The daily gazette., 1878-02-15
SECOND EDITION
FROM WASHINGTON.
SYMPATHETIC OUTCRY OVER
~ ANDERSON'S CONVICTION. ~


Why the Democrats Laugh,--A |
Republican Comm ittee ON
the Return Board in 1875
THE SYMPATHY FOR THE RETURNING
9 BOARD-ANTECEDENTs OF SOME n
nIt ia oFTHE MEMBERS. fW !
\ WAsHINGToN, Feb. 14.-When the fa-
nous Wheeler compromise was laid be-
fore the republicans in New Orleans in
1875 one of them objected vehemently to
1t, on the ground that his party was get
ting less than justice, because it was ac-
knowledged that that compromise infiict-
ed injustice on the democrats, but on the
ground that any settlement of the kind
had tendency to "demonetize the Loui-
siana question:" which appeared to him
a deplorable calamity. al
The republicans here seem to be of the
same mind. They cherish hope that
the Louisiana question may once more
become "nationaliz zod" andin their eager
ness they are getting themselves into the
somewhat equivocal position of being the
apologists of Wells and Anderson.
"Don't you think 1t is pretty joke to
see the party of great moral ideas unani-
mously defending the Louisiana Return
ing Board in the face of the fact that sew
eral of their own committee have de-
| nounced these men in the strongest Ian
guage 2" said a democrat to-day.
Almost everything is forgotten in this
world and oblivion especially overtakes
Congressional reports, so that probably
few republicans in either House now re-
| member that q committee consisting of
Messrs. George f. Hoar (now Senator,)
Wheeler (now Vice President), Foster,
Phelps, Potter and Marshall-fve repub-
hcans and two democrats-investigate
| in 1875 the same Wells and Anderson,
who are now attracting attention, and
who in part constituted the Returning
Board in 1879 as in 1876, and reported of
their conduct in these scorching words,
which, one would think, would have
been sufficient to keep them thereafter
forever out OF any respectable federal
civil service
| We are constrained to declare that the
action of the Returning Board ON the
whole was arbitrary, unjust, and in our
| opinion illegal, and that this arbitrary,
unjust and Illegal action alone prevented
the return by the Board of a majority of
conservative members of the Lower
| House.
And the committee above named, all
of whom were eminent lawyers, unani-
mously reported
That it is recommended to the House
of Representatives of Louisiana to take
Immediate steps to remedy said Injustice,
and to place the persons rightfully enti-
tied in their seats.
This formal and, to men of character,
terrible verdict of fraud was adopted by
a strongly republican House in 1875. 1t
was supposed at the time that it placed
Wells and his fellows beyond the reach
of decent peoples respect or confidence,
and when Secretary Sherman, in 1877,
in the Senate declared, on his honor, that
he believed the Returning Board-name-
ly, Wells, Anderson and two ignorant,
and insignificant colored men, to be as
honest and honorable gentleman as him
self this was regarded only as the hasty
ut lerance of an excited partisan. Nobody
was so foolish as to imagine that Mr..
fisherman or any one else, unless it should
be Mr.. Stoughton, would speak thus of
men one of whom had been denounced
in 1867 by General Sheridan in repeated
lreports as not only "corrupt and dishon-
est" himself, but as not having an honest
man in the State as his friend and both
of whom were convicted by a republican
committee of fraud, of "arbitrary, illegal
and unjust conduct" while acting in a
high and solemn judicial capacity in 1872,
| But just now the most conspicuous lead
ers of the republican party are not
: ashamed to be the defenders of these
same men.
1t is not strange that the democrats en-
Joy the exhibition and hope that the
President will make the blunder of join
: ing Messrs. Sherman, Matthews, Hale,
Garfield and others in their defence OF
these men. If he will take the trouble to
read the report of the committee he will
find that besides the general fraud there
denounced, Wells, as President of the
Returning Board, was guilty of a private
fraud of his own in order to put in three
republican legislators from his own parish
of Rapides. Thelparish went democratic
There was no protest nor charge OF
/, trouble; but the Congressional committee
! found among the papers an affidavit OF
, Wells himself, which had never before
: been publicly known and which charged
, intimidation at certain polls were thrown
: out by Wells. On examination this atfi-
davit was found to be without date. II
was discovered that Wells, who had
made and signed it and had privately put
, | it in as evidence was not in the parish
on the day of election, when ne swore
that there was intimidation, and wheI
, the committe summoned him to explain
if he could he declined to appear-thai
is to say, he, the President of the Return
; ing Board, one of the high est judicia
|. functionaries of the State, virtually con
: fessed to perjury.
] All these things are forgottrn here, but
they are known to every schoolboy il
: | New Orleans, where the crimes of these
. men were committed. 1t is not strange
i therefore, that when decent people OF
, that city see the President honoring these
men with two of the most important
, federal offices in the State public opinion
is outraged and sustains their trial for one
at least of their many offences. That Is
the truth of the situation.