The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-05-01
GENERAL, TELEGRAMS.
Full Text of the Confession Made by
Judge McLfn with Regard TO the EIee-
ton Frauds I'm Florida.

ing the canvass of the vote in Florida for pres
1denL, as published here In a long special from
Washington:
As member of the late state board of can
vassers of the state of Florida, feel lmpelled
by a sense of duty to myself and justice to
others to make the following statement: AT
the time the canvass was made was not at
any time conscious OF acting otherwise than
right and proper. / called upon the canvass
srf1h the conviction that Ii was my privilege
and duty in political sense, to give the ben
eft of every doubt in favor of the republican
party. felt that when question could be
decided either way without doing violence TO
public sense OF justice 1t was fairly allowable
in politics-that 1 should always lean to my
own party and give my decision In its favor,
even at the hazard OF straintng az point. AT
no time did ! feel that | occupied position
of a judge charged with the duty OF strict
and nice wei2 ching and balancing OF all the
evidence presented. Looking back now 10
that time / feel that there was combination
OF influences that must have operated most
powerfully in binding my Judgment and
Swaying my action. L had been Tor many
years, and was at the time of the canvass,
very active partisan. sincerely thought that
bleinjury If the democratic party were TO OBJ
tain the presidency, and the policy OF hatred
to the negro and those who had been the
friends OF negros should obtain control at
washington; 1t was the common ana uIsen nj
nous talk, also, that the very existence OF the
men who in the south had upheld the repub-
lican party depended upon the election OF Mr.
Hayes. Mr.. Hayes would sustain them
throughout the south, while Mr.. Tllden
would show them. i was shown numerous
kilograms addressed TO Governor Stearns and
others from trusted leaders of the republican
party in the north, insisting that the salvation
of the country depended upon the vote of Flor
ida being cast for Hayes. These kilograms
came from those to whom | had been accus-
toned to defer the chairman OF the national
committee, and the man who was the nearest
personal friend OF Mr.. Hayes had conducted
the canvass. These kilograms also gave assur-
ance OF the forthcoming OF money, and troops,
if necessary, in securing the victory for Mr..
Hayes. Following these kilograms trusted
northern republicans, party leaders and per-
ar0r1aI frip of llr orriN ~p0f m
as rapidly as the railroads could bring them.
1 was surrounded by these men, who were
ardent republicans, and especially by the
friends of Governor Hayes. One gentle
man particularly, Governor NOyeS, of
Ohio, was understood to represent and
speak with authority of warm personal
friend commissioned with power to act in his
behalf. These men referred to the general de-
structiOn of the country should MIR. Tilden be
elected, the intense anxiety of the republi-
can party of the north and their full SYM
NAV have been Influenced by the intense ex-
element that prevailed around me or how far
partisan zeal may have led me into error,
neither can l say how far my course was in
auenced by the promise made by Mr.. Noyes
that if Mr.. Hayes became president should be
rewarded. Certainly these influences must have
action. Reviewing my action at this distance
of time with ali calmness, with my ardor cool
ed and my partisan zeal chilled by the presi-
. dent who II ss basely betrayed and mercilesS-
" destroyed the republican party of the south
md crushed the very men who did so much
rOr MS election. am peTSutueu tldb tue
FLORIDA canvass was not conducted with that
cool, calm Judgment aud honest, unbiased de
ciSion that should have characterized proceed
ings involving such vast and Important inter
ests. Instead of this now see that the whole
proceedings went through upon the highest
wave OF political excitement that
Utmost Utmost" the most powerful agencies,
usurped the place of reason and sound judg-
ment, and political expediency ruled the hour.
A large number Of precincts were either con-
sested by the democratic or republican party.
Noluminous testimony was filed, and the law.
the issue, that it was the 1uty OF the board 10
throw out and not include in the count or re-
tain and count the precincts, on the ground of
illegally in the conduct Of election fraud
that was charged 70 exist The attorney gem
eral of the state and member OF the board
had decided that the board had quasi judicial
power. and had right 10 exclude precincts
from the count If the returns were shown to be
so Irregular, false or fraudulent as 10 prevent
the board from ascerta1n'ng nom them the
true vote. With this view of Its duties, the
board entered upon the work of the canvass
with the conviction that they were invested
with large discretionary powers which were of
mixed character, political and judicial. the
political largely predominating. Partisan zeal
and strong political ties had a powerful in
fIuence in The exercise of these pOwers,and the
republicans having a majority in the board
the canvass was largely IN their favor, as the
cOrdance with the decision of the supreme
court of the state, defining the powers and
duties of the board in reference TO throw
there is no question of the tact that Mr..
Tilden would have been entitled to the
Baker county. which was counted, and which
have since learned from the parties who
made it, was falsely m 'nufactured return
and including the true return, which cor
responded with the precinct returns of that
county, would certainly have given the state
to Tilden. Archer precinct, No. z, Alachua
county, was included in the count The fraud
committed in this precinct was not shown to
the board by the democratic lawyers, although
do n fffafac
I this precinct; but have recently learned from
y the republican leaders of that county that af
ter the returns had been brought to GAINESVILLE
the county seat, zl9 votes were added 10 the re-
turns by the inspector and clerk of said
precinct. In Leon county "A small republican
ballots were stuffed into the ballot-bOx al
precinct No. 9, yet IL was made to appear even
TO the satisfaction of the democratic mem bel
of the board that these were vote ballots. A
subsequent confession shows that they were
stuffed into the box. / have seen Joseph
Bowers, one of the inspectors, have tickets
similar to them few days before the cleo
ton. and cautioned him against their use, un
less they were &c Morally used, and 1 afterwart
learned he had given them up. In Jefferson
county, in certain precincts at which Mr.. j
Bell was inspector, one of the hundred vote
were surIeptitiously added 10 the ballots ant
before the board. The confession of ]
Bell, since made to me, dlSclOSeS the fact
Had the 2l9 votes fraudnlently added to thu
Archer return, and The "A votes stufft d in tn,
box in Leon county, and the 100 votes surrep
titiously added in jefferson county, aggrega
ting NODeS- Oeen rejected ana the democrat
Ec precincts which were excluded for irregu
larity and Illegality contrary to the de ;ision o
the supreme court been retained and counted
Mr.. Tilden would have carried the state. TIL,
conclusion, therefore, is irresistible that Mr.
Tilden was entitled to the electoral vote o
Florida, not Mr.. hayes. In making thes
statements my motives will doubtless be ques
toned by many, but the facts viii stan'
alone as the truth without an,
more motives to sustain them
am free to admit that, viewing things
now d. and remem bering that Mr.. Hayes wa
continually inspiring his personal friend
through agents, by every means in his power
TO secure for him the electoral vote of Florid;
and Louisiana, and believing it to have been
conscious wrong on his part, done with tn
knowledge that he had not been elected, as hi
subsequent Reputation of Governor Packard
whose title was bound mp In his own, nd hi
wilful and cowardly desertion of the very mel
who had contributed so largely TO his election
has shown, my contempt for he pitisble little
ness of the man is beyond my power of ex
preston. Mr.. Hayes has denied the validity o
his own title in.denying Governor Packard; b.
has ignored his Florida friends, showing IN
believed them unworthy and tainted with
fraud, yet he no DIS on to the presidency which
YIN his own opinion, was secured by this yer.
fraud. He has cowardly abandoned and be
vaH his IN m frfanIQ III ri o.