Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-09

places where signed, but do not remember
the number of times, but should say at least
ten or dozen on the several certificates made
out.
The Chairman-Have you anything addi-
tional to ada to your statement in regard to
your voting blank, as was charged?
A. Nothing in particular. 1 took the ticket
and entered my name on it. There were no
blank votes. L can swear positively, having
heard them read as they were taken out, after
they were voted. There were eight pieces read,
and am confident the names of Hayes and
Wheeler were written each of them.
Levlssee was at this point excused, and the
pro TEN. of the Senate, Senator Ferry, could
not appear before the committee until later in
the day, and the committee took recess.
HON. THOMAS ". FERRY.
After recess, Hon. Thomas w. Ferry, Who as
president of the Senate, received the electoral
returns Of the last Presidential election, APP
peared before the committee and was sworn
and examined at great length in regard to the
manner in which tho returns from different
States had reached him. The examination was
directed mainly, however to the Louisiana re-
turns. He testified that when he received the
first return from Louisiana by messenger,
(Thos. c. Anderson), he did not accept it be-
cause it appeared to be informal.
q. Did you decline to receive the return?
A. did not decline. I asked him whether
he was familiar with the statute and whether
this was in compliance with it, and point ted him
to the statute, and upon that ne Withdrew with
the return.
y. Without any further remark?
A. l could not say without further remark,
but there was nothing that impressed itself on
my mind. l adopted the practice in all cases
where discovered any informality on tho out
II />E< |, k<> l.
messenger to it. If the messenger insisted on
my receiving it did so, and in such cases ]
declined to part with it again for correction OF
for any purpose until it was laid before the
two houses in joint convention.
O. Did you at any time learn from anybody
that the Louisiana return first presented was
defective in containing bnt one list of voters
for President and yice-president?
A. No, sir; knew nothing of it.
Q. When did you first hear of that-at any
time before the election was complete?
A. No, sir; not till quite recently except as
appeared in court. OF course am cognizant
of that.
@. Doyou recollect the fact of opening the
Louisiana returns-any present recollection of
which envelope you broached first?
A. Yes; l think the record will show l
announced it was one I received by mail with
no corresponding one by the messenger. When
I opened the returns handed it to the teller
MY pIcScuU ISCOllcCliCu - tudI INC tcllcr was
Senator Allison. 1t was either Senator Allison
or Senator Ingalls,.
]. Did he open the returns or did you?
A. | used large shears and cut off the end of
the envelopes and pulled out the contents
and handed them to the tellers, 50 that I did
not know III advance the contents of any OF
them.
Q. Speaking from present recollection, dc
you recollect cutting of the end Of that re-
turn:
A. No more than that cut most of them
off. There were some tore open with my Il n
gers, but found the paper so tough 1 got
shears. My belief is that every return was
opened by myself, either, with my fingers or
shears. without any exception.
In reply to further questions witness tcsti-
fed that in receiving or objecting to receive re-
turns, and in opening returns, and Al every
other respect, he had acted impartially. and
did not know the contents of any returns until
they were opened in joint meeting.
Q. Did you then know from anything that
had been suggested to you, or from anything
that was said in the meeting that any of the
signatures were not genuine:
A.. No. The only thing that can remem-
Der that was said in relation to the second
Louisiana return, and cannot now remember
who said it, was an expression Of fear that in
the correction of the returns, the time when
they met was put in instead Of the time when
the college should have met.
q. That expression of fear must have been
before the returns were opened, because in
opening them the fact must have disclosed
itself?
A. Yes, sir. l remember made the remark
that If any return was correct, it would prob
ably be the one that came by mail, and the
reason for this opinion was the fact that it was
made at the time.
q. Did the messenger or anybody else say
anything to you about the manner in which the
corrected Kellogg return was made7
A. No, sir; knew nothing abont that.
q. Then it was not till long after the cleo.
ton you heard any doubt Expressed in respect
to the authenticity Of that return?
A. I did not hear any doubt expressed until
four or five weeks ago. l think first heard it
from Gen. Garfield
by Cox-I desire you to state now distinctly
what rule you adopted with regard to giving
al opportunity for returns to 90 back for cor
rection where there was no apparent informally,
and at what point you held fast to those which,
had once been receiveds
A. ln every case, l think, irrespective of
the State from which returns came If L saw
upon the face of the package an inforuality, |
called the attention of the messenger to it, as
thought it my duty to do. 1 may have erred in
that, but at any rate. treated both sides alike.
l have that justification called the attention
OF the messengers to the statute and if they
still insisted on handing the return to me, al
they did in one or two cases, l took it, and
when it was once in my hands 1 declined to
give it up.
BY McAIahon--It was the same messenpe,
that brought You the second Louisiana return
that brought you the first and whose attention
you had called to informally in the first?
A.. suppose so, but cannot say. because
did not know him.
Q. Think about that, whether it wouldn't
have struck you as little odd if another man
had come with the returns from Louisiana?
a. No sir. I think now it was not Tho
same man.
@. Did he exhibit to you u new appointment,
rs messenger?
A. He exhibited to me his authority to de
liver the returns. presume his authority il
! among the papers.
y. If the man who brought the second Kel.
losg return was not the same man that brough,
you the first, didn't that excite some sus
picion?
A. No, Sir, not 80 long as he exhibited a
paper authorizing him to act as messenger.
=. Didn't that indicate to you that there
had been second meeting of the electoral
colleges?
A. That was not my matter They mieht
have authorized the same person to act as mes.
senger.
=. After you laid the returns before the two
houses, dld You ever, member of one polit.
ical party, at one time, take the trouble to lool
at the original returns from Louisiana.
A. No, sir, not until short time ago,
y We're you ever present at any little socia
gathering of men of your own party, at which
the respective contents of these certificates
| were discussed?
A. I think not don't recollect Il.
Q. will now ask you for information, and
/ do not wish fO understand Int i.