Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-30
PALMER. OF ILLINOIS,
Gives his Testimony Before the Potter
Committee. Convened at New York
He RecOunts his Visit 10 New Or
leans as Il Democratic
Statesman.
He Tried to Get Garfield to Agree to Il
Joint Inquiry by the Two Delega-
lions - Hale. of Maine, as ii
Counter of Returns-He has
No Doubt Tilden was
Elected.
New YORK Jnly 29.-The Potter commit
tee convened here to-day and examined

! New YORK. Juiy 29-'The Potter commit
| tee convened here to-day and examined
Ex-Governor Palmer, OF Illinois.
Governor Palmer said that on November
I 13, 1876, he went to New Orleans; he was
! the chairman of the visiting committee; after
| their orgauizttio he called on Governor
Kellogg; he also called on Governor Wells,
| and had a full and free conversation with
! him; he urged the necessity for filling the
vacancy il the returning board; he talked to
Governor Wells and General Andersen, and
impressed upon them that civil war might
| follow this matter Of the Presidential cleo
| ton; Governor Wells professed TO feel great
dislike for the local Louisiana politicians
OF the Democratic party, and ne ex-
pressed great unwillIngness TO filling the
vacancy in the returning board: Anderson
always expressed his desire to fill the vacan-
cy, but that he was unable to agree with the
other members as to who should be selected;
his belief was that the negroes were disre-
garded III the politics of Louisiana. Witness
found that from the statements # some col
ored men that many of the parishes had been
"a good deal disturbed; their school money
had been used up. and the Democratic paliti
clans had made many promises to them If
they would vote the Democratic ticket:
the Democrats had made extraordinary
efforts to capture the colored vote; Governor
Nichols had obtained the respect of the col
ored people down there more than any other
governor he knew Of, and more than Governor
Packard. Witness had conferences with
General Garfield, III which he urged coal-
ton Ct the two delegations, so as to lay the
| facts before the country; the plan of the
board was to lay aside all disputed parishes,
and take up undisputed ones; on the twenty
eighth of November witness asked the board
that when the returns from any parish were
polled that he be given the result,
but they would not do so until
| how cpy,nletal.
sion from Governor Wells to enter the com
piling-room; witness thought some Repubii-
cans had access to that room; he thought he
saw Mr.. Hale coming out Of there; he saw
Eliza Plnkston when she was brought into
the room by two men, and her condition was
certainly horrible; it was about the seventh
OF December when witness left Louisiana; ne
had heard Mr.. Ascher say that Judge Levisse
stated that the election was 4 fraud, and if
he could have one hundred thousand dol
lars he would give his vote to Tiden.
Ii witness was asked il the election ia Lou
islaua was talr, he would say not; the sense
Of the people there was that Iilden and
Nichols were elected; he had heard Of no
prosecution against the parties charged with
committing the Pinkston outrage; ne said
TO Governor Wells and General Anderson
b at the Illden electors were chosen, but
that they might. On fair consideration OF
the question, come TO d different conclusion,
but hat tins conclusion should be arrived at IN
evidence that would be clearly put before the
public. Witness satisfied himself as to the
perpetration OF the PinkstOn outrage By ia
quiries, and he supposed that the political
parties there. by taking the same means of
inquiry that he did. could have also satisfied
themselves as to It's perpetrators: he told
Governor Kellogg that if these things had
happened in Illinois he (witness) would bring
the parties to punishment or be would leave
the State: ne believed the peoDla WOuid have
been satisfied with the Packard government
if they thought he had been fairly elected.
After few unimportant questions Cover
nor Palmer's testimony was closed and the
committee adjourned till the twelfth of Au-
gust unless sooner called together.