The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1878-08-23

Col. Roberts and Hayes Bargain


The Importance Of the testimony given
before the Potter Committee ye-tcrda,
|by Col. William II. Roberts. of New
Orleans, cannot easily be ovcrstatcd. II
fully establishes the fact, already proved
beyond reasonable doubt. that Hayes
owes his possession of the Presidential
office 10 bargain struck BY him with
Southern Democrats after
the election and before the fraudulent
count.
Col. Roberts il competent and I'M.
limpeachabIe witness a. 10 this bargain
because he Is the man who saw Hayes
Ills story Of how he came to sec him
and OF what passed at the interview. il
Iof absorbing interest. Briefly. 1t wa.
thought Of great consequence by the
leading Democrats OF Louisiana 10 asccr.
tain definitely what Hayes wonld do, il
he became President, ia the matter Of
their State Government. Col. Roberts
was selected TO visit Hayes because. be-
ing ncwspape lnan, not prominent in
politics, his going to Columbus would
be less likely 10 attract notice /; also, ~
he implies, because he understood Eng
iish and could hold his tongue. lie
thinks Hayes was notified IN advance OF
his coming and his errapd. Stanley
Matthews and lob Stevenson gave him
letters Of introduction TO Hayes. Arriv-
ing In Cincinnati, he had convcrsat ion
with Murat Iialstcad, TO whom he said
or intimated, IN substance, that the Lou
isiana Democrats were ready 10 let
Tildcn 90 by the board. provided they
could thereby save Nichols and the
state Government. lie also told Mr..
Halstcad what his GRAND was. II will
fix hat said Mr.. IIalstcad, and gave
him letter to Hayes Inadvertently
sealing ii.
When the Colonel reached Columbus
he was met by another Of IIayes's bosom
friends, Gen. Comlcy, at whose sug-
gcsiion he did not call on Hayes. but
waited for Hayes TO come to him. Haycs
came, read the letters, and asked Col.
Roberts, "What do you want to know z"
The Colonel told him that the Democrats
had carried Louisiana by 1900 majority.
but that the Returning Board would
probably count the state the other way !.
they wanted TO know what. II he became
President, he meint To do about the
State Government. After Pccksnifiism
about not wanting the Presidency ii he
had not been elected, Hayes replied TO
the question: Il cannot say much about
this matter" lac said. My letter Of ac-
ccptancc was no empty form. believe
the intelligence Of country ought 10
run IT,
Col. Roberts went away satisfied He
had obtained the pledge for which bel
had come North. Iiaycs's manner. his
his use of the phrase about in
ielligcncc which was one ofihe comm on
places Of Southern Democratic argu-l
iucnt. lett no doubt in the CoIoncl's
mind that ii was bargain. Hc 50 re-
ported to his friends in Louisiana. aud
10 tho Southern Democrats IN Congress.
talks with Matthews. Foster
and Evaris confirmed him IN this belief
u was upon tho strength OF these assur-I
anccs and because Of them, the witness
says. that Southern Democratic Con-
put a stop TO the filibustcringI
in the House, forced the completion oil
The fraudulent count, and thus put
Hayes in the White House.
rs not that pretty much your idea of
a bargain n asked Gen. Butler. The
answer Of tho country to this question Isl
not doubtful. N. n. Sun.