Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-08-21
The Potter Committee.
TESTIMONY OF MAJOR ED. A
BURKE.
Gen raj Butler Does the Questioning.

NEW YORK, August 20. The Potter Commit.
tee resumed ITS iuves, ig atoms this forenoon.
Major Ed. A. Burke Was the first witness, and
said
| was charged with registration and election
matters in 70 in New Orleans, a chairman of the
central committee aud registration bureau.
think we knew the result of the lection in Louis
lana about the 18th OF November. The returns
were all in except the parish of st. Martins, which
has about 2000 votes.
General Butler did all the questioning of this
witness.
He said the highest Tilden electors vote was
SO $50 and the lowest Hayes elector received "a,
240, u difference of S,6l9. Witness could not give
the vote for Nichols exactly, but he had major
ty of 1000 votes. The returning board threw GU,
some over 1000 votes to count IN HAYES electors.
10 the campaign of 1874, said witness, we were
cheated out of election results by the return
ing board. In 1876 there was no change in their
actions or principles. They were both bitrsry
and unjust in 1876 as in 1874
Our spprehensioDs were increased by kilograms
passing from leading republicans all over the
country 10 their leaders in Louislana. 1t showed
us that they would susl ain their in any &C.
ton they took. Louisiana was respondent after
the election and about gave 1t up, but when these
telegram communications and visiting statesmen
arrived, their spirits arose, and they never seemed
to falter from that out. They seemed to have
ne life fused into them. The Inauguration OF
Gov. Nichols took place before some 81 OOO per-
fons, and the senate and assembly were at once
recognized. They took possession OF everything
except some small space filled and occupied by
Packard.
Witness said he re'igiously and sincerely be-
lieves that Hayes aud Packard were defeated. Til
de n and Nichols elected, and that was the opin
ion of every honest msn there.
went to Washington. said the witness on the
l5lh of January, as agent for Gov. Nichols. to
cure non-interveution. We felt we had the mora
and material force of the people of Louisiana, to
sufficiently establish ourselves. We never at
tempted TO have q collision with the troops. We
were determined 70 protect the interests of ouI
state against any source whatever; and if &C
armed attack were made on the Nichols govern
me Mt, it would have been repealed. We had be
come sick and tired of the state of things. Cheat.
ed out of two elections, and plundersd. we deter.
mined not to stand It longer, and would have
forced a military government to have been estsb-
ltshed.
The education question of blacks and whites to-
gether was not discussed between Senator Mat
thews and myself Nothing was SAID between
Matthews and myself about the returning board.
Witness said that there WAS not one word 10 the
guarantees that are not compulsory and embodied
IN the laws of the United states and in the State
of Louisiana
Q-Now was this all you offered to put iu'
Hayes aud Packard out
Awe offered those for the Nichols govern
meut. We did not acquesce in not opposing the
count when we found the republican party were
determined 10 go on with the count
Odd you and your party friends agree To
stop the opposition to the counting in of Hayesi
Ave certainly did SIR. We were assured by
President Grant that after the cosnt was compet.
ed the troops would be withdrawn. | said tc
Matthews that while we were assured that Pres
lent Grants assurances of President HAYES poll
cy were well Intended, yet we wanted those assur
auces from such men as Garfield, Morton suG
others. whom they regarded more than Hayes
lie said he could not answer for them, and SAID
then we will place your party in such q position
that they mus! speak. ! meant thereby that ouI
people would JOIN the filhbusters and prevent the
states Of Louisiana and South Carolina being
counted for Hayes.
Witness said there we're but two phases Of the
negotiations in the thing, the Cameron and Mat
thews phases. That he made the same PROPOSE
ton OF agreement to Cameron Is be did to Mat
thews, on the 18th Of February, ssd also to Mr.