The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1878-02-23
The Visiting Statesemn.
New Orleans Pickayune.]
GRANT.

| OShh ohOA mon, Sob1hiCy u1ultuCW5,
j. A. Garfield, Eugene Hale and
Harry White visited Louisiana
about fourteen months ago, in the
ostensible capacity of statesmen.
They came here, at the invitation
of Gen. Grant, then President of
the United States, to see and as
sure San honest count of votes ac-
tually cast" for Presidential cleo
tors. During the time they remain
ed here conspiracy to nullify the
vote of the State, actually east, and
to declare the election of the de-
feateo candidates, was developed.
They repudiated the idea that they
had come for the purpose of seeing
that the votes actually cast should
be honestly counted and honestly
returned. They were suddenly
seized with scruples of conscience.
They were overcome with deiicacy
land difiidence. They found that
they were without the power to in
tervene for such a purpose even if
they had the wish, and that they
were without the wish even if they
had the power. 1t had become
clearly and painfully evident to
them that an honest count of votes
was exactly the process which would
defeat their candidates, and render
their mission vain and supertiuous.
In letter addressed 6y Stanley Mat
thews to the Democratic visitors
Mr. Matthews revealed this con
spicuous change in the views of
the Republican statesman. Ex- Gov.
Noyes of Ohio and others of the
Republican committee took the
same position i'll conversation.
They declared that they had come
to Louisiana merely as spectators
of those remarkable methods by
which the returning officers were
to convert Democratic majority
into Republican majority, and to
report to their party and to the
American people that the purpose
was accomplished in accordance
with the true design and intent of
the law which constituted the
board.
But, although they had no pow
er to intervene in favor of an ''hon-
est count" it soon became plain
even to the causal observer that
they were zealously engaged in
abetting the Returning Board i'll the
work of making q dishonest return.
Mir. john Sherman was conspicu-
Gus in acting the part of ally and |
confederate of the men who were |
devoting themselves to this nefari-
Gus purpose. MIR. John Sherman
was probably the inventor of the
black harlot, Eliza Pinkston. He |
was the stage manager, and scene
shifter. and prompter He furnish
ed the plot and worked out the
dramatic Incidents. He contryed
the plan of arraigning the citizens
of Louisiana before the bar of
American public opinion as muir
derers and woman whippers, and of
stealing the vote of the State in the
midst of the confusion Of issues
and the conflicts of passion which
he hoped would follow after these
accusations. Mr.. John Sherman,
likewise, bore prominent part in
the plot by which the returning Of
ticers were supplied with the fraud
ulent and suborned affidavits man
ufacured in the Custom-House
He wrote report in which all
these affiddvits were published;
and in that report, every one of
those affidavits bears date many
days subsequent to the date at
which, under the law, valid pro-
tests and affidav,ts can be made.
And vet in that report he had quo
ted the law aud had referred to it
as proof that the Returning Board
could not and would not reject
single vote except under the sane
ton of the solemn fornal:ties of !.
date and place. We charge that
John Sherman knew of this fraud;
that he advised it; that be partici-
pated in it We charge that he
knew Eliza Pinkston to be a per
jured wanton, when he paraded her
before the Disguised spectators in
the room Of the Returning Board
We charge that he was the confed
crate. and ally spd acconplice o.
TIA noau Win t,ad ixnov, .A..,x.v, IN