The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-30
Where the Money Came From.

Where the Money Came From.
It is now made clear that the bulk Of the
witnesses in the Feliciana and other par
ishes, most Of them ignorant colorcd people
who were taken to New Orleans after the
Presidential election, and made to sign aili-
davits Of intimidation and violence" were
paid from the public treasury fer these per-
jurics The allidavits were manufactured
I'm the Custom House, under the supervision
OF the visiting statesmen by force of law
yers- and clerks detailed for that service
most Of whom have been rewarded with
Office, or retained in the places they then
held.
Copies of THESE papers were made for JoHN
SHERMAN by detail If regular troops then
Ia New Orleans and formed the staple of the
report with which he rushed TO Washington
and induced GRANT 10 send TO Congress- az
MI official document. Many Of the blacks
whose NAMES and marks were attached to
the fabricated andavits, appeared recently
before the Subcommittee at New Orleans
and swore the charges in them were entirely
false that the content, had never been made
known to them, and that they had boon
induced to sign under Misrepresentation
The money to procure this pcrIured tcsti-
hh'llg was kdila Ntlh'iA Alblh Nllf u'l'.itl
fund appropriated to other objects. This
subject the House caunot fail TO investigate
fully at the next session, in order to fix the
responsibility Of the spoliation whore it be-
longs, and to make Mr.. TAFT and his con
fcdcratcs answcable for crime which II
little else than barcfaced robbery. with
the Treasury to draw upon without limit
the Republican managers could bring any
=
ing them mileage for travel and per diem
allowance The bad and corrupt were will
ing TO swear without condition and the
ignorant and weak were deluded by as
suranccs that their testimony would never
bc published.
On the other hand the Democrats were
obliged to pay the expenses OF witnesses
from their own pockets, and therefore were
at IA great comparative disadvantage They
had to contend against the whole Federal
power, exercised without scruplc; the free
use Of the peoples money to suhorn tcst-
mony; and whatever authority the KELLOGG
Government was capable of cXerting through
patronage and abuses How the Treasury
was plundcred is told in the testimony of
]. N HAGINs, who swore he was called upon
In 1876 to assist in drawing up aflldavits by
some Of his political friends:
81 prepared the afida,its Of 7. W. DALroS. swa0
pulA, ami many others Ny mcle u procedure o.
hst ascertain whether the witness had any Information
To communicate after which wrote down what he hat
tosay. and read 10 him. sone of the persons
named by him positively that the am la,i were
not read TO them at ALL AMI they wholly ignorant
az the false charges made In thcml Commissioner
wotTttY then swore them ant them ot',aon, ,ton
Eih they IIii aeg. mt per dial by me- Uar~i
AbaulL lie d.d not know under what law tae wlt.
nessos were paid BY the United States Marshal"
Most Of tho aflldayits were sworn before
WoLFLEY, who united in his person the
offices OF Clerk of the United States Circuit
Court, United States Commissioner, and
United States Supervisor OF Elections. He
Iid wholesale bushes, in aiding the Fraud,
and was VOL paid in salary and fees for his
different functions. But thcre Is no act of
Congress which authorizes such certificates
as he issued, nor which gives the Marshal
the right to pay mileage and per diem for
This class of witnesses. 1t was an audaciou7
assumption of power originating in Wash
htttun, and q willul pcryersiOn of the public
hoiey 10 partisan objects.
Mr.. TAFT, rs AttOrncy-Goneral, scattered
IDuuty mnrshals all over certain States and
close Congressional districts In 1876, with
view t. the Presidential election and To u
majority Ia tho House o. Representatives.
The! received - "A day during SER zee and
were employed lrOm one to thIty-..Ve days,
according 10 the political necessity and
without the least regard 20 the public infcr-
est. So reckless WAS he in this ro7poct that
more than two mouths after the cleDtian ice
wa forced toa.iuit, in reply {. "a rc.o,utiun
Of tho S"nnte calling for the total number of
ic.AtF marshal, pulDi0Vpd In connection