The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-06
The Conspiracy Made Plain.

The most frank and candid witness who
has yet appeared before the Potter Com
nittcc Is L. l.. WEBER, brother OF ID.
A. WEBER. late supervisor Of West Fell
clana parish to- whom. jointly with AMBER
son. JOHN SHERMAN addressed the now
celebrated letter Of guarantee He is
prominent local Republican, enjoyed the
confidence OF KELLOGG, PACKARD. PIrKIN.
and other leaders, served as state Senator
for four years. and was declared reelected
by the Returning Board. though he admits
having been defeated by twelve hundred
majority, and was summoned on behalf OF
SHERMAN.
He was behind the scenes, knew all the
secret operations. and was In close and con-
fdcntlal intercourse with the managers
who ran the State like n close corporation.
In all essential respects, WEBER has con-
firmcd the testimony OF ANDERSON, and cs-
pccally upon one point Of much value,
which ia still impcrfcctly understood by
many wcll-inclncd people. Tho Republic
cans, in and out Of Congress, with SHERMAN
at their head, have sought to make capital
out OF the fact that the parish of East Fc-
liciana, which had given large Republican
majority in 1874, did not cast n single Re-
publican vote for President in 1876. The
change, were rung on this case, rs furnish
ing moral proof Of intimidation and violence
on vast scale, which was applied To other
parishes and employed to Justify the Re-
turning Board for rejecting them.
1t WIS we'll known that the Republicans
were divided into two hostile factions in the
Fclicianns. one Of which, headed by FRANK
Powers aud p. G. BUTLER, maltrcated the
negroes, and then charged their outragcs
on the Democrats. The people o. tn" parish
knew who were guilty ut these wrongs, and
tllcy rcvultcd in such numbers ms to make II
Democratic success certain. KELLOGG and
his con;cdcratc-. with the knowledge that
they were tobcbcatcn there, connected II plan
Of holding no election in this parish while
o-tcusibiy processing the contrary. They
were only thwartcd by accidental causes.
ANDERSON, who, as Supervisor Of Ecgistra-
ton, had charge the election, went TO New
Orleans, and there an attempt was made to
cntrap him, 50 as to prevent his return, by
one of KELLOGG'S tools who had been as
signed to that duty. ANDERSON escaped
from his clutches and held the election,
much 10 the disgust Of his employers.
WEBER swcars that KELLOGG told him
frequently before the election that these t~c
parishes 1.-THE Fclcanas were going Demo
cratic; that there was no hope for us t.
carry Them and that they must he thrown
out" They appear to have acted OF
TwRED's maxim, that it was easier to buy Il
Legislature than toelcct one, for WEBER ties
titles 81 asked him LkELLOGGl to contribute
funds and to send up speakers SO we coulc
l.. t....l aud /.
that II would be easier to HrOr ont hos
parishes than TO attempt 10 carry them. On
one occasion PACKARD told me before TN
election he would be Governor and HAYE
would be President even II they did not get
vote in the Fclcanas; that it was all fixed
Thus, it l. seen, the scheme To throw
out these parishes and others, also, wa
marked out before the election took place
and was perfectly understood among tn
managers. The absence Of any vote in Ens
Fcliciaua, and the small vote Of Yves
Feliciana, as compared with previous cleo
tions. was the theme Of morton, SHERMAN
and all the Republican chiefs as proving tn
truth of their charges Of intimidation
when, in fact, the whole thing had bee
deliberately set up 10y their own contcdel
atcs in Louisiana, and doubtless with TIA
knowledge of those who were 50 vehcmeu
in dcnouncmg it.
II now scrms clear that the Louisian
fraud would not have been consummate
iut loc the presence OF the visiting statc'
riep. AVID the courage with which they il
pared the Returning Board To pcrpctrate
Ca'dlr niqui,y. They had perverted I'll
I,w hr ml'o construction; tortured ever
i..micality intoan abuse Of power; violate
the p.liuest commands Of the statute; a
ccp'od fabricated and forged protests IL
etroyod genuine returns; and may be sa
10 have exhausted an INSCRIPTIONS ing
nuty in crime 10 steal the State. When Il
results were summed ny, it was discover,
that, although these processes "elected
PACKARD and Republican Legislature, tv
OF the HAYES electors were defeated by the
own count, and after all this manipulate
On this point WEBER thus testilies:
"Q-By whom was the Returning Board induced
reopen the count and change the resulti A.-well .
s"-v were inauenced " do by the visiting siatssms