The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-08-29
gulttical,
POTTER PROGRESS.
MajOr Burke Before the COmmittee-iie Tells
What Had Been Done Previous to 1870.

MaIor Burke Before the COmmlttee-Iie Tells
What Had Been Done Previous to 1870
New York, August 20,-The Potter
Committee resumed its Investigation this
morning. Major E. A, Burke was the
first witness. He said; ~ was charged
with the registration and election mat
ters in 1876 in New Orleans, as Chair
man of the Central Committee and Reg
istration Bureau; think we knew the
result of the election in Louisiana about
the 18th of November; returns were all
in except the parish of st, Martins, and
that has about 10000 votes"
Gen. Butler did all the questioning OF
the witness.
Witness said the highest Tilden elect
or's vote was $3.50, and the lowest
HAYES eleCtor received 75,240, a differ
ence of 8,6l9. Witness could not give
the vote of Nichols exactly, but he had
majority of 1000 votes. The Return
ing Board threw out some 10000 votes to
count in the Hayes electors. In the
campaign of 1874, said witness, We were
cheated out of the election results by
this same Returning Board of 1876. And
there was no change in their actions or
principles. They were as arbitrary and
unjust in 1876 as in 1874, Our appre'
tensions were increased by kilograms
passing from leading Republicans all
over the country to these leaders in Lou
isiana, and showed us they would sus-
tain their men in any action they took,
Louisiana men got despondent after the
election and about gave it up, but when
these kilograms commenced, and visiting
statesmen arrived, their courage revived
and they never seemed to falter from
that out, The Inauguration OF Governor
Nichols took place before some 5OOOO
persons, and the Senate and Assembly
were at once organized. They took pos
session of everything except some small
space filled and occupied by Packard.
Witness said he reigiOusly and sincerely
believes that Hayes and Packard were
defeated, and Tilden and Nichols elect
ed, and that was the opinion of every
honest man. II went to Washington"
said the witness, "on Jan. 10Th, as agent
for Gov. Nichols, to secure the non-in-
tervention by the government troops
with the State government, We felt that
we had moral and material force of the
people of Louisiana sufficient to estab-
lish ourselves. We never attempted to
have a collision with the United States
troops. We were determined to protect
the interests of our State against any vio'
lence whatever, and if an armed attack |
were made on the Nicholls's government
it would have been repelled."
We had become sick and tired of the |
state of things, cheated out Of two eleC'
tions and pundered. We determined
not to stand it longer, and would have
forced military government in prefer,
ence to standing such things, General
Grant modified his ideas after my visit
to Washington. l was in Washington
for the purpose of getting troops, not to
interfere and get orders to that effect on
the afternoon of March I'd,
Q.-Then you got that order on that
day, when Gen. Grants term expired at
IL o'clock that night Now did you not
know that Hayes called on Grant that
same day at II O'Clock in the morning?
A.-No, sir; did not hear of it, Did not
know of any conference between Hayes
and Grant about the telegram of March
lst, 1877, from Grant to Packard, wherein
he states that he does not believe public
opinion will sustain any action hy the
United States government in Louisiana,
and that troops would be only used to
keep the peace.
Witness admitted to be correct. Wit
ness said that we in Louisiana were not
in favor OF the Electoral Commission.
We understood, through the crude and
logical reasoning, that if Hayes was rec
ognized, Packard would also have to be
recognized. Witness said nothing in
Hayes's letter of acceptance about the
State going two ways.
Here another telegram from U. S.
Grant to Gen. Augur, dated Jan. IA, ",
was read, in which, while deprecating
the interference 10y the federal govern.
ment in the State government, yet said
that the Packard government should be
recognized, as the Electoral Commission
lad declared them elected.
When the hope of seating Tilden,
whom we knew to be elected, passed
away, on Feb. 10Th, we were ready to
confer with Hayes, and see what he in.
tended doing for Louisiana. Among the
promises made to Senator Matthews was
The suppression of crime, the education {
Of the blacks and whites, the promotion
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