The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-30

mileage ana per diem TO get Inc reason the
members went over was not from any belief
as to defect In my title, because they were
present on the first days Legislature and
saw the vote counted, and must have known
how 1t stood.
The Returning Board returned seventy-two
Republican members of the House, and Of
| these sixty-eight saw the vote counted.
| | only state what was at the time current
| rumor. | don't wish to be reported as giving
it as my opinion that such was the case. 1t
was so talked about do not know that the
object of the commission was
TO QUIET THE TITLE
of President Hayes. | received n dispatch
signed @. @. Sniffen-he was the Presidents
secretary. 1t was received from the original
dispatch March 1. The dispatch Is as follows
WASHINGTON, March 1.
"G0p. s. y. PnCkdrd-In answer to your
dispatch of this date the President desires me
to state that he feels 1t his duty to state
frankly that he does not believe public Opin-
ion will longer support the maintenance of
State governments In Louisiana by the use of
the military, and that he must concur in this
manifest feeling. The troops will hereafter,
as in the past, protect life and property from
mob violence when the State authorities fail,
but under the remaining hours of his official
life they will not be used to establish or pull
down either claimant for control OF the State,
and it Is not his purpose to recognize either
claimant"
received letter from Stanley Matthew'S
which gave the public, relative to my with
drawal as Governor. Witness reads the let
ter as published In the Republican, dated
March 16, 1871 That was the only Commu-
nication had with him.
II the Federal troops had not been with
drawn and [ had a recognition OF my title, |
could, / am satisfied, have sustained my gov
eminent. If my title had been recognized
formally could have established my gov
eminent, Legislature and the government in
its entirety.
If the President had recognized the action
of the Returning Board, as the Electoral
Commission did afterward as to Hayes title
/ mean If It's action had been recognized fully,
and the President had formally recognized
me, ! could sustain myself, but | made at
that time
PROPOSITION
that II the United States government would
loan me $500 stand of arms, and with the
conservative sentiment here / would main
tain my government, for ] could have found
man for every gun, 2 and this without the
Secretary Of War, AID he considered it two
days and then said that there was no law to
warrant the loan of arms by the general gov
eminent to State. l had only 200 muskets
in the State-House as much of the State
arms had been lost two years before, and
some on January 8, 1877.
| certainly believe my title as good as Mr.
Hayes, and therefore l made an application
for troops as Governor. Witness then read
a concurrent resolution of his Legislature
asking for troops / received no answer to
that resolution from President Grant / be-
lieve | have stated fully all / know about
members being influenced to go over to the
Nichols Legislature. have, / think, stated
all to the com mittee that know.
have a recollection of something that was
published by the. Republican, but / will not
take the time Of the committee to find it now. |
There may OF, may not have been rumors
about these influences at work. | remember
at that time the Louisiana State Lottery |
Company made quarterly payment to the |
Nichols government. The company depos- |
tied quarterly payment due the State in |
bank, and the Nichols government got some |
writ from the courts and it was transferred |
10 them. The money went into their treasury. |
The State Treasurer recognized me, but the |
Nichols Legislature got up an assistant |
The Lottery Company, by their |
,harter, have to pay $4,000 to the Charity
Hospital yearly, and this was one-fourth of it,
The vote was promulgated for Governor
ind President the same day. / cannot tell |
which was
ADDED UP FIRST.
I could only get information from the pub
ished returns like anybody else. with some
,onfusion | had no other Information at that |
lime. ! answered an editorial that appeared
n the New York Tribune that insinuated
lad received less number of votes than the
electors. | answered IL showing such was
lot the case. [ would like to read part of |
t. Witness read his answer to the Tribune,
moving that the vote for State officers was
qual to that for electors That was dated
DAY 3, 1877.
The hour of AZ o'clock having arrived, Mr..
Stenger stated that he had no further ques-
ions to ask, but Mr.. Reed might desire to
ross examine. He would ask Mr. Packard
o return again as some interrogatories might
uggest themselves. Mr.. Reed did not desire
o examine at this time and the committee
djourned until Monday at 10 q. M.