Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-07-27
THE FORGED CERTIFICATE OF LOU
1SIANA.
Grrom the New York sun.l

4 most importIui fact was brought Uut
in the examination OF W. L. Kellogg by
Mr. Potter on Saturday last. which can
not fail To impress the public mind when
all its connections are properly under
stood Kellogg admitted that lie had 4
conversation with the late Senator Nor
ton. who was Il member ui the electoral
commission, and with the counsel OF Mr..
Hayes, III regard to the forged ccrtlii-
Gates which were substituted Tor the
original on account OF Il defect that Mr.
Ferry had pointed out when they We're
presented by Thomas &. Anderson ol
the returning board
1.-THE forgery was known to these per
sons, it is itir to, suppose that all the re-
publican managers. who wer@ pressing
the case OF HAYES so ZeaiouS!v. both be
fore and behind the commission. were
fully informed that it rested on 4 paper
forged tor the occasion. This being so.
it follows that Evarts, StGughtnn. Mat
thcws and Shrllab bargcr must have ha,!
reason to know that they Were aivOcat-
ing Il claim to the presidency winch rest
ed on Il forgery tor its foundation.
The democratic counsel and managers
were kept in profound ignorance ot this
forgery. Ii the least suspicion OF it had
existed. the fraud could not have been
consummated. tor in the iace OF an expo
sure the eight thick and thn supporters
of Hayes. with all their auiacity aud dis
regard OF Justice, would not have dared
to make the declaration they finally did
concerning the vote of Louisiana. The
discovery OF that act, taken i'll connection
with the bareiaced frauds oi a leturn in =
board, would have raised sentiment OF
Indignation throughout the country. not
confined to either party. which would
have terrified the cOnSpirators against
completing their work.
The duplicate Of the original irregular
certificate. known rs No. | i'll the record
of the electoral commission, which had
been sent by mail to Mr.. Ferry, was
genuine in the 81 gnatures, but fatally
imperfect in torm,as not being in comp!l-
ance with the constitution or the law.
The other, known rs No. ;, was correct
in form, but several of the signatures
were forged. Bearing in mind these
facts, and the testimony OF Kellogg re-
terred to above. the public will now I'M
derstand the significance OF the following
TeSoIutlpii, oiicieu bS MI "uitpI !u ilc
commission. on Feb. 10. 1917, aud adop'
ted 10y the usual vote OF elGht to seven
"Resoivcd. That the persons named Is
electors in certificate No. | were the
lawful electors OF the state OF Louisiana,
and that their votes are the votes provi,
ded by the constitution of the United
States. and should be counted for pres
ident and vice president"
Why should Mr.. Morton have selected
this certificate No. |. the duplicate oI
which had been returned TO Louisiana
tor glaring defects, and which had been
superseded by No ;, unless he knew
that it had ut least genuine names signed
to it, while the other was Il dcIiberat,
forgery against which no public man ol
party could stand when exposed? lie
preferred to rest on a genuine irregular
certificate, and take the chances. rather
than to risk the aiterclap OF detection on
a forged certificate. This is the only
possible explanation of Mr.. Morton's
resolution
That same night 4 subcommittee, con,
sistlng of Miller, Hoar aud Bradley, pre-
pared the report of the commission CT
Louisiana, in which they say, ignoring
the resolution of Mr.. Morton, "whicl
votes are certified by said persons, a.
appears by the certificates submitted t,
the commission. as aforesaid. and mark
ed Nos. one OD and three ca by sal,