Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-07-03
SHE RMAN'S REPLY.
A STIRRING DOCUMENT.

SHERMAN'S REPLY.
A STIRRING DOCUMENT.
WASHINGTON, June 29.-Secretary
Sherman, answering the letter pre-
pared by Morrison and sen. to-day,
says:
"The resolution under which your
commission is acting, accuses me OF
inducing certain election officers OF
Louisiana to falsely and fraudulently
represent and protest the election OF
November, 1876, in East Feliciana and
part OF West Feliciana, as not free
and fair. As to the allegation that
said election was free and fair and the
practice to the contrary false and
fraudulent, l ask that witnesses
(Which the Secretary names) be sub.
ppnaed and examined at such time
and place rs you may order. Their
former testimony showed there were
the crimes of whipping, threats OF
raids by armed Democrats, killing,
burning of houses, shooting. intimi-
datioD, hanging, driving from home,
expulsion from Office, shooting of q
sheriff, violence at the polls, property
taken away, etc. The records of Con.
gress authorize me to state the com.
bined result of the testimony will be,
"First-Prevalpnca in the parishos
above named as in those adjoining
before aud at the time of said cleo.
ton, and especially at the time and
places of registration of voters pre-.
paratory TO said election, of thor
oughly organized and executed sys.
tenn of intimidation of Republican
voters by Democrats. This intimida.
ton was forced by means of daily and
nightly raids by armed bodies of men
upon the persons and property of Re.
publicans. Included in these acts OF
violence were the killing, wounding
and whipping of Republicans, break.
ing into and burning houses and
stores and other outrages, by means
of which such state of terror was
inaugurated, and in these and adioin-
ing parishes that leading Republicans
in these localities were forced to leave
their homes and prevented from or.
ganizing for the campaign, and a ma
jority forced against their wish either
to desist from voting or to vote The
Democratic ticket, The large Repub.
lican majority which had appeared
at every election after the close of the
war and prior to the election of 1876
was thereby suddenly converted into
large Democratic majorities, 80 that
in some of the precincts and in East
Feliciana not single Republican vote
was polled.
Second expect by this testimo.
ny to show that witnesses Of both par.
ties concedc the existence of this vic.
lence and intimidation, though the
Democrats say it was not political in
its organization.
"Third-I expect by this testimony
to show in establishment of the claim
that it was political, and directed by
the democrats against the republicans
as such that this organized violence
was SO timed as to precede and cover
the time Of registration and to pre-
cede the elections and that it ceased
after the election, and that the VIC
tins of violence and intimidation
were active and leading republicans,
aud never democrats.
"Fourth-I expect by this testimo-
ny to show amongst others, the fol.
lowing list of enormities committed
in the following parishes. These
were for political ends, as above stat
ed, namely:
East Feliciana-Killed, 5; wound.
ed, 3; hung, 2; whipped, "a; shot al
4; expelled from Office and driven
from home, 8; by threats of violence,
.; burnt out, 2; threats to individual
persons, IL.
"In West Feliciana-Killed, 25:
wounded, L; hung, L; whipped, Z;
shot at, Z; expelled from office, etc,
and driven from home, IL by threats
of violence, A.; threats to individuals,
Is; burnt out, Is.
81 make this application TO the com
mittee at this time because wish to
give the committee an opportunity to
take action thereon before it shall
send part of its members to Louisi-
ana, if that should be done. In case
of = decision to send such q commit
tee TO Louisiana, and that committee
shall deem it improper to bring all
witnesses as named to this city, then
ask that this application shall be
treated and acted upon by the CON-
mittee sent to Louisiana "a tho appli-
cation is to have witnesses named
subpnnaed and examined wherever
the committee or subcommittee shall
decide it best to have them appear.
Secretary Sherman, in giving the
above letter for publication says he
refused to give to the press his offer
of testimony made June 6, until the
committee should act upon it. After
a long delay. without notice to him, q
paper ia published this morning sup
posed to be the reply of the commit
tee to his frat request, in which he is
denied the right to prove the very
gist OF the whole matter, whether or
not there was free and fair election
in East and West Feliciana, and the
subcommittee is now in Louisiana
acting upon this construction. The
pretense that the Secretary cannot
prove there was not free and fair
election because he denies the writ
ing of any imputed letter Is frivolous
to the last degree. Whether he wrote
the letter or not, the real thing that
tho committee wants to know, he
says, is whether there was actual
fraud and violence in these two par
ishes to justify the returning board
in what they did. Ifso, that is the
end of the inquiry; if not, and IL the
action in Louisiana was unequal and
improper then 1t may become proper
to ascertain who participated in it,
The affair has become ludicrous
burlesque, and a travesty on business
aud fairness.
WARRINGTON Ju1v 1-Amon0 %ho