The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-06-05
THE POTTER INVESTIGATION.


mittee OF investigation, and alternately
spoke of it with contempt or inveighed
against it with cries of revolution,
anarchy" and "Mexicanization. The
testimony of Anderson, though not yet
completed is sufficient, if not discredited
by other and better evidence of contrary
nature, to raise more than a presumption
of fraud and corruption. The first point
towards invalidating his evidence will be
the attempt to make him out villain I'M
worthy of credence But it can never be
forgotten that he was 10 good enough
repute so long as he stood by the fraud,
and that he was honored by the admins
tration people so recently as last NoVem-
Der with an appointment to a consulship,
and even as late as February last Senator
Matthews was making active political
exertions in his behalf. 1t is therefore
not any very long time since he had prob
able reason to expect a reward for his
action in behalf of the republican party,
and hence his hardness in relating the facts
within his knowledge is more apparent
than real. In fact it is alleged, and is
certainly not improbable, that he has re-
Trained from making disclosures for some
time past because the radical members Of
congress and of the party have had him in
reserve as their own lever to operate with
against the president.
The following explanation is given why
Anderson was not rewarded for his ser
vices, and why Secretary Sherman has
assumed to ignore the mans claim to
official patronage. 1t does not appear that
any Of the cabinet knew the nature of
Anderson's services except Sherman, and
he has pursued the policy of ignoring all
the men who participated in the returning
board frauds. Says correspondent of the
Chicago Times. ut was John Sherman s
idea that If none of these men were ap-
pointed much public criticism of an un-
pleasant nature would be avoided; that
to ignore all claims of criminal character
was the only safe one. Had this policy
been strictly pursued, an absolute refusal
to have anything to do with the smaller
fry would have given the administration, in
case of any expose, an opportunity of
claiming immunity from censure through
lack OF personal knowledge of any unlawful
means employed Il is well known that
Hayes himself is a man who has not much
.pAp oh
understand how he would hardly be iu-
clined to tell the real reason to Evarts or
his associates for desiring Anderson to be
appointed. What more could he say than
this is a special case?'"
The following taken from the ''Associa
ted Press Report" of the I'd inst. is more
complete and explanatory than anything
we have yet published, and III conn ectior
with the letters introduced will be o
especial interest, as it tends to show tina
the president himself was cognizant o
AndersOns services, aud pretended to
willingness to reward him for what he ha
done. In regard to his interview wit
The president said he had received
letter from Mr.. Matthews requesting hir
to give me place and he said at the sam
time he did not see exactly what he coul
do. | said Mr., President, | appreciat
the difficulties under which you are labor
ing; know that if you give place (tha
is any prominent place. it will excite tn
attention Of the country and will cause un
TO- III I
gestion which, if you will adopt, will II
hcye you and everybody else of all troubl
in the matter, If you will appoir
such man as | shall designate
one OF the New Orleans appraisershiE
now held by Ringgold, who has no polite
backing except ex-senator, West, wi
withdraw all my claims on your admins
tration. The president pondered on II
matter five minutes, and asked me when
was going to return to New Orleans.
told him L did not intend to return to Ne
Orleans unless had some definite prom
made that should be provided for. The
lie said, You go back home and write II
this proposition which you have made al
send it to me under cover of Mr. GUST
one OF my private secretaries, so that
shall be sure to receive it aud will after
to it" The next day | wrote to NJ
Matthews. | thought the matter over al
l wrote him and told him that in my tel
gram did not mean to threaten him b
cause | thought he was doing what
could for me, but they had worried me
IL Washington, and thought il was abo
time something should be done one way
the other. went to Cincinnati on u
road to New Orleans, and stopped ov
there and saw Mr.. Matthews. He told q
to 90 back to Washington and he wou
follow me that night, came back, al
we arrived here on the same evenin
Sunday evening, 10th of June. saw hi
three days alter my arrival, and asked hi
what had been doue. He told me he b
not seen the president, but he would $
him that night Wednesday, called
his room at the Ebbitt house, and he tc
me to call on Mccormick. assistant seer
tary of the treasury, went to the tres
ury department and found McCormi
was out of town and would not return I
ten days. | returned 70 Matthews roc
and he wrote tor me note addressed
Gen. Smith, appointment clerk, Smi
SAID he would take me over to the VIII
House and see the president We call
ut the White House and Smith had
interview with Hayes, at which ! was
present. lie came out and said the DIT,
ldent had instructed him to give me sol
satisfactory position on political consider
uons. lie took me TO the treasury
partment, gave me the blue book and tC
me to pick out such position as | wantG
lie then said should have somethi
which would be satisfactory to me. 70
that daY to Baltimore with Senakor M.