The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-02-19
IN. Y. Herald.)


When the famous Wheeler compromise
was laid before the republicans in New
Orleans in 1875 one of them objected
vehemently to it, not on the ground that
his party was getting less than justice,
because it was acknowledged that that
compromise inflicted injustice on the
democrats, but on the ground that any
settlement of the kind had tendency to
"denationalize the Louisiana question"
which appeared to him q deplorable
calamity.
The republicans here seem to be OF the
same mind. They cherish hope that
the Louisiana question may once more
become nation allied" and in their eager
ness they are getting themselves into the
somewhat equivocal position of being the
apologists and defenders of Wells and
Anderson.
Don't you think it is pretty joke TO
see the party of great moral ideas unanl-
soously defending the Louisiana Returning
Board IN the face of the fact that several
OF their own committees have denounced
these men in the strongest language ?''said
democrat TO day.
Almost everything is forgotten in this
world and oblivion especially overtakes
congressional reports, so that probably
few republicans in either house now remem-
Der that committee consisting
of Messrs. George F Hoar (now
senatorl, William A. Wheeler (now vice
presidentl, Foster, Phelps, Potter and
Marshall-hve republicans and two demo-
crats-investigated in 1875 the same " ellis
ana Anderson, who are now attracting
attention, and who in part constituted the
returning board in 1872 as in 1876, and
reported of their conduct in these scorch
ing words, which, one would think, would
have been sufficient to keep them there
after forever out of any respectable federal
civil SERVICE
We are constrained to declare that the action of
the returning board on the whole was arbitrary,
unjust, aud in onr opinion illegal. and thst this
arbitrary unjust and illegal action alone pre-
vented the return by the board Oft majority Of
scrVative members of the lower house.
And the committee above named, all OF
whom were eminent lawyers, unanimously
reported
That it Is recommended to the house OF repre-
sentatives Of Louisiana to take immediate steps &c
remedy the Injustice, and TO place the persons
righuully entitled In their seats.
This formal aud, to men of character
terrible verdict of fraud was adopted by 9
strongly republican house 10 1875. 1t was
supposed at the time that it placed Well.
and his fellows beyond the reach of decent
people respect and confidence, and wheG
Secretary Sherman, in 1877, in the senate
declared, on his honor, that he believed
the returning bOard-namely, Wells, An
dersoD and two ignorant aud insignificant
colored men, to be as honest and honor.
abe gentleman as himself this was re
garded only as the hasty utterance of ar
excited partisan. Nobody was so foolish
as to imagine that Mr.. Sherman or any
one else, unless it should be Mr.
Stoughton, would speak thus of men out
OF whom had been denounced in 1867 BY
General Sheridan in repeated reports al
not only corrupt and dishonest" himself
but as not having an honest man in tn,
state as his friend, and both Of whom wert
convicted by republican committee O
fraud, OF arbitrary, illegal and uDjus
conduct" while acting in high and judi
clal capacity it 1872. But Just now the
most conspicuous leaders of the republican
party are not ashamed to be the defender
OF these same men. 1t is not strange tina
the democrats enjoy the exhibition ant
hope that the president will make thu
blunder Of joining Messrs. Sherman, Mat
thews, Hale, Garfield and others in thei
defence Of these men, Ii he will take tn
trouble tn read the report OF the COMMITTEE
he will lind that, besides the general iraut
there denounced, Wells, as president o
the returning board,wa guilty of privat
fraud OF his own IN order to put in tire
republican Legislators from his own parisl
ot RapIdes. The parish went democratic
There was no protest nor charge of trouble
but the congressional committee toun,
among the papers an affidavit of Well
himself, which had never before bee
publicly known and which charged intim
ldatlon at certain polls in his parish, ia
which reason these polls were thrown on
by Wells. On examination this affidav
was iuund to be without date. 1t wa
found that Wells, who had made an
signed 1t and had privately put it in q
evidence, was not in the parish on the da
OF election, when he swOre that there wa
intimidation, and when the committee sun
mOned him to explain if he could he d.
cned TO appear is TO say, he, Ii
President Ct the Returning Board, one
the highest judicial functionaries of tt
State, virtually confessed to perjury.
All these things are forgotten here, b
they are known to every schoolboy in Ne
Orleans, where the crimes of these mt
were committed 1t is not strange, Their,
fore, that when decent people of that Gil
see the President honoring these men wi
two OF the neutrality-suspicious. land importa
federal offices in the State public opinion
outraged and sustalns their trial for one
least OF their many offences That is Il
truth OF the situation.
General Gibson TO day said in the Hou
that Wells and Anderson are treated q
eording to the laws Of louisiana; that tn,