Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-07-26
kilograms to The Star.
THE POTTER COMMITTEE.
TESTIMONY TODAY.
CONGRESSIONAL NOMINATIONS,
HANGING OF BRESNAHAN.
AFFAIRS TO-DAY.
THE POTTER INVESTIGATION.

Testimony at Atlantic City To-day.
ATLANTIC CITY, \. j., July 26.-The Potter
O'Clock. The attendance of auditors was larger
than'durng any previous dty. The cross-ex-
animation of Gen. Garfield was postponed for
the present
GEN. ]. II. sYPHER
was recalled. He said that on Wednesday he
was unable to fix any document or paper
which bore Senator Sherman's signature, but
he could now say he had seen the Senator's
signature in autograph albums and attached
to petitions for Office, with other members of
congress, and also his frank on documents
1he witness, III reply TO questions by Repre-
sentative Springer, said he was at the repuhli
can state convention in 1876 which nominated
Mr. Packard for governor. There was con
siderable oppOSit ion to Packard. Some of the
elements OF the party at that time were repre-
Sented by the state administration and others
10y ne c1lored people under the lead of Mr..
flnchpack. There was struggle in the con
yention Tor the presiding officer and Pinch
pack was selected. There was great diSSatiS-
lacllon with the state administration on ac-
count OF the manner il conducted affairs
Many republicans were opposed to the bayo-
nel policy. They believed that freemen should
rely upon themselves, and that the time had
come when They should take that stand. Dur
ing the canvass some OF the prominent repub-
llcdnS were so much dissatisfied that they look
no part III II, relraining from making speeches
and 10 otherwise work. Pinchback he be-
lieved, left the state. Yarmouth was nOmi-
mated for Congress in the first district but de
cIlned, and also left the state. The witness
W HIS plttllIdtlpD ana LOOK no part In
the canvass. Many republicans believed that
undue means had been used to secure the
nomination OF Mr.. Packard. Judge Ludeling,
tT viii aRGefsOd' maoe Gov Marmonth George W.
the convention for such nomination. ST.
MaryS parish, in which the witness resided
was very peaceable. The laborers were given
ana aided IN the exercise OF all their rights. In
some sections he had heard of violence, and in
conversation with republican speakers aScer-
tanned that at Fe!iciana, Monroe and Shreve-
Nrar @l,N.~~
to other indignitieS. So far as his parish was
concerned there was nothing of intimidation
Inc witness repeated he thought the nOmina-
ton or Mr.. Packard caused lukewarmneSS in
some localities; the colored men complained
THAT GOV. Kellogg did not vigorously. enforce
the laws for their protection. Chairman Pot
ter inquired whether PiHchback was not the
leader Of the colored people? Witness replied
that
PINCHBACK WAS A KIND OF IDOL
With Wit m them, and nd added that they were disSatis
his seat in the Senate. Pinchback felt sore
and his followers partOOk of the same feeling
on being interrogated by Mr.. Springer, the
witness said that the best of his recollection he
thought when Weber showed him
THE SHERMAN LETTER
it was in the handwriting of John Sherman.
and was therefore genuine: The witness, in
reply to MI. HiScock, said there was no reason
why the national ticket should run behind the
state ticket. He believed that there was in
limidaion in the FelicIanas, and further on
ihe bayonet policy, which had lost the repub-
leans several northern states and injured the
republicans of Louisiana.
A. No
Mr.. Hiseock.-I am glad asked you that
question, because ii gives you an opportunity
TO explain. | suppose Wheeler was extremely
popular? A We were divided on the Wheeler
question. Wheeler with his compromise, sold
us out in lS72. We don't believe in compro-
misses in that country, giving everything to
our foes and getting nothing in return.
INTIMIDATION.
Mr: Potter asked whether the allegations of
fraud and intimidation were not made after
the election, to which the witness answered in
affirmative.
Q. Was not the result known at the time?.
A: 1t was published in the newspapers.
Inc witness, in reply to question, said that
charges OF lntlml ldatiOn were made by repub-
Leans in parishes where their vote had fallen
coNc1LIAT1NG THE coLoRED VOTERS.
Mr.. HIScock asked whether the democrats
sought to conciliate the colored people to vote
their ticket: A: Yes, in various ways they
did, as you do in New York, buy voters. Varf-
ous other means were used in my parish.
O. Did they use logic and seek to gain them
by conversation? A. Yes; they were very af-
fecti9nate TO them. [Laughter.I
O. What do you mean by that? A. We had
sharp contest on the social question; the
democrats organized unification movement
ioI the purpose of giving negroes eqqalities
public schools. In this, think the democrats
0utstripped us and beat US a little
= You think such equality generally obtains
Ill Louisiana? A. 1t obtains 10 certain eX-
tent.
Chairman Potter.-Do you mean to the ex-
tent OF the railroad and street cars? 4 That
is a part OF il.
WHAT HON. MR.. NoREY KNOWS ABOUT BULL
DOING.
Frank Morey was next called, and having
been nterr0gated by Mr.. HiScock, testified he
was member Of the 4lst. AID, 43d and 4Ith Con
fro rtal fStf tnt
was not candidate in 1876. The witness, in
the course OF his examination, spoke of affairs
in Madison, and mentioned the fact that the
subject of buldOZing was discussed by the
democrats in that parish. MAJ jOr Lucas opposed
bull doing, and it was agreed not to practice
it, The result was that in that parish there was
over the usual republican majority in 1874.
The witness was one of the republican cOun-
sci before the returning board, and in re-
sponse to Mr.. Hiscock said the fact of intimi-
dation, violence and murder in the so called
bulldozed parishes was not disputed. The
only question was as to who committed the
nsly Ssss II the T Se he
punishment of criminals is in the hands of
democrats, and he had never heard that any
attempt has been been made to bring M the Offenders
parish, where the democrats are in power.
There was no question as to the woman hav-
ing been dangerously manned, and of this the
witness was satisfied by personal inspection.
In response to Chairman Potter the witness
said that Eliza Pinkston was carried into the
room Of the returning board on sofa. The
impression prevailed in some minds that this
exhibition would have good effect and his
own impression was that it would be an excel
lent thing to do in furtherance of the cause,
and IN reply TO question whether the diSsat-
lSfactlOn with the nomination of Packard af-
fected the result of the election, he said the
nomination produced so much dissatisfaction |
t!4at leading republicans discussed the ques- |
ton as to whether it was not best TO protest |
against it and support the national ticket |
alone. This proposed policy was abandoned,
and the republicans, though regarding lt 10 |
be bitter dose, voted the party ticker, as |
most partisanS do.
General Butler inquired as TO the statute OF |
limitation in Louisiana. to which the witness |
replied there was no limitation. NOW the act |
having been changed in 1865 or 1859, muir
dererS and other wrong doerS could therefore
be arrested at any remote lime: and in reply
to another question, he said that couple Of
thousand murderers had been reported by a
Congressional committee in 1868, when the re-
publicans had control of about two.thirds of
the parishes. He did not know of a single
conviction for a political murder under the
administration OF either Governor Yarmouth
or kellogg. The same is true as to. the
Nichols government, there have been no CON
victiOnS or prosecutions
O. In the absence of lawful means to punish
offences, do no. men in Louisiana redress
their own wrongs in their own wayG A. That
is too much the case.