The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-02-25
MONDAY MORNING, FEB. Is.

all these wrongs, all these outrages to which he has
referred were done under the worthless corrupt gov
eminent of the republican party in Louisiana, say
that all those crimes ought to have been punished
and would have been punished if that state had been
under the administration of upright men, under the
administration of her own true sons. Now desire
70 ASK tne gentleman again, was there any agree
ment by which perjury and forgery were to be COM
pounded and condoned? That is the question 1
want answered That is question in which the
whole country is interested.
Mr.. Hale-Any who believes that gentlemen
upon the other side public officers in Louisiana are
urging this prosecution against the returning board
because they are disturbed about these alleged Of
lenses has larger measure of creduity than have.
Everybody knows q repeat it again) why these men
are punished 1t is because they are political often
ders. Now, Mr.. Speaker
MIR. Davis, of North Carona-Answer my ques-
tou; was there any agreement by which they were
not to be prosecuted.
Well, Mr.. Speaker, cannot get an answer from
the gentleman from Maine, and therefore will re-
retire. lLaughter.]
Mr. Hale-What does the gentleman want? What
would he have? have not been backward in an
swering questions.
there any agreement between any parties by which
the crime of any Louisiana perjurers and forgers
was to be condoned and not punished?
Mr. Hale-I do not know, Mr.. Speaker, anything
about any agreement, because 1 was not there.
daughter
Mr.. Davis, of North Carolina-Then sir
Mr. Ha'e-Let me go The spirit aud scope of
the agreement have given in the documents Mr.
Smaliey has testified to what he knew aud how he
understands it in its application to Mr. Anderson.
That is the answer to the gentlemans question
NJ no...e 1F NJ ~.
Mr.. Smalley says?
MIR. Ha'e-I certainly do
MIR. Davis, of North Caroina-He says there was
an agreement. Now if there was an agreement, I
ask the gentleman again, if there an agreement
did not the parties to that agreement agree that
these perjurers and forgers should not be punished
and was not that condoning felony?
Mr.. Hazel do not know. / deny that any felony
has been committed by the returning board. The
gentleman has no right to assume that That is the
trouble in this from beginning to end, early and
late.
Mr.. Davis, of North Carolira-That is what we are
trying to find out. The gentleman says they as
sumed that under the agreement made.
Mr.. Hale-They have been talking about perjury
and forgery and the testimony has nowhere in any
place established the charge
Now, Mr.. Speaker, when this trial was proceeding
something about Louisiana, Joined in TIE following
dispatch, which l ask the Clerk to real:
The Clerk read as follows
WASHINGTON, Februo y 1, 1878.
To General THOMAS c. ANDERSON,
Neo Orleams:s
The undersigned feel it due to you under present
circumstances to assure you of unhesitatng be-
nef That IN the matter wheTin you stand charged you
are altogether gailtless of any oense; that you are
falsely accused and malicousfy persecuted that the
without substance justice. We hereby tender our
earnest sympathy and express hope that the
sense Of justice and love Of peace of the people of
interests of the whole country to be disturbed by re-
viva OF sectional animosities: In any event we
confident American people will redress any I'M
OF which you may be male The victim.
JOHN SHERMAN.
STANLEY MATTHEWS.
j. A. GARFIELD.
EUGENE HALE.
HARRY WHITE.
Mr.. Hale Mr.. Speaker in company with these
gentlemen and certain other gentlemen
M. Mayham-Will the gentleman allow mo-
Mr.. Hale-I cannot now, or shall use up another
hour and do not mean to take up so much time.
Now, Mr., Speaker, in company with these gentle
men and other gentlemen upon both sides of the pol
tiles of the country visited Louisiana Immediately
subsequent to the election ia 1876 believe it was
my good fortune to meet the Speaker of the House
ofRepresentatives there and other gentlemen some
of whom are upon this floor to-day. The proceed
iugs of the returning board adopted in a puo-
lie, open, above-board manner. and Published in the
papers, notifications given to each sde and from day
to day the sessions attended by gentlemen Sc
lected from the visitors the part of both parties
There was no day during the opening OF the returns
when gentlemen were not present upon each side.
There was no day when the returns] were not
open to Inspection, when they were not taken as
opened and scrutnized by gentlemen of the
Republican side as we'll as of the Demo-
cratic side. They were allowed stenographers, who
remained there and took report of the proceedings
and in the morning papers from day to day the an
nouncement of the different parishes were made.
When the returns were completed, when they had
been all opened, when the returning board retired
for their decision the gentlemen who were visitors in
that State left New Orleans and returned home. L
did not learn Of the result of the majorities declared
until reached Washington, and that knowledge was
common to the other gentle men who were with me-
That whole proceeding has been opened to the bot
tom since. 1 have kept copies of everything that
has been disclosed. have followed the testimony
from day to day and have compared it with the re-
turns as promulgated when they were opened and
publishd, and have failed to discover anywhere any
act an the part Of those gentlemen of the returning
board that was improper or contrary to the law of
Louisiana.
Mr.. Cobb-Let me ask the gentleman question.
Mr.. Hale i believed that wuen wrote the dis
patch which has been just read at the clerks desk
and, believing that seeing these men hailed to trial.
prosecuted as they have been, knowing how they
suffered last winter here, gladly put my hand to
that dispatch sustained it then; sustain it now.
Mr.. Robertson-I rise to question of order The
gentleman from Maine was allowed to proceed with
out objection, il understand it, on the condition
DTiYilepe ShOu1d he ad to
man wishing to ask him question. With that un-
Outstanding all objection to his proceeding was with
drawn. Now he refuses to How the gentleman from
Indiana to ask him question.
Mr. Hale-Does not the gentleman see that if gen
temen have any legitimate questions to ask they
should wait until have finished a proposition or a
sentence? am perfectly willing to answer all cues
lions, but cannot have everything that say broken
In upon in that way. will hear now the question
Of the gentlemen from Indiana, [Mr. Cobbl
Mr.. Cobb-My question is this whether or not
Anderson was prosecuted for utteriug false and
forged returns as Of the members of the return
lining board of Louisiana.
Mr.. Hale-I understand that was the charge as set
forth in the information.
MIR. Cobb-And was not the fact charged that these
forged returns in reference to Vernon Parish2
Is not that another fact?
Now will ask the gentleman from Maine whetb
er or not the tact as shown by the evidence before
the committee that examined that question "A COM
mittee of Congress of which Mr.. Sherman. with
others, was member-whether or not the fact was
proven lclearly and conclusivey before the commit
tee that the returns of Vernon Parish were changed
have the evidence before me, and will give it to
the gentleman if he will permit me.
Mr.. Hale-I have got the record and will answer
the gentlemans question
Mr.. Cobb-Very well. 1 put the question for
information. / have no desire unnecessarily to in
terrupt the gentleman.
Mr. Hale-It became very clear during the investi-
ton, the report OF which hold in my hand that a
witness who appeared had knowledge of and parti
cipation in the alteration and, as generally believed
was the author Of it. Imean the witness Lttlefeld
Now, as far as Mr.. Anderson is concerned answer
all these questions starting up here and there and
everywhere by reading from the proceedings of the
committee which was investigating this snt ject Mr.
Anderson tesifsing upon this point is interrupted
by Mr. Sparks, a member of the present House. who
says:
my remark about the transposition of yotes,'