The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-07-26
Last Nights Dispatches.
Potter Investigation

| ATLANTIC Cry, N. J.. July 25-M
Sherman said be never had conyersatic
with Anderson and Weber as the formt
said; he never could have made tb
speech about controlling patronage, nc
dld anybody mention to him anything of
forged protest; he never heard Of such
thing when in New Orleans; he was yer
cautious 10 his expressions; as were h;
| associates. 6#
Secretary Sherman was shown lette
alleged to have been written to him h,
Weber and Anderson, dated Nov D.
| 1876, and said he never received sncb
letter and never saw or heard of il mill !;
was published When, said the Secra
| tary, this matter came to my knowledge
sent to my home in Ohio for nv naner
to be forwarded to me in order that
might lind the original of this letter if /
was there. Such letter could not bav,
been sent to me without my knowing it
ANY such letter would have excited NIX
resentment The letter on its face is in
sulting. So
Y ln what respect is the letter insult
ing? A. it is a suggestion of falsehood and
exceedingly improper. ea ....-
The Secretary said he never suggested
employing these men for any service
they might render. He emphatically de.
nled having written the so-called 'Sher
man letter although there were things
therein which he would have written to
anybody. He talked 10 New Orleans the
same as IN the Senate regarding intimida-
tons, which had always excited his resent
ment. TheS Secretary handed in his Ste
nographer's account of his conversation
with Anderson at his office in March last
a portion OF which was read.
Witness wrote Gen. Hayes from New
Orleans, Nov. %, 1876, as follows:
MY DEAR SIR-l have not written vop
sooner, as the progress of our visitation
will be kaown to you through the papers
sooner than from my letters and the tele
graph othce here is more public than .
sheriff sale. We sometimes hear private
telegrams before they are delivered. The
action OF the Returning Board has thus
tar been open, fair. and only confirms
the general result known before We are
now approaching the contested parishes.
In hye OF them, viz. Baton Rouge, East
and est Feliciana, Morehouse and Ouach
Ita, the evidence of intimidation is so well
made out on paper that no man can doubt
as to the just exclusion of their vote In
these parishes alone we ought to have a
majority of 1000, but under the law
The entire return must be excluded. In all
election districts where intimidation has
effected or changed the respjt
his is done. The result will give
he Hayes electors maiorities az
sregating 24,lll and Tilden's cleo
tors maJorities aggreeating %, 2,633.
out IN most every parish the official re-
urns vary somewhat from the stated ma
orlty. and thus far slightly reduce the re-
publican majority. The vote of each dis
outed parish has thus far been laid aside, !
ind among them are two parishes where
The most foolish blunder or something
worse was made in emitting from republic |
'an tickets the names of all electors but |
me senatorial and one district elector.
The democrats claim that this will lose
yer 1000 votes, but our friends whose in |
ormation we have generally found correct
ay that 1t will lose US at most 1893 votes. |
The law seems conclusive that defective
BALLOTS cannot be counted for any elections
'ut those named on the ticket, though it
s'conciusiveiy shown that the remaining
electors were omitted by reason of the |
mistaken idea that the district could only
'ote lnr one elector, which trouble grows
ut et the fact tfatin these two parishes n
andldate for district Judge was not named
n the ticket printed by the stat, commit
ee who undertook to correct this hy nrint-
ng new tickets. which were voted in those
'arishes, The result of this blupder will
cave the poll so close as to render it prob
bic that one or more of the Tiden cleo
ors would have majority There are
ther parishes where organized intimida-
lon was not so general as in the parishes
AIMED, though IL single election pre-
met 1t was effective. These parishes
there formal protests have been fled are
,unville, Bossier. Caldwell, Franklin
irant, Iberia, Lincoln, Rutland and Sa.
Inc. How far the proof in these parishes
I'LL sustain the protest we cannot Judge
ntll the evidence is heard before the re-
lrning board. We are now collecting
estmony as to the bulldozed parishes.
! seems more like history of hell than
I civilized aud Christian communities.
he means adopted are almost incredible,
ut were fearfully effective upon the ig
GRANT and superstitious people. That
ou would have at fair election a large
laJorlty 10 LOUISIANA, no honest man can {
uestion. That you did not receive ma
rity is equally clear. but that intimida- {
on OF every ktEd ane nature, provided I
zainst by Louisiana laws, did enter into !
nd control the election in more election
oils than would change the result and I
We you the vote, ] believe as firmly as | ,
rite this. The difficulty of gathering this {
'stimony and putting it In legal form has
zen fully met The whole case rests upon
lie action of the returning board. have J
.refully observed them and have formed a
ign opinion of COL Anderson. They are !
rm and judicious. and as far as / can !
dge thoroughly honest and conscienti- !
Gus. They are personally familiar with :
le nature and the degree of intimida-
on 10 Louisiana. They can see that in i
mldatlon as organized was with view of /
rowing out the Republicans parishes !
'ther than endangering the Dem ocratic :
lrIshes. Our little party are now divid- !
g out the disputed parishes with the !
ew OF careful examination as to eyerv ma /
sr and detail. Many are impatient of delay | !
I'd some have gone home. We will pro- !
lbly be able to keep about ten here. We !
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