The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-04-26
A STOLEN PRESIDENCY.
HOW THE FLORIDA FRAUDS
WE'RE PERPETRATED.
Confession OF Judge McLin-He
Makes n Clean Breast OF 1.-THE
"VIsiIInE statesmen" Prom
Ise TO Reward Him Tor
Counting the Stale
for Hayes.

Lin regarding the canvass Of the vote in
Florida for President, as published here
in long special from Washington
As a member of the late State Board
of Csnvassers OF the State of Florida, l
feel impelled, bya sense Of duty to my
self and jus Ice to others, to make the
following statement: At the time the
canvass was made, was not st any time
conscious Of sctiEg otherwise than right
and proper entered upon the CANVASS
with the conviction that it was my priv
ilege and duty, in political sense, to
give the benefit OF every doubt in favor
of the Republican party. l felt that when
the question could be decided either way
without doing violence TO the public
sense of Justice, it was fairly allowsblein
politics that l should always lesn to my
own party, and give my decision IN its
favor even at the hazard Of straining a
point. At no time did | feel tn at
| occupied the position OF a Judge charged
with the duty of strict and nice weigh
log and balancing OF all the evidence
presented Looking back now to that
time, teel that there was combination
OF influences that must have operated
most powerfully in binding my judy
mcnt and swsying my actions. had
been for many years and was St the time
Of the canvass very active partisan. l
sincerely thought our State and the ma
tiou would suffer irrepsrsble injury If the
Democratic party were to obtain the
Presidency, and the policy OF hatred to
the negro and those who had been the
friends of the negroes should obtain con-
troll at Washington. 1t was the com
mon and unanimous talk also that the
very existence of the men who In the
South had upheld the Republican party
depended upon Hayes election. Hayes
would sustain them throughou: the
South, while Tiidon would crush them.
was shown numerous kilograms al
dressed to Gov. SLcarns and others from
trusted leaders of the Republican party
in the North, insisting that the salvation
Of the country depended upon the vote OF
Florida, being cast tor Hayes. These
telegrams came IRON those TO whom l
had been accustomed TO defer 10 the
chairman OF the \ National committee, and
the man who was the nearest personal
friend OF Mr.. Hayes, and had conducted
the canvass. These kilograms, also gave
Of
and troops if necessary in securing the
victory for Hayes Following these tele-
grams, trusted Northern Republicans,
party leaders and personal friends OF Nh
Hayes, arrived in Florida as rapid
ly as the railroads could bring
them. | was summoned by these
men who were ardent Republicans, and
especially by the friends Of Governor
HAYES, and one gentleman particularly,
Governor Noyes Of Ohio, was understood
to represent him, and speak with author
lty of him as warm personal friend OF
the commissioned, with power TO act IN
his behalf. These men referred to the
general destruction Of the country should
TIlden be elected the intense anxiety OF
the Republican party OF the North and
their full sympathy with US. can not
say how far my actions may have been
Influenced by the Intense eIcltement that
prevailed around me, or how tar my par
tisan zeal may have led me into error,
neither can | say how far my course WAS
Influenced by the promise made by
Moves that if Hayes became Presl-
dent | should be rewarded. Ger
taInly these influences must have
had control over my judgment and
action. Reviewing my action at this
distance of time, with all calmnass, with
nv srdor cooled and my partisan zeal
chilled by the President who has bssely
belied and mercilessly destroyed the Re
publican party of the South, and crushed
the very men who did go much for his
election, am persuaded that the Florida
canvass was not conducted with that
cool. calm Judgment and honest, unbiased
decision that should have characterized
a proceeding involving such vast and
important interests. Instead Of this
now see that the whole proceeding went
through upon the highest wave OF poIit-
icsl excitement; tba. partisan feeling,
simulated to the utmost by the most
powerful agencies, uslrped the
place of reason and sound iudg-
ment. and political e1pedency
ruled the hour. A lsrge number OF pre-
cipcts were either contested by the Demo
crats or Republicans. VolumInOus testi-
mony was filed and lawyers on both
sides argued tor their side issue, that 1t
was the duty OF the board 20 throw out
and not include in the count or retain
and count the preciuts, on the ground Of
ulegaity on the conduct Of the election
or fraud that was charged to exist. The
Altoruev-Genersl o: tae State and mem
Der OF the board hsd decided that
quasi judicial power had the hight
TO exclude the precInC.s from the count il
the returus,were shown 70 be so irregular,
false or fraudulent, IS 10 prevent the
board from ascertsiniug from them
the true vote. With tais view Of its
duties the board entered upon the
work Of tie canvass with tnls CONVICTION.
They were inverted with large dIscre-
uoua-y powers, which were OF mixed
character, political and judicial, the pc
i.icsl largely predomIrsnng. Partisan
zea. ard strong polItca, ties had a power
a. i. A4ence IN the exercise OF these
powers. and the Republicans having
majority OF the board, the canvass Was
.a--s.v IN their favor, as the result
proved. II the board hsd acted IN sc
cy-lance with the deciIon OF the Su-
preme Court Of the St4te, dsiendIrg z the
powers and duties o: the board IN refer
ence to throwing out preclnH, since reD.
dered, there Is 10 question OF the TACT
thst Tllien would have been entitled TO
the vote OF Fl0rids, excluding the re-
turns from Baker county. which were
cour.ed, aid which, l have since learned
from the parties who made II we're
fa.ieiy manufactured returns, and IL
cIut!ng the true return which CORE
.ponded with the precinct returns otthst
county. would certainly haze given the
STATE 10 Tilden. Archer precinct No. >,
AIacaua county, was Included IN the
count. THe fraud committed IN this pre-
enc. was not shown to the board By the