Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-27

ATLANTIC CITY, n. j., July 26.-The Pot
| ter committee met this morning, and there
| was a larger number of auditors than usual.
General Sipher, upon being recalled, said
| that he could not say that he had seen Sena-
| tor Sherman signature In his autograph al
| buns. Witness thea told of the opposition
| to Packard In the convention that nominated
| him for governor and of the luke warmness
| of many prominent Republicans during the
canvass, they holding that undue influence
| had been exerted to secure his nomination.
| In conversation with Republican speakers
| witness learned at Feliciana, Monroe and
| Shreveport that stones were thrown at them,
| in addition to other indignities. Witness
| said that to the best of his recollection he
| thought when Weber showed him the Sher
| man letter it was in the handwriting of John
| Sherman, and was therefore genuine; there
was no reason why the National ticket should
run behind the State ticket; many Republi-
| cans were opposed to the Dayonet policy,
| which had lost the Republicans many north
| ern States and I'M ured the Republicans of
| louisiana. Witness is not Hayes Republ-
| can; we were divided on Wheeler; he, with
| his compromise, sold us out in 1872; we don t
believe in compromises in that country, CIV
| ing everything to our foes and getting moth
| ing In return.
Chairman Potter asked whether the allega-
| tons of fraud and intimidation was not made
| after the election, and witness replied, mo;
| the charges of intimidation was made by the
| Republicans in parishes where their vote had
| fallen off"
Mr. Hiscock asked whether the Demo-
| Gratis sought to conciliate the colored people
| to vote their ticket? Answer-Yes; in various
ways, they did as you do in New York, buy
voters. They were very affectionate to them.
Laughter. The Democrats organized a
unifcation movement for the purpose of Civ
| ing the negroes squality with the whites in
| the street cars and In the public schools, out
stripping US, and it hurt us a little.
Elk Congressman Morry was called and
| said there was no buldoAng done in Madi-
son in 1876 and the result was in that parish
| there was an increase of one hundred and
| two votes over the usual Republican majority
| In 1874, The witness, one of the Repubi
can counsel before the returning board, said
| the fact of intimidation, violence and muir
| der in the bulldozad parishes was not dis
| puted. The machinery of the courts is in the
| hands of the Democrats, and he never heard
| of an attempt being made to bring the
| offenders to justice. Eliza Pinkston lived in
| Ouchita parish where the Democrats are in
| power. Witness, from personal inspection,
was satisfied that the woman had been
| dangerously manned; she was carried into
| the room of the returning board on a sofa;
the impression prevailed that this exhibition
| would have q good effect, and his own i'm
| preston was that it would be an excellent
| thing to do in furtherauce of the cause; the
nomination of Packard produced so
| much dissatisfaction that leading Repub-
| hcans discussed whether it was not best
| National ticket At one time there was no
| statute of limitation, the act having been
| changed in 1868 or 1869. Murderers and
| other wrong doors could therefore be arrested
| at any remote time. A couple of thousand
| murders had been reported by the congress
| sional committee in 1858, when the Repu6h-
/ Id % oho fr1- IS no
| parishes. He did not know of a single con-
| viction for political murder under the admin
| istration of either Governor Yarmouth or
| Kellogg The same is true as to the Mich
oll's government. Witness said that on the
| face of the returns the Nichols and Tilden
| electors had majority; that the returning
| board threw out enough votes to elect Pack
| ard, and after this threw out one thousand
five hundred and twelve votes to elect the
| Hayes electors; this condition of things was
discussed by prominent politicians, the visit
ing statesmen and the Republican counsel;
it was discussed by the party leaders on both
sides: we tired to make under the Law a case
for Packard, and presented protests against
everything illegal or irregular; [ made some
figuring as to what results would be pro-
duced if certain parish returns were thrown
| out; think it probable that the figures were
not mentioned to the visiting statesmen, but
| naturally supposed the matter would be
l L
| the result of the calculation was sent to
Florida, so as to come to the knowledge OF
the officials later on In the examination
| Witness said that he had no doubt that the
| calculation concerning the ultimate result IN
| Louisiana was communicated to the visiting
politicians, as they were as much interested
| in knowing what would be the result in Lou
lsiana as the Republicans there we're II
knowing what would be the result in Florida
| Witness, in answer to a question by Mr.
, | Butler, said that the result in the State
showed that both Packard and Hayes were
elected under the laws; witness then testified
| at length regarding the Packard government
aud the the M'Veagh commission; helsaid
among other things, that after Packard wal
inaugurated he could not be removed from
Office unless by impeachment, and no attemp
, was made to do this.
Question-Do you say that the commission
wanted to effect a compromise between tn
legal legislature and a mob? Answer-Ih
commission at all times dlsclaimed having an
authority, except of an advisory character, Il
| the manner of etfecting a compromise be
tween the Packard and Nichols Legislature
Ques-Dld you say that such men as Gen
erai Hawley and Mr.. M'Veagh would advis
a compromise between an illegal and lega
7 legislature? Witness answered IN the affirm
! ative, and added that OWING to his intlmac
with General Hawley, he had free converse
l | tons with him, and discovered shat Genera
Hawley desired what was fair, but was ham
pered by his instructions; Packard was recog
nized in all parts of the State, and was adj
; to maintain himself at the capital with HI
{ | own officers and without assistance from tn
! | troops Witness was then interrog ated as 3
| the formation of the Nichols legislature, an
! | related the means by which the Packard leg
z isature was destroyed, such members of tn
latter as went to the formet receiving thel
per diem and mileage, some OF them benz
paid; there were rumors that bribery ma
, been used to break up the Packard legisla
ture, and this was discussed by the Republ
cans; it was the general understanding, an
| was felt by those who believed tina
Packard was elected. that the mis-
/ | sion of the commission, particularly
was to destroy the Packard government an
| to establish Nichols; that the troops wer
| to be withdrawn as part OF the scheme, an
! | after the Packard government had been de
? | prived of their courts and court buildings
| police and State, the white league was swor
| in as Nichols militia. The Republicans wer
4 | dispirlted, and labored in every honorable wa
to have the validity of the Packard govern
ment examined by the commissioners, and
| provide means of subsistence for the adher
ents of the Packard legislature, who wer
very poor, as they remained with it longe
, | than could be reasonably expected under tn
! | circumstances, and as long, II not longer, tina
white men would do in any State OF tn
Union under similar circumstances and Ia Tia
face of the same degree of temptation fror
the opposite Tarty.
General Butier-I wish you to distinct
I | understand it is not them | blame; | blam
l | the tempter. not the tempted. Do you be
2 | lieve that if the Packard government ha
had the recognition OF the general govern
| 1 ment, and such moral support as would en-
| able It to retske from the mob the court
| house and State arms. it could have malr
II frIFa cd AnG-MU