New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-06-05
A HUMnIATING EXHIBITION.

ONE DAYS CRoss-ExAMINATIoN OF ANDERSON COM
PLETELY CRUsHEs BOTH HIS STORY AND HIS
OWN CHARACTER.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON, June 4.-The Democratic conspiTa-
tors must have felt proud of their witness to-day.
He made most humiliating exhibition of himself,
and demonstrated the weakness of the revolution
airy cause he has been brought in to sustain Every
step of the investigation tends to confirm the
impression that this movement is the result OF
Democratic conspiracy, founded upon forged and
manufactured papers, and sustained by the testi-
mOny of perured witnesses.
One of the most universally received axioms OF
law is that a witness who will lie on one occasion
cannot be believed on any. Mr.. Anderson was
forced to-day, during his cross-examinaton by Mr..
Reed, to admit not only that he had suppressed the
truth for the purpose Of misleading the Howe Com
mittee, before which he was examined more than
year ago, but that he had formerly sworn to
statements which he knew to be false at the time
he made them. These admissions and confessions
he made without a sign of shame, AID with the
utmost composure. To produce such witness,
knowing him to be a peuurer las the Demo
Gratis must have known if they believed the
story he told last Saturday, is little less
than an insult to the intelligence of the American
people There is certainly no excuse for resort
ing to such worthless testimony in proceeding as
grave as onenvolying tho title of the President of
the United States.
Mr.. Reed. who conducted the cross-examination
did it in a very forcible and effective manner
lis questions to Anderson may be divided into
two classes. First he read from the testimony
which the witness gave before the Senate
Committee in Louisiana. one paragraph
after another Of the many which were IN conflict
with his testimony of Saturday, and asked him if he
swOre to them. Receiving an Affirmative answer
in each case, Mr. Reed next pointed ont the
gross discrepancies between this testimony and that
lately given, and thus drove the witness, IN order
10 protect his story Of Saturday to admit
that he swore falsely in New-Orleans.
The first time he was crowded into his corner he
made the admission with some reluctance, saying
that Mr.. Reed might consider IL perjury but he did
not But having once confessed his crime he adj
mitted il throughout the rest Of the day with per-
feet GOODNESS and apparent uncOncen, and in what
ever shape u became necessary TO save the story he
told last Saturday.
The second part Of Mr.. Reeds cross-examination
consisted in n comparison Of the statement alleged
20 have been signed by Anderson and Weber after
they had filed their protests with the Returning
Board declaring that the elections in the Feliciana
Parishes were fair. with the testimony given by
Weber when he was examined blythe Senate Com
mittee, few weeks after TINS statement ~
alleged 20 have been signed. Anderson. by produc-
ing this agreement, makes out his dead friend
weber 20 be as bad perurer himself;
and the Democratic members Of the commit
tee were very anxious TO prevent that part
of the cTOss-examination Iron staklng place:
Weber. it may be remembered, testified
10 outrages murder, and Wholesale intimidation of
the grossest character Anderson was good deal
troubled when Mr.. Reed asked him If Weber had
ever made known 90 him these facts, any OF them,
while they were preparing the agreement In ques-
ton.
Ii is proper 10 say at this point that the Repub-
lcans expect TO prove that WebeI's sgnature to this
agreement Is n forgery. Senator Stanley Matthews,
who has the original paper said to-day that Weber
never signed N ana Senator Kellogg, Who has seen
the signature land who is thoroughly tamiliarswth
WebeT's handwriting, declares his signature TO TINS
paper 60 be a forgery.
The objections which Mr.. Mcmahon interposed 10
this method Of crOss-examinatiOn came with i'll
grace from the Democratic side of tho committee.
They had allowed Anderson 10 put In evidence
copies of papers signed by himself and
ter had sworn most positively and explicitly
that the statements made IN this pretended agree
ment were false and yet, when the Republicans
desired 10 call attention TO this discrepancy and TO
the effect of Il upon the credibility of Andersons
testimony, the Democrats We're anxious TO strike 1t
out.
Anderson seems TO be troubled about some por-
tons Of his testimony in regard to the five
minute interview with Mr. Sherman, at which
Inc pretends TO have disclosed 10 the latter
the frauds of which he was guilty In
one portion of his crOss-eXamination to-day IN
referring TO this interview. he took occasion 10 de-
scribe the table as somewhat wider than no had said
il was on Saturday, his object being TO place MIR.
StoughtOn at a greater distance from himself and
Secretary Sherman, and therefore out OF hearing.