Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-06-07
The Opening Of the Potter InVesIiga-
linn.

After fortnight of hesitation and delay,
the Potter investigation committee began
their work of pretended inquiry into the pres
idential election frauds in Louisiana and Flor
ida last Saturday. We say of pretended in
quiry, because every new development shows
more and more clearly that the real work
with which this committee is charged is not
that of bona fde investigation but rather
that of an attempted inquisition having for
its ultimate object the driving of Mr.. Hayes
from the White House, if the people will per-
init it, and the placing of Samuel j. Tilden
in the Chief Executive chair. Everything
had been carefully and cunningly arranged
for the opening effect, and the result was as
sensational an exhibition ON Saturday as the
most devoted follower of Mr.. Tilden could
have desired The witness put upon the
stand on that day, and the only one yet exam
ined was James L. Anderson, who, in 1876.
was a Supervisor of Registration in the par
sh of East Feliciana. Louisiana At the
Presidential election in that parish the Repub-
ican vote showed an unaccountable falling
Oft of 400 or 500 votes, leaving the Democrats
n large majority. Anderson testified before
the committee that although he knew there
was intimidation in his parish previous to the
| election, he did not know from which side it
came, and he at first refused to make a pro-
test against having the vote of the parish
counted, but was finally persuaded to do SO
| by certain Republican officials of the State,
He further testified that the protest which he
| signed, and under which the vote of the par
ish was thrown out, was changed and inter
lined by certain Republicans after it left his
hands, and that, although he signed the pro-
test, he never swore to it. The bearing of
this testimony, it will be seen, was to show
| that the vote of East Feliciana parish was
| fraudulently thrown out, and that, by this
fraudulent protest, the Democratic ticket was
deprived of the majority of votes rightfully
belonging to it, And all this testimony, it
must he remembered, is directly contrary to
that previously given by Anderson, wherein
he declared not only that there was gross in
timidation practiced by the Democrats, but
that his own life, even, was attempted by as
sassinaGOn.
The main bearing of Anderson's testimony
on Saturday, however, was in the deliberate
and desperate attempt which he made to
fasten on Hon. John sherman, now Secretary
of the Treasury, and Hon. Stanley Matthews,
Senator from Ohio guilty knowledge of the
frauds which he now claims were perpetrated
in order to secure the counting of the cleo
toral vote of the State for Hayes On this
| point Anderson's testimony was to the effect
that having made his fraudulent. protest, he
one evening, after the arrival of the visiting
statesmen, met Mr.. Sherman in a certain sa-
loon in New Orleans, and, in the presence OF
Mr.. Stoughton, now Minister to Russia, and
D. f. Weber, supervisor of the adjoining
parish of West Feliciana, who had also made
fraudulent protest, informed him, Mr.
Sherman, of the facts in the case and of the
frauds of which he and Weber had beer
guilty. In reply to this statement Anderson
says that Mr.. Sherman promised that, if h,
and Weber would stick to the ground which
they had taken, they should be taken car
Of" and that he afterward repeated thi
promise in a letter, an alleged copy of whicl
was produced.
Anderson further testified that he made al
agreement with one Nash, candidate TO
Congress, that in consideration of the sup
preston of evidence showing frauds, tina
would defeat Nash's election, Nash would &c
, him appointed naval officer at New Orleans
that he gave this agreement to Senator Stan
ley Matthews and told him the whole story
after which Matthews interested himself +
5 procure for him u lucrative appointment tina
} General Harlan of Kentucky, since appOinte
a justice of the Supreme Court, was also Ell
p gagged in trying to do something for him, ant
g that President Hayes, having been told di'
S tinctly the nature of Andersons claims to col
S sideration, recommended him to Mr., Eyart
a for foreign appointment as Especial case.
g The testimony as given by Anderson o
a Saturday fills several columns of fine type
J. the associated press dispatches, but in III