The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1878-07-11
A Piece OF Secret History.
HOW THE ELECTORAL COUNT WAS Sc
CURED-AGENcY OF SENATOR HILL
AND FORTY TWO Ex-coxFEDER-
ATE REPRESENTATIVES,.
New York Times

Washington, June S.-Senatof
Zen. Hill. of Georgia. made some
highly interesting statements to-
day respecting the most i'm portant
events that transpired during the
session of the Electoral Commits
sion and which throw new light
upon the history of that critical
period. The conversation origin
ated through an allnsiop to the
resolution introduced 10 the SEN
ate yesterday by Senator Spencer,
one of the avowed objects of which
is to investigate into and expose
the proceedings of what is known
as the "WorDiey Hotel confer
ence.' A passing reference to this
political gathering is, perhaps nee
essary in order to MAINTAIN the
continuity of this narrative. As
the story goes, a few Republicans,
friends of MIR. Hayes, who were
cognizapt of his purposes, met by
appointment an equal number of
Southern Democrats at Wormley's
Hotel in this city. 1t was during
the height of the Presidential count,
when dead-lock seemed ineyita-
bic, and all sorts of alarming rn-
mors were 10 circulation. The
Democrats who participated in the
conference claimed, as alleged, to
have it in their power to prevent
the completion of the electoral
count, and were willing to with
draw all opposition to such COM
pletion if the friends of Mr.. Hayes
would guarantee that, when he be-
came President, the Federal troops
would be withdrawn from IIouisi
ana and South Carolina, and that
such other measures wonld be
adopted as wonld secure the disso-
lution of the Packard and Cham
berlain Governments and the es-
tablishment Of those of Nichols
and Wade Hampton. The Repub-
licans, in consideration of com
plrtion of the couut being permit
ted, agreed to the terms proposed
by the Democrats. Both parties to
the negotiation exchanged pledges
satisfactory to each other, and IN
pursuance of this arrangement the
count was completed, Dir. Hayes
was inaugurated, and the changer
in the State Governments of Lou
isiana and South Carolina effected.
Up to this time the power Of the
Democrats who took part in the
Wormley conference to have pre-
vented the completion of the eiec-
toral count has been andisputed,
and the credit for defeating the
6libustering movement In the
House has been generally attribp-
ted to them. Senator Hill, how
eyer, empbaticslly and uneqniyo-
cally denies that the agreement
eutered into At the Wormley Hotel
conference bad any bearing upon
the peaceable solution OF the Presi
dental problem. He states that
the Democrats who participated
10 the conference did SO without
shadow OF authority from anybody,
and without consultation with their
party colleagues. 1t was purely
the gfatuitons, irresponsible act OF
il few men who had controlled no
yetes in the House except their
owD, and who did not have it 10
Their power to fulfill the agreement
il il alleged they made. Senator
Hill authorizes the statement that
in his opinion the Democrats who
paftieipatedin the Wormley confer
ence could have had no other object
in view than desire to obtain no.
toriety. So far from having iDfn'
epced the action OF the House,
Sepator Hill, to use almost bis own
yosls, said to tho Times cores
popdelt: II am about to reveal to
Won The dim outlines of what will
some day form one of the most pa
uiotic pages 10 American history,
I'D after / conclude my brief par.
ratiye you will know just bow much
iphaepee this so-cailed Woriney
conference bad ID affecting the re-
suit of tbe electoral count. When
the decision of the Electoral Com