The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-02-21


other visiting statesmen are raising
terrible howl because Anderson, one Of
the rascally returning boArders has been
convicted and these saints, who helped
plan the fraud and are now prohung
by it and in power, pronounce the pros
ecuton = great outrage. Well it is just
such an outrage as should SO a little
farther and take in Hayes, Sherman and
all ofthem.
The World makes 4 fitting comment
upon the howl that is going up from
Washington and says 1T is not TO his
credit that Secretary Sherman should OBJ
iect so earnestly as he does 10 any prose-
cution of Anderson and the other MEM
bers Of the Louisiana Returning Board.
He was one of the visiting statesmen
who q year ago went to New Orleans 10
see that the vote of Louisiana was count
ed for Hayes. But.that surely constitu-
ties no reason why he should so hotly OBJ
ject to having it declared by jury in
Louisiana that the acts which he APP
proved as witness were scandalously
unjust. 1t will not be easy for any ju>
dicious friend Of Mr.. Sherman to explain
his outbreak recorded this morning. II
Secretary Sherman believes that there
was no counting out done in Louisiana,
or that counting out is laudable, he
ought to have said so in so many words.
II he believes that the verdict OF the
jury in Anderson's case clouds the title
ofthe President, he should have said so
in so many words 1t is worse than idle
to speak ofthe trial Of the members OF
the Returning Board as IAN unlocked
"for and terrible commentary on the ef-
forts Of the President to quiet the tur-
''bulence and violence OF Louisiana
politics." which will bring into con-
tempt all efforts 1t peace and eonciGa'
ton" Ifthe men are innocent, actually
or technically, that fact may in due time
be made to appear. If they are guilty
how can their conviction and condign
punishment bring into contempt all ef'
forts at peace and eonciliation2 An ef'
fort ut peace and conciliAtion based
upon the perversion of1ustice and upon
guarantees Of immunity to scoundrels
could hardly be brought into contempt
1t was not necessary for Messrs. Sher-
man, Matthews, Hale, Garfield and
White to volunteer the opinion that the
American people will redress any in:
justice" Of which General Anderson may
be victim. And why should they be
so swift to assure the General OF this?
1t seems to US to be revival OF the bus
iness Of visiting craftsmanship" for
these eminent Republicans to concern
themselves in this remarkable manner
with the fate OF the Louisiana Return
ing Board under the laws Of Louisiana
and the country will certainly not be
gratifed if it should prove to be true, as
is this morning asserted in our Wash
ington dispatches, that the President has
initiated his Secretary Of the Treasury
in this matter"
The following is the despatch sent by
the visiting statesmen to the Gagged re-
turning boarder:
"WAsHINGroS, d. c., February 4, 1878.
To General Thomas C. Anderson, NelC
Orleans, La:
"The undersigned feel il due TO you
under present circumstances, to assure
you Of our unhesitating belief that in
the matter wherein you stand charged
you are altogether guiltless OF any Of
fense against law; that you are falsely
accused and maliciously prosecuted that
the proceeding against you, though in
the form Of law, is without the substance
of justice that we hereby tender our
earnest sympathies and express our
hope that the sense Of justice and love
Of peace Of the people OF Louisiana will
protect you, and not permit the best in
terests of the whole country TO be dis
turbed by revival Of sectional animos-
tiles. In any event, we are confident,
that the American people will redress
any injustice Of " hich you may be made
the victim.
(Signed) john SHERMAN.
STANLEY MATTHEWS,
]. A. GARFIELD,
EUGENE HALE,
HARRY WHITEn