols gov
eminent. 1t was well understood that the
| commission was under official structions.
| Q. By Gen. Butler-Then you looked OF
| the commissioners coming Gown there
| farce.
| A. Well, not exactly.
/ @. 1t was predetermined that one govern
ment was to be let down easy?
| A.. That s it exactly.
! Q. Then one Democrat was put on the com
| mission to give it the appearance of fairnessi
| A. Yes, we wanted a cool and collected MAJ
| in the admission who would let us know wha
they were doing.
The witness said he supposed the Presiden
or secretary OF State aware of the object
and intentions of The commission, that tn,
fairness and justice of case the wipine
out a:d letting down of the Packard govern
ment. the Nichols government having ma
jority of votes.
@. Then, on your own showing, and on TIT
eFiuence VnaG NICHOLS was eleCleu anu fackaft
was not, and ON the decision OF the com mission
should it not have been decided by them ais,
that Tilden was elected aud Hayes was not?
A. Undoubtedly as Tilden got near the
same majority as Nichols.
Witness said he understood after Hayes in
augnratinn this commission would be sen
down to back up the Packard government.
Witness said, we were we'll prepared TO
trouble. We had determed that come wha
might we would have no collision with United
States troops. 1t was determined not to recog
nize the Packard government at all. There ii
no doubt in the minds of the people of Louisi
ana that neither Kellogg or Packard were
elected governor, although Kellogg served foul
years. We had determined to take the Stat,
government by armed force from those VIII,
held it by forms of law. The people of thu
State and courts recognized the Nichols gov
eminent. The Packard government only hello
the State house and six acres in the vicinity
thereof. The militia amounted to 5000 men
all of whom were true to Nichols.
By Gen. Butler-Then Packard with onl,
seventy-fve men and Nichols with 5000 to OPP
pose him, it took solemn commission of foul
prominent Republicans and only one promi
nent Democrat fifteen days to tread hin
down.
A.-Yes, sir. understood the Kellogg ere
dentials for the Senate were laid on the tabl
by Hoar, Dawes and Burnside voting with thu
Democrs is.
Witness said, the only assurances We receives
that the Packard government would be lie
down easy were from Matthews, Foster, Ga1
field and Dennison. and he thought Evarts.
Mr.. Leete was then recalled, and said tina
the members of the returning board in 1877
were the same as in 1874 without exception
In the census of 1875 It was deemed advisabl
, to swell the census of colored people as hie
!, as possible, SO that the basis of registratio
could be high, every colored man was ur