Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-01
SHERMAN'S SQUIRM.
THE PIRATE IN TIE ROLE OF 4
PETTIFOGGEK.
Morrison to Sherman.

WASHINGTON, June lS.-Ihe following IS
draft of the letter prepared by Mr.. Morrison, of
the Potter committee, in answer to Secretary
Sherman requesting to have subpenaed from
Louisiana one hundred witnesses expected to
give material testimony touching the freedom
Of election, and the murder and intimidation
of voters in all of East and parts of West Fe-
lioiana parishes. Mr.. Morrison says, in the
course OF the reply: The records of Congress
to which you refer, and other records of Con-
gress with which you are doubtless familiar,
authorize the statement that the testimony
Of said witnesses is contradicred by
Witnesses numerous, us intelligent
and whose testimony is at least as we'll enti-
tied to belief. 1t is needless to add that should
these one hundred witnesses again repeat their
former testimony five hundred other witnesses
at least Us credible as they will be ready again
to contradict them. Seven committees or sub
committees Of Congress, have investigated this
question Of intimidation in Louisiana, and
have heard the testimony of twenty times one
hundred Witnesses, but no committee has ever
agreed as to the fact of the existence or nom
existence of such intimidation. You and your
political associates of the visiting committee
witnessed certain proceedings of the returning
board where based on alleged intimidation, and
by which proceedings said returning board re
versed the decision of the people made by
their ballots actually cast, anu then you, with
| all your associates made haste to bear witness
to the justice of its conclusions.
The gentlemen most of them until recently
your political associates, with whom you re-
fused to join in effort to secure fair
count, but who were permitted to witness pre-
sumably all of the proceedings of the return
ing board witnessed by you, were as prompt to
declare its proceedings partial and unfair, and
its conclusions entitled to no respect whatever.
lr view of this disagreement and uncertainty
as to the actual fact, this committee will not
feel itself justified in condelnning or accusing
any election officer who had, in good faith
under the laws of Louisiana, done any act
based on intimidation by such officer
believed to exist, even though the committee
ray believe such act did wrongfully and un-
lawfully annul aid reverse the legally ex-
pressed will of the people of that State and Of
all the States. Neither will this committee. in
| view of oil the facts, enter again upon any in
qniry az to the existence or non-existence of
| intimidation in any of said parishes to be in
terposed because of the false and fraudulent
canvass, and return of votes by State, county,
parish, or precinct officers, or in excuse of any
person who may have in any way contributed
to the results of such false and fraudulent can
vass and return of votes.
Before the contamination of the acts alleged
to DO fraudulent, you and your political asso-
ciates met at New Orleans, among others, Hon.
Lyman Trumbull, John l.. Palmer, George w.
Julien, until recently your political associates,
who asked you and your associates to join
| them in the exercise of such influence as you
together might possess IN behalf of such can
vass of votes Of that State. as by its fairness
should command the respect and acquiesence
| of the people of all parties. This you refused
| to do because, as you alleged, being strangers
| in that State, you had no rig.t to control nr
| influence any of its officers as to the manner
in which they should perform the duties i'm
| posed upon them by it's laws, and because by
attempting so to influence them, you then
further alleged, you would be condemned by
the people OF every State in the Union.
In view Of such lefusal to join in the exer-
else of any influence over the officers of Louis
lana to secure fair count of votes legally cast.
and # your alleged reasons therefor, it is to
this committee a matter of regret that the rep
etition of the former testimony of these wit
nesses, or any inquiry Us to intimidation of
voters, or other inquiry involving wrongful acts
of others, is deemed by you necessary to vindi-
cate you from the accusation Of being inter
fered with, or exercised any influence or con-
troll over the officers Of that State for which,
by your own statement you should be con-
demned by the people of every State in the
| Union.
The reply concludes thus: Whatever OF
accusation is made against you in the resoln.
tons of the House Of Representatives under
which this committee is acting rests, SO for as
any testimony yet heard shows, upon the state
| AACAV duA d11eSotAOH ldb 10
| INFLUENCE AND CONTROL
D. A. Weber and James E. Anderson in their
offio al acts, you made them verbal promises
and wrote a letter to them giving then assuc-
ances and promises of reward. If the commit
tee correctly understood your statement before
! it you denied writing such letter and MAX
ing such promises. However material the evil
dence of the witnesses you asked to have sum-
moned may be to show the fact that number
of persons were killed, threatened, driven
from office, or otherwise inundated, as you
assure the com mittee, it can in no way affect
you personally. If the committee has correctly
understood you to deny the allegation that you
wrote the letter and gave these promises and
assurances such allegation will be neither es-
tablished or disployed by evidence OF the num-
her Of men killed in the Felic;ana parishes,
whether killed because they had stolen the
property of Others. or because others sought to
steal their votes. The committee are therefore
o1nstrained for the present to respectfully de-
cline compliance with Your request to have
subpoenaed as witnesses the several persons