The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-04-25
STARTLING REVELATIONS.


been in four years Of administration
as much corruption, hartcrnE "a. offices,
rrwaplinr OF political myor.,rs. and po.
ltucal tranicos during the past year, lie
thcn goes on Ca review the history Of
the electoral commission 40 that time
the country was in actual danger, The
West WAS determined that Wee fresi-
den, Ferry should not declare liuyes
elected. General Stctdmau had ,oooo
men enrolled and assigned 10 regiments
for the purpose ot seating nlden IN ease
Ferry carried out his programme.
President Gran, was gathering some
troops about Washington but did not
know how lar hc could rely on them.
General sherman told h.m lie could
not depend on the regular army, that in
case OF trouble the majority Of otiicers
and soldiers would bc with IIlden Mr.
Conkl.ug suggested the idea otthc com.
mission 10 President Grant, who en-
braced il heartily. lie also relates the
difficulties the advocates of the measure
met with. and Why lie MAS convinced
thar Mr.. Hayes, thch in Ohio, Was ia.
trlguiug with the southern members Of
congress. or the final vote he is free
% say that when the whole truth is
known twill sink this administration,
President and all into the loves, depths
ofinMmy." There has been no reform,
not even In the civil service, under
HAYES. Ii lie should send message 10
congress on civil service reform list OF
his select friends and fayoritcs will be
published against whom such long list
OF serious charges are recorded as would
make IN astounding commentary on the
Presidents words
In the course Of the Interview the
World correspondent asked, Nv ell, SEN
a,or. would iketo know whether YOU
think the true history Of the Louisiana
electoral business Will ever be told IN
Congress. and II So how soon2
Coukhug-Ics. think II will. | 10
not see how it can be kept down. There
are too many avenues Of information
open 20 dAy 10 make cOucealment avail
much longer. No reasonable man can
doubt there WAS some kind Of bargain
between the friends OF Nichols and that
man HAYES, and that Stanley Matthews
and sherman were prlyy 20 1t. \ very
great many people have become exceed
ingly curious 20 know precisely what
D. "a #Hta
carried ont and Yankee ingenuity Viii
be sure % uul some means % getting aj
the information. l tanEo, say how soon
th, facts will come ont, for something
may occur any day 10 force them 10 The
surface. IL will probably be best 70 let
them come out naturally.
Qucs,!On-What will be the result
Auswer-The resul, will be that the
whole country Will be appalled, by the
Gishouo.Gf This administration. / tell
vou. sir. that never in Ina history ofthi,
nation has there been in ,Lc euaro -four
wears ug an administration 80 much cor
rur.!ou. bar,erIug Of offices, awarding
OF political leaders, and bargain and
sales u electoral franchise asduring tais
pas. wear. People vii. not believe u uu'
| iii proof is shown them. but the proc.
will be forthcoming. People say Haye>
/ is & good man and means we'll, but the!
10 not know gaa, they are talking
about. When all tic iaLis a.e knoWu
abou. this Administration, no one VII
attempt 20 excuse the man on account
| II lis supposed goodness, nor yet be'
cause he is weak and ignorant. The ac;s
| that have disgraced this administration
/ have all been done before the opened
| ewes Of the President.
Mr. Conklug then goes on 20 review
NJ length ;h1 history Of the Electoral
Commission. lie says THE country
was in actual danger, yes moan thai
/ danger was real and imminent. The
point OF peril was not in the South but
I in the West. II was understood thai
/ Republican leaders had determined tc
| have Vice President Ferry count the
votes Al an hazards and declare Hayc.
elected, anl tho NosI was determined
on resistance. 4. has IL BE- TO child.
play in that section.
General sieedman had seventy thous'
and men enrolled and assigned 70 reg.'
ments for the purpose OF seating liideu
! in Office in case Vice President Ferry
carried out his proposed programme
! You may look astonished, but these
1 things are true President Grant was n
| his wits END. lie confessed 10 me that
he did no: know what 10 JU. lie vas
gathering SOME troops AZ or near Wash
iugton, out he did not know how Tar he
could depend upon than.
Gen. sherman told him that IN case
OF trouble, the sympathics Of q large ma
| iority Of officers and soldiers OF the reg
ular army would be with Tilden and
that the army must not be taken into
consideration as 4 dependence in any
such crisis.
From these facts and from what was
threatened and prophesied publicly in
those days, you can imagine how gloomy
the outlook Was at Republican GoGn-
ellis
The President asked ms advice, and
| frankly told him | did not believe that
Vice President Ferry had any power 10
declare the vote, but could merely act
in clerical capacity to open envelopes
and Law the votes Of the Electoral Col.
lege before Joint convention ofthe tao
Houses for their direction. BY the way
may rs we'll state here, that when a
certain Senator came 10 me and said II
was proposed TO make me President Of
the Senate in fcrry's place so that the
thing should not miss fire, frankly told
him that ! could not accept the position
and that Uy Interpretation Of the Cons
stiStion / should be compelled to rule
exactly opposite TO the wishes Of him
self and friends. That will perhaps ex>
plain one story that is told about me,
and while we are on the subject, let me
say that / suggested subsequently that
there was no constitutional reason why
Grant should not be elected President
Of the Senate If they wanted a strong
man there, though / saw no necessity
for any such change. or course knew
there was no likelihood of such a choice, :,
and that Grant simply desired to see hisI
successor peacefully inauguTated and toI
enjoy long vacation a!terward.
Mr. COnkling says that he then sug-
gested 10 President Grant the idea of Il
Commission, and that the latter embrac-
eI Il heartily. He gives an account of
the various interviews with the Presi-I
dent and General Sherman, the difficult
ties the advocates Of the plan met with,
and then in particular detail why heI
was convinced that Mr., Hayes, then inI
Ohio, was intriguing with SouthernI
Democratic members Of Congress.
Speaking of the final vote, he says: 81
am frank 10 say that ! thought them
there was something not exactly straight
about that Louisiana business, but now
| believe that when the whole truth isl
known, it will sink this Administration.
President and all, 70 the lowest depthsI
OF infamy."