The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-26
THE FRAUD LAID BARE.
The Monstrous Iniquity Of the
Great Crime Confessed.
THE STOLEN PRESIDENCY.
The Wrongful Occupant Of the Executive
Mansion Must Retire.

,,hs frauds by which Florida was made to re-
,urn the Hayes electors as elected are rs follows:
JUDGE M'LIs's CONFESSION.
member OF the late State Board Of Can
,assers Of the state OF Florida feel impellod.
w. sense II duty to myself and justice to
o,hors TO make the following statement:
,,,ho time the canvass was made was not |
q, anv time conscious OF acting otherwise than |
risht and proper Ientsred upon tho canvass
With the conviction that 1t was my privilege and |
,utv In a politcal sense. to give the benefit OF |
avery doubt In favor of the Republican party. |
7 folt that when question could be decided
other way without doing violence to public
srnse Of Justice. 1t was fairly allowable in poll
tics that should always lean TO my own party
and give my decision in its favor. even at the
hazard OF stranng q point At no time did
feel that occupied the position OF Judge.
charged with the duty OF strict and
nice weighing and balancing OF all the evil
dencc presented. Looking back now to that
time feel that there was a combination OF
influences that must have operated most
powerfully in binding my judgment and
svayng my action. l had been for many
years. and was at the time OF the canvass.
very active partisan. sincerely thought
that our State and tho nation would suffer ire
parable injury IL the Democratic party were to
obtain the Presidency. and the policy Of hatred
lotho negro and those who had been the friends
Of the negro should obtain control ut Washing
ton. It was the common and unanimous talk.
Also that the very existence OF the men who in
the South had upheld the Republican party de-
pended upon the election OF Mr. Hayes. Mr.
Hayes would sustain them throughout the
South. while Mr. Tilden would crush them. l
was shown numerous kilograms addressed to
Gov Stearns and others from tho trusted lead
,ft tka R.,uliioap In i,o North In.
sIstng that the salvation Of the country de-
pended upon the vote Of Florida being cast for
Hayes Those kilograms came from those TO
whom had been, accustomed to defer-the
Chairman " the National Committee. and the
man who as the nearest personal friend OF MIR.
Hayes had conducted the canvass. These tele
grams also gave assurance OF the forthcoming
he Victor Victory r for Mr.. Hayes, '''''"' y =" 'e'
Following these telegrams. trusted Northern
friends Of Mr. Hayes, arrived in Florida as
rapidly AZ tho railroads could bring them !
RspI6iicans, and especially By friends OF Gov.
Hayes. One gentleman particularly. Gov.
him and speak with the authority OF a warm
personal friend. commissioned with power 70
act In his behalf. These men referred to the
general destruction OF the country should Mr..
Tden be elected the ne 2tense AM nn2fis5y ,b OF & ths
action may have been Influenced by the intense
far 'i my partisah s a. zeal may have led me into
error; neither can say how far my course was
innneneed by the promise made hy N9ycs that
warded. Certainly these influences must have
had strong control over my judgment and
Reviewing my action at this distance OF time.
with all calmness, with my ardor cooled and my
partisan zeal chilled by the President, who has
basely betrayed and mercilessly destroyed the
Republican party Of the south, and crushed the
am persaa u ID that the Florida canvass was not
conducted with that cool calm judgment and
honest, unbiased decision that should have
characterized a proceeding involving such vast
and important interests. Instead Of this. now
see that the whole proceedings went through
upon the highest wave OF pollii'al excitement;
that partisan feeling. stimulated to the utmost
by the most powerful agencies. usurped the
lcal expedcnay Iii ruled the hour. large NUN
ber Of pr ''incts were either contested by tho
Domocraiia or Reppbcan party. Volumipous
testimony was fled and the lawyers OF both
tiat il wns Il. duty Of the board 10 throw out
and not iu ude in the count. or retain and
count precincts. on the ground Of illegality in
he conduct Il thg election or iraul that was yg
State aud member OF the buard hal
decided thqt the, bc9ri has quasi judicial
precincts tii II" i,6m the the count il the returns were
shown to be so Irregular. false or iraudu.
rom rhei he true ri y vote. with this view u s
du,ies, the board entered upon the work Of tho
fsnyess wih me e9nyi,i,ion mat tney S %erS
were Of "a mixed character, political and lu-
llcia. tAf political largely predominating.
powerful nnuence in the exercise Of these
powers, and the Republicans having majority
Of the board. the canvass was largely in their
iayor. ~. thy result proved. II Gc board had
Supr,..e a. .,1 Of lie state. defnin0 me p0,rers
nui do'ieso N4 board d, reference 70 Hi'o,oiag
r" prfru.H s. suice rendered, there IS no q,'es-
i'on Of t.r loc that M. 1,Men ,couM hage
leeit Dftt,i ~ ne rOte Of F'Jrida EKrlud-
lux uH tlrn from Baker county. which
was count and which | have since learned
from the c'ir, whomade II was "A inlsely man
u,ttur'i urn, and ln'udingtheirue return.
winch '"T ponaed with the precinct returns
So, w Mt flldrn. Archer Precinct No. 2.
AA'ldn county, was IN ludei IN the count.
IIo ir.ul smitei In this precinct was not
Slow ulr hN.ri by the Demo"ratc lawyers
alhou- " ui'5t was made and mueh alton
ionglt 30 to ihls precint; but ] hl,c recently
learn 10 4a tho R"Itblioan lcider OF that
county tH aitrr the returns had been brought
i2Hhn -yilr the county seat. 2la votes were
udi"t fo tn' riurns by the iuspcrtors and clerk
ol SNi ir ut In Leon county ~ small Re-
lel,.cdh hH .t- were suited into tAe ballot box
AZ Prc'n N9 9, yet It was made to Appear
even o. i.' ~nf .-inrtlon ui the u mO"ratc mem
mrOiro board tnM these were true ballots.
on'S"lb 'onirssion shows THAI they were
one ol y Inspectors. have ticS Is similar to
iNem icV lass bciore the election, and eau
Toned hlm asa.nst their use. unless they were
EoH'tMy ."!iri, any hltrrward learned he
s,Ilsln s,.laln pr int. at which Mr. !. B,ll was IN
The ball.', tul counted. so chnrse was made
a. !" ih'7 Ia heipre the board. The confession
~ D. b', e.' O." made 10 me-. disclu-cs the fact
that hud i4e 2l9 votes fraudulently added 10 tho
archer rriutn. and the n votes stuffed in the
p2k ~ L".A .uuuly and the 100 votes surrepti-
boMusly ald+l in f'rsOn county, ggrrgating
o'j Nol'7 b ru rejected. and the DsmO'ratic re-
s-Hl ~ ".u t-, which were excluded for
irregular rs and Ill 'salty, contrary to the decs.
i'h ul lln 0uprrmr Court been retained and
S.uhud SIR. lldrn would have carried the
nul, nr con lus,un, therefore. il irres istible
u,W Mr III gem was Untitled to the electoral vote
lipr %. aId not Mr.. Hayes.
a. ln HdhiAt tins statement my motives Will
u9qp,ie'' Aa questioned by many. Tat tho facts
WI slth Ioue as the truth, without any nero
iiDuyr7 10 sustain thcm, ! am free to admit
ilW NtNInt ihiugS us | now do, and remem-
,rIlh@ u.ti Mr. Hayes wus continually inspir-
ins ll7 H. mai friends and trusted agents by
e'e,s1'ln '1 n ii- u D. ppwrr to sernre Tor MN lhe
ilnvi"Iu NH't 3D.. lurliaU and Lou siana, aud be-
,mnht III iY ulve been conscious wrong on his
1Hi,' l"Ar H.'l kn0wled@e TINT h0 had not been
ip'l h9 '+1 hu' sruurnt rrpudiatlOn OF Gov.
saihhil, Wi sH tue WAS bound up in his own.
~.u I'LL ms Nliu and cOwarily desertion oil tho
Wy ll"A Nl1 Npniributod splargrlyt TO his clee-
i4h. NO." ~hnWn, my contempt for the pitabl0
ilnh's, n lllt man is beyond my power Of OK.
fiohslyh' Nr. Hayes has denied tho validity Of
hss own Ul' IN denying Gov. PackHrd's. He
nea nprrd his Foriia friends. showing he be-
reItu ihehl unworthy and tainted with fraud
,nt hniia On g. the Presidency, which, in his