The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-07-31
The Inner History Of the Worms
ley Hotel Conferences, and
Its Effect ON the Pres
idem1iaI Count.

The Potter investigation has brought
out the facts of what is called the Worm
ley Hotel Conference between certain
Democrats and Republicans in Wash
ington pending the Presidential count.
They were elected by the testimony Of
Mr.. Ellis, Democratic member of Con-
gress from Louisiana, and Maj. Burke,
who seems to have been the confident of
Gov. Nichols and the go-between of the
negotiating parties. According to Mr..
Ellis, the conference was brought about
as follows:
It was about the 10Th or 10Th of February.
On the evening of the 2Ofh Mr.. Lamar said
TO me he had been informed by Mr. Chas-
Nordhoff that Mr.. Stanley Matthews had
said TO him that Mr.. Fosters speech in the
House was not strong enough; that If he
(Matthcws) had been in the place Of Foster
he would have said plainly that if Hayes
was inaugurated he (Hayes) would have
nothing TO do with Packard or Chamber
lain. Mr.. Lamar went on to say that it was
the only declaration he had heard coming
from that side that was worthy of attention.
He advised me, in view of the action OF
the Electoral Commission, to see Stanley
Matthews, and go on and see Hayes and get
the assurances from him; | did not like to
go without assurances from Gov. Nichols
[ telegraphed him the facts, and asked for a
letter accrediting me to Mr.. Hayes. Mr..
Lamar wrote out the substance of his COM
municatiou TO me in a letter. Gov. Mich
oils sent me dispatch which was not salts
factory, and | determined not to proceed
any further in the matter. | saw Major
Burke and showed him Lamar's letter, and
he told nee he would see Matthews imme-
diately and arrange to get the assurances.
This information was communicated
to Major Burke, who saw Senator Mat
thews and the Conference was arranged
We went to the conference and saw Stanley
Matthews, Foster, Carl eld, sherman, Justice
Carter ofthe district. and ex-Gov. Denuison,
of Ohio. We first had an informal converse
tion,a and then proceeded to discuss the pOlit-
ical situation. Stanley Matthews asked me
tor the motives which prom pied US to pursue
the tilibustering movement against the con-
summation OF the electoral count. | told
him there was an apprehension on our part
as to The course Mr.. Hayes would follow
after he was inaugurated. Matthews went
into an extended review of the Southern
question, that he was a friend of Mr.. Hayes,
had known him all his life, and was suflici-
emily conVersant with his views to speak for
for him, and to be able to indicate what
would be his policy. That he (Matthews)
was tired OF the rule of plumber to which
JttSe oIaUbS lau Dt6U DJeCIctls anu tIldI lie
despised in his heart the men who had been
instrumental in expressing us. That he was
tired of bayonet rule and the constant ip-
reference in civil affairs, and that Hayes
conceded with him. lie referred to his let
ter (Iayes') of acceptance, showed me a
letter of Hayes to Foster, in which Mr..
Hayes thanked Foster for his conservative
speech. Mr.. Matthews gave the general as
surance that the views he had expressed in
regard to remitting the States to home rule
would be the policy of Mr.. Hayes. Foster
then spoke, and pursued the same line. tx
Governor Denison gave similar assurances,
speaking from perfect familiarity with Mr..
Hayes views.
On being appealed to for his views, Mr..
Sherman said the views expressed by Mr..
Matthews were his views, and that they
would be carried out if Hayes was inaugur-
ated. l said | did not see how Governor
Nichols or Governor Hampton could sue
coed if Tilden was deprived of the votes OF
Louisiana and South Carolina, as the same
people who supported them supported Til
den, and those who voted for Hayes also
voted for Packard and Chamberlain.
Mr.. Matthews said that this difficulty
could be overcome very easily. He said
the President could simply pursue policy
of non-interference he will recognize
neither one Governor nor the other, bat
only preserve the status quo established by
President Grant.
L told them that such being the views of
nous opinion of what his policy would be,
the opinion of these who had the best right
to speak for him, preferred that he should
be inaugurated under the operation oil the ell
ctorial law | preferred this to having such Il
man as Morton elected President of the
Senate. / determined that, far as | was
l would go TO my friends and adj
wise them to cease the tilibustering, as we
had the fullest guarantees we could have
had in regard to the States OF Louisiana and
South Carolina: that | would urge that the
count should proceed, and that
that there should be no more tactiouS Opp0-
sitiOn. | comm unicated the result to my
colleague, Mr.. Levy, and requested him to
make a speech announcing this determina-
ton on our part, which he did. The South
ern representatives, ceased the tiiibustering.
1t was not insisted upon by any Republicans
who were in the meeting, nor did they re-
quire it as an equivalent for the guaran-
tees.
To Gov. Cox:
q Is it not true that forty or fifty South
ern Democrats voted against filibustering?
A. | cannot remember now, but there
were between forty and fifty Democrats,
about sixteen Northern Democrats, and,
perhaps. thirty or forty Southern Demo-
Gratis, who intended to organize fIlibuster
ing movement, and defeat the count unless
they received some guarantees. | can't be
positive as to the number, but can mention
individuals. Mr.. Ellis named over some of
the members who took prominent part in
the tilibustering. This closed his testi-
mony.
NJ