The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-05-18
AFRAID OF INVESTIGATION,


for an investigation of the Florida and Louis
ana election fraud is one which the republ
cans cannot afford to prolong. The excit,
. ment in congress rapidly extends to the coul
try, and soon that intense indignation over tn
R Louisiana and Florida frauds which yea
. ago last February, according to Conklinl
made even Grant tremble, will again be q
r white heat. Civil war at that time was onl
averted by the questionable expedicnt of tn
electoral commission, and after that the inda
nation OF the defrauded people was furthe
cooled by the conciliatory course of Prcsiden
Hayes But no electoral commission device
or trucking to the south by Hayes would hay,
saved him if congress and the country haC
that time not even suspicion of the compiler
Ity of Hayes himself in those frauds There
were unpleasant rumors of undue intimacy
4 between the Florida and Louisiana returning
boards and the republican visiting statesmen
of whom John Sherman was chief, but even OF
this there was no proof.
/ Recent Developments however, put a very
different phase on the matter. The confessions
Iof Dennis and McLin establish Individually
the direct completely Of Gov Noyes and other
close and intimate friends of President Hayes
in the Florida steal, and the prompt reward
Of all the scoundrels-Noycs with foreign
mission, McLin with a judgeship and Dennis
with atrcasury appointment-by Hayes, shows
that he was party to the bargain.
But what in the case of Florida is still little
more than strongly circumstantial proof, in the
case of Louisiana is shamefully and fearfully
positive. Attention was first attracted to this
feature of the proof by the positive statement
OF Conkling that he "kncw" of facts touching
the completely of Hayes and his visiting states.
men in the Louisiana frauds, which, when
they come out, as they eventually must, would
cover the whole executive ring with eternal
infamy. Part OF this proof is now found toI
exist, according to the New York Worid, in
the following form: A gentleman in New
York city, high in the confidence of Conkling
and Grants administration, was in New Or.
leans when the original return of the president
lal election in Louisiana was filed IN the office
)f the Secretary of State, and he AYERS that
his return certified the Tilden electors to be
July elected To make assurance doubly sure
IN that point he had the document photograph.
ID, and he has a copy of that photograph still
n his possession. On the arrival of the visit
ng statesmen, this man says the returning
nurI ind, to Al.
md change it. The gentleman on returning
o the north beng taken 0or obvious reasons)
nto high favor at the White House, was Undue. I
d to suppress the publication OF the important $
document, and not to mention its existence t
lie is now however, ready-in behalf of his /
riend Conkling-to produce the paper and all f
ne crushing proof it involves. And that r
roof not only involves Sherman and his visit. i
lg colleagues, but Hayes himself to the full.
st cxtent,-were his prompt rewarding OF
Vclls Anderson, Cassanave and all the rest of
he Louisiana thieves not in itself proofenough p
5 to his completely. VI
The dodge of the republicans in congress r
pom which they hinge thoir foot,oue orrso; :,
ON IN me fnueStiIatioh thdt IL Sudli hlSO A.
ude Mississippi, Oregon, Indiana, &c,-is
together too thin. The vital point involved :,
the cases of Florida and Louisiana is the :,
implicitly in the fraud of Hayes and certain 9.
embers of his cabinet This is point which J.,
axes an investigation by congress not only -,
ninently pertinent but an imperative duty, :,
r on the establishment of that point nothing,
clearer than that impeachment would be- :,
'me necessity. But in the case of Missis. -
ppi, Indiana, &c, no frauds, whatever the =,
'oof of their existence, could affect the case
ayes at least could have nothing to do with ",
EN-, nor any member of the house, and for :,
'ngress to undertake to punish the state Off
ais would be ridiculous The cases are utter
dsslmilar. Nobody pretends that Hayes
N be Ousted because a state or two were car
ed in his favor by fraud That point con "
ess settled year ago. But when it is shown :,
at he was personally IN instrument in pro y
ring the preparation of the fraud that makes
very different case of it and one which impe
Dusly demands attention on the part of the r
of the defrauded people
---