The New York herald., 1878-07-10
FRAUDULENT RETURNS IN FLORIDA.
The Feliciana Parishes IL
legally Thrown Out.
FORCED SIGNATURES TO CERTIFICATES.
Secretary Sherman's Reply to
Chairman Potter.
[FRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT


WASHINGTON, July 9, 1878.
A Congressional investigation, It has often been
said is pretty way cover up The particular
wrong Investigated and make the public tired OF the
subject. Tho work OF the Potter committee is not
exception to this rule The committee has examined
large number OF witnesses; II has, as your CORE
sgondeEt will cndeavor 10 show, developed some i'm
portant acts but unless careful analysis oI what
has brought out made when It completes its abors
the people will get but partial and confused know
edge Of the results Partisan journas If they are re
pubcans OF course, bsle tho result OF the inquiry,
while the democratic organs have beon too ready to
magnify results whom they were but half established,
and these have tact helped the republican organs
10 muddle tho public mind. Iu what follows an at
tempt made present briefly What really been
Established py me evidence before the committee.
!. The Presidential election could only be carried
for Mr.. Hayes by counting hrs electors in both the
States oi Louisiana aud Florida.
In Florida tho Canvassipg Board assumed without
warrant OF law TO exercise discretionary powers and
10 alter the rcsults appearing upon the returns. his
the courts have decided to be unlawful and their
determinations have boon that In that State at ioast
9ildeu. and not Hayes. elected upon the
turned
2. Testimony taken in Florida and in Washington
shows that In respect to The votes returned tbero
were the Rrossest frauds l. established on Inim
peached testimony that in Baker county tho
vsssers first counted OF TWO disputed returns and
later discarded the rsturu they had United
counted the return from that county they had pre-
viously rejected for reason except 10 make tho
figures come out Tor Mr.. Hayes. In Alacnua county
II Is shown thar the election officers brought the re-
turns to Mr.. Dennis, Chairman OF the Republican
County COMMITTEE, and upon his up5rading
them with the showing they proceeded IN
hOnR IN md
rs many fictitious republican votes to the returns
This was the county in Mr. Noyes' charger and IL Is
established that when ha proposed to call Dennis
witness about these returns Dennis told him he would
ruin tho republican cnse and must not be required to
lcstiiy ana he was accordingly not required to DO
True, Noyes says that became oil fear the
cause but OF tear Tor Dennis personally, that he did
not call him. SO Dennis says that just before tho
vassers were to take action he heard thero bar
gain with Barlow, the republican manager, by which
the State was TO be counted Hayes aud Drew, aud
he went IN The morning before they up 10 the
room occupied by Noyss and Wallace and told them
that the republicans wouldn't submit this and tho
State had to be counted either Hayes Slerns
Inden and Drew ana Noyes and Wallace thought SO
much OF this they got straight Gus OF bed and
and dismissed Barlow. THIS Noyes xplans BY saying
he did not want Dennis dissatisfied. McIin. one OF
the Stale canvassers. says they canvasscd the re-
Turns unaer positive assurances Of reward. which
Noyss denies but It IS understo d Wallace admits
rnx REWARDS MgrED OUT
But Ia this connection It 10 most significant at
vefy nected with the Florida frauds got Office
Noyes made Minister tV France. Kasson Minister
10 Austria, McLn Justice OF New Mexico Slerns Com.
missioner OF the Hot Springs Deuuis went into tho
Supervising Arcntect's ofice whore no mad na,hlng
10 do but draw hts pay. Cessna. the County Judge,
who TOOK the nfidavits in Alachua, made post
master. Black aud Vance. tue oanvasssrs there, went
pne into the Treasury ana the other into tho Post
OtHce. Howell. who was clerk of Baker county, was
made Collector Of Customs Bowles, election
onccr IN Leon count, wnere the democrats claimed
there was fraud Of scveDty.our votes tho
Treasury. Bell. another County Judge in contested
count was made timber agont. Humphreys, one Of
the electors was made Collector OF Pensacola. Leons
sterns' secretary, was put into the Treasury Max
well, republican ucective, was made lieutenant In
The army. Phelps went to Paris WITH Mccormick.
Varnum, one Of Sterns' Cabinet became Receiver OF
The Land Once, where Taylor, ono Of the clerks OF
The county courts, found a haven also. In short
wherever there was fraud places were found for
those connected with II.
THE LOUISIANA FRAUDS
3. lp LOUISIANA the election sui, ,tantialIy de-
pended upon tho parishes OF East and West Fehcaua
No protest by the precinct officers accom- panied their
returns Tho republican managers claimed that
where u would have been dangerous tho spot 10
make protests they should be received after the
returns were sent up This suggcs,ioD OF course
opened the way for every form OF fraud In those
two parishes Anderson and Weber Two Custom House
clerks, we're SUPERVISORS OF registration. They both
made protests In New orleans, or parts Of proteslg
II 10 SAID now that these worthless liars, but
they wero at the critical moment the tho
Votes tho trusted agents OF tho republican party
that work. and them stood the exclusion OF those
purishes Now please take notice how the evidence
before tho &C mmitiee corroboratcs Andersous cou-
iessiou, particularly that Of Campbell, the district
attorney, brought by Secretary sherman all the way
from Dakota TO contradict Anderson. According to
campbel's statement Anderson prepared q paper
Tor protest Whether ne did voluntarily, as
Pitkin says at she request OF Pilkin,
Anderson says. rs Of consequence.
Any way the pro,ss. vas propsrd by Anderson, and
the lass known Of IL u was sont by Pnkin TO Mr..
Coukliu. But Campbell declared before the CON-
mit,ee that this protest wholly worthless and
contained no statement OF facts OF any value upon
which 70 exclude the vote OF tho parish. Alter hc
mad given this opinion Pukin desired Campbell to
prepare protest that would be OF some use aud he
tays he prepared proper IN FORM leaving spuces
10 be filled up with the essential avermsns Of fscts
and later went to Pnkin's Office to take Anderson's
vcri1cstion 10 this protest ana found him in high
dispute about its terms and unwilling to verify ~,
and Campbell does not recolisct whether Anderson
ever verified ~. But whether verified only sirpcd,
It war, when Anderson delivered II, incomplete and
wanting In the essential avcrments upon which 10
exclude tho vote OF the parish.
PROTESTS MANUFACTURED
After tho second protest was signed and given to
ritkn all agree that Anderson tried 10 recall It.
Pitkn refused to g,ve It up aud told Campbell It was
In safe hands Campbell tells the Committee that
Anderson wanted TO recall because he not sat
sned with tho pledges Of security and reward which
no had received, and iurther, that Anderson CON-
pianed that II had been forged by additions made to
1t without hts authority and this protest upon
It's lace, Is sad, such additions essential
features The ssme thing 10 reported rs appearing
when the Weber protest was brought before the sub