The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-22
THE POTTER COMMITTEE.
What Has Already Been Clearly Proven
by the investigation.
IWnshington Post.l


Leaving out of consideration the state OF
Florida which no honest man Will deny TO
have been stolen, we will take up Louisiana.
AS TO this State the Potter committee has
clearly proven; .., ,u4. -.
certain Republican leaders, the object being to
hold no election in East Feliciana, Grant and
other Democratic parishes.
Q. That the fact that no Republican votes
were cast in East Felcia,na was not due to in
timidation, as alleged, but was owing to An
derson's advice to the Republican leaders not
to vote. as II would have better effect than
all the affidavits that could be produced.
3. That for period of two days after the
election the Republican leaders admitted that
Tilden and Nichols had carried the State by
a heavy majority.
4. That when it became evident that the
election OF Hayes depended upon the result
In the State, deliberate preparations were
made for the purpose OF defeating the will vi
the people as expressed at the polls.
3. That in pursuance of this plan protests,
forged and altered to suit the occasion, were
made for the parishes OF East and West Fee
liciana, whereby Democratic me ority of
over $500 was changed to Republican ma
jorlty of 600.
6. The supervisors Of the above-named par
ishes were prevented by promises OF reward,
made by John Sherman and others, from eX-
posing such forgeries.
Z. That on the twenty-seyenth day of No
vember, when the Returning Board proceeded
to sum up the result of their labOrs, 1t was
discovered that while Packard and a Repub-
iican Legislature was elected, Hayes was de-
feated.
s. That after the above date, and In order TO
secure the electoral vote for Hayes, forged
protests were made for Richland and other
parishes, and the returns from Lafayette and
other parishes so changed as to increase the
Republican vote.
8. That affidavits bearing fictitious names,
and the names of dead men, were manufac-
tured in the Custom-House, and upon such
affidavits various Democratic polls were
thrown out.
10. That the acts above recited were known
to some of the visiting statesmen" and re-
ceived their approval.
II. That the electoral vote OF the State as
counted before. the two Houses of Congress,
was forgery:
Ia That John Sherman, now Secretary of
the Treasury, and at the time the personal
representative of Mr.. Hayes, was guilty OF
Subornatiun OF perjury.
l3. That the leading parties necessary to a
completion of the fraud were promised by
him protection and reward.
IA. That the fraudulent President in fulfill
ment OF Sherman's and Noyes' promises has
rewarded with Office every scoundrel con-
neeted with the great crime in both Florida
and Louisiana.
Is. That Stanley Matthews, a Republican
Senator from Ohio, and Justice Karlan, a
judge of the Supreme Court had guilty
knowledge OF the fraudulent transactions by
which the vote of Louisiana was stolen, and
personally interested themselves to reward
and protect the criminals.
l6. That Senator Morton and Gen. Garfield
both members of the Electoral Commission
knew when they voted to count the vote of
Louisiana for Hayes that 1t was both fraud
rflent and forgery.
II That Senator Kellogg, who assisted at
the forgery OF the Louisiana returns, has
since been guilty of secreting the witnesses
is. That not enc Of the criminals who as
sisted to perpetrate the colossal crime Of the
G has been punished but that eli but two