The daily gazette., 1878-07-08
The Results of the Potter I'm
vestigution.
From the New York stats ZeitnnpL


The following facts may be regarded as
/ morally proved and established, as the
result OF the Investigation so far az has
been carried
l. The whole pack who, under the adj
ministration of Grant, had possession of
the Government of fLouisiana-Goy. Kel.
iogg, the members of the Returning
Board, the inspec ors and supervisors OF
election, and SO forth--were a band of
perJured scoundrels. In the expectation
OF receiving rich reward, they endeay-
ored to secure the electoral votes of
Louisiana for Hayes and Wheeler; and
on the other hand las soon as soon as their
iraud was accomplished they exerted
themselves as earnestly, by threatening
10 expose 1t, to force the payment to
themselves, of the compensation which
they expected. and which had been partly
promised them. No one will be mistaken
In assuming that many outrages, which
happened in Louisiana at that time were
ing the electoral fraud.
H.. 1t is proved that John Sherman,
Stanley Matthews, Stoughton. and the
other leading Republicans who. at the
tine OF the count, were in New Orl. ans, ,
although they may have believed at the
moment that in some parts of the State
the election had been affected by vio-
ience, yet they knew that with an honest
and impartial count the electoral votes
of Louisiana belonged to the Democratic
candidate for President; and they en-
ployed their influence to carry out the
frauds which had been planned by Kel-
logg and his associates, and, in a direct
or indirect manner, they encouraged the
tools used for this purpose to persist in
their lying statements and periured pro-
tests. The correctness of this view of
the case does not depend upon the posi-
oihty Of bringing forward direct proof
that Sherman was the author of the no.
torlous SHERMAN letter for all the trans
actions which took place between the
Republlcan Statesmen and the Louisi ana
swindlers, and which can neither be
doubted nor disputed, admit of no other
explanation. How far Sherman and his
friends ovsrcame any scruples of con-
science by the idea that the election of
Hayes was indispensable to the welfare
of the country, may be left undeterInin-
ed but that during their presence in
New Orleans in November and Decem-
Der, 1876, they must have known that the
electoral votes of that State could be Civ
en- for the Republican candidate for
President by cheating only. OF this,
every one must be convinced who is not
willfully blind. EsesS
Ill. There Is no direct proof that
these frauds were executed on on the re-
quest OF at the order of Mr.. Hayes; but
the belief that he must have had we'll
founded suspicion of the character OF
these events is very strong, and is
strengthened and fortified BY the fast
that on his recommendation several
dozens Of the Louisiana swindlers, who
had been especially conspicuous in the
frauds, were rewarded with Federal Of
f1crs. Even If We attribute no special
weight to the promise which Mr.. Hayes
made In hts letter of acceptance and in
bis Inauguration speech, that in filing
puolic ofhces he would regard capacity
and worth rs the only standard, it is y ct
lnexplicable that he should have given
recommendations only to these scamps
whose sole merit consisted in the un-
scruPulousness they had exhibited in
iasifylng the election. Hayes may be
taken for weak. impOtept, narrow man,
but u would be a wonderful accident II
In nlling offices in Louisiana his stupidi-
~ should have led every time to the re-
c IN mendauon of precisely those men
who We're distinguished in the execution n
or the fraud through which he became
President.
These are the results of the Potter in
vestlgation 80 far.