The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-15
THE POTTER COMMITTEE.
CONTINUED EXAMINATION OFF w. H
ROREEeTs-TME MAC VEAGH
COMMISSION.
The Beautiful Career Of u. R. Eest Am
Lspulsaana-How Offices Were Sc"
cured. and Graded or.


NEW YORK, Aug. 14.-!Ths Potter investi-
eating committee resumed It's labors to-day.
The chairman continued the examination OF
VIM. f. Roberts. The bulk Of bis testimony
was @ repetition Of yesterdays. He said We
had been cheated by the Returning Board,
elections. After long interview with Hayes
at Columbus, came to Washington. told
my friends there that / thought Hayes was
fairly disposed, but it would be possible we
electoral count. He thought the MacVeagh
commission sent down to investigate affairs
In Louisiana was O fair one.
J. Il. Leet, the Washington correspondent
OF the New Orleans Times, IL native OF Mis-
souri,, was then sworn. In reply to questions
put to him by the chairman, he said that he
had also been in business as proprietor OF 81
private school, but had failed. He then
started O. Republican reform newspaper III
Ibervile, and fought the corrupt Democracy.
When / arrived in New Orleans WIS q Re-
publican In 1871 had q position In the Gus
courthouse through Casey. [ had no title
that know Of. Did no Custom Fl ouse work.
Was connected with the National Repubtican
newspaper.
The best Federal office at this time had
been traded to the Returning Board in 1872
to get them to count In Kellogg. / was to get
the best Office not picked out talready. picked
out the office Of harbornaster. Never went
| near the office except to draw pay. Lost con-
fidence in Kellogg when was removed. After
] was removed they made up 81 purse for me.
[ then got Is position in the State Senate as
clerk; was then made tax collector in 81 small
town and traded 1t off for seat in the State
convention which nominated Packard.
| went TO the convention to spoil Packards s
chances. ! was choked off myself as a candi-
date for Congress, III order that Nash might
be nominated.
Here Mr.. Roberts was recalled and Gen.
Butler said:
'When did you first hear Of the appointment
Of the MacVeagh commissioner
Witness replied: "About the twentieth Of
February; / WIS speaking with several par
ties, Mr.. Foster among others, and the gues-
tion Of letting down the Packard people easily
came up. Then u commission with d majority
Of Republicans on 1t was suggested. The idea
was that commission, sanctioned by the
President and Secretary Of State, would make
the Republicans in Louisiana yield and give
the State to the Nichols government
"it was well understood that the commission
were under official instructions; 1t was under
stood that four Republicans were to be put onl
the commission, to impress the Republicans OF
Louisiana with the idea that the government
| was at it's back. If that commission chad
acted unfairly by us, the Dem oCrats would
not have stood it. We would have done some
thing, but what I do not know. / have nc
personal knowledge that the President wae
aware Of the commissions object. Gov
| Brown Was the Democratic member. He tolC
| me not 10 be uneasy, as we would certainly
| have our State government"
| Gen Butler-"Well, on your showing and
on the evidence that Nichols was elected ant
| Packard was not, and on the decision Of thu
commission, should itnOt have been decided b!
them also that Tilden was elected and Haye!
| was not q
"Undoubtedly, as Tilden got nearly thu
same majority that Nichols did. under,
stood that utter Hayes inauguration this
commission would be sent down to break uE
the Packard government"
| In answer to Mr.. Hi5cock, witness said that
he believed that il the question Of the Mich
oils and Packard governments had not beeL
settled peaCeably, the militia OF the Statf
would have obeyed the instructions Of GOV
Nichols. Affairs might have resulted II
bioodshed. Witness did not think the people
Of Louisiana would have resisted the UnteC
States troops but they would not recognize
| Packard or his government.
| is@Witness said that while in Washington hf
was impressed by conversations with Repub
| lican Senators that they were In favor o
supporting Packard with Federal bayonets
Witness did not recollect any Republicans
outside Of Ohio who gave him any assurances
| that the Packard government was to be lei
down easy, and those were Foster, Matthews
and Garfield.
The MacVeagh commission was appointed
February 20.
Mr.. Leet then resumed the stand, and gave
an account Of how the Louisiana census re
turns had been manipulated, in order to show
an excess Of colored voters. lat this poin1
| 0tlr rnpOrt closed