Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-05-10
The Florida Fraud.

A. Y.
The Florida Fraud.
The following aspect of the Florida fraud is
presented by the Washington Republican, and
must be accepted with the bias characteristic
Of that newspaper
The Tiden oonspirators 10 the House made
much progress yesterday. The Judiciary Com.
mittee-tbe democratic portion Of it at least
has complied with the democratic joint caucus
request and taken the subject 10 hand. MIR.
Proctor Knott demanded of Msssrs. Springer,
Finley, and Williams (Mioh.) yesterday the
surrender Of all tho papers 10 their hands re.
lating TO it to that committee. The demand
was readily complied with, and the papers, in
Guiding the original Of McLin's confession, "
several afidavits made by Little Giant Dennis,
and other documents of like character were
passed over to the custody of Mr.. Knott.
The democratic members of the committee
then held an Informal consultation regarding
tho matter, which resulted 10 decision, to be
formally confirmed to day, that set Of pream
bles and resolutions shall be reported to the
House at the first opportunity, reciting in dc.
tail and by precincts the allegations OF fraud 10
the elections 10 South Carolina, Louisiana and
Florida in 1876. The intention is that the
House shall forthwith adopt this budget of al
legations and the accompany resolutions, which
instruct the Judiciary Committee to take test.
moDy, send for persons and papers. and report
at any timo and 10 any form that may be de-
oided upon.
Speaker Randall has changed bis mind, it
seems, regarding the privileges to be accorded
! to the Judiciary Committee when it attempts
| to present this measure. lie has been beratcd
/ 4 k.:e il, kbonk y oolr
| that has heretofore etfeotuallY barred the way
to the beginning of the investigation. This be
rating has been provoked by bis alleged de-
cision that the Judiciary Committee could not
get the floor until its regular time to bo called,
fortnight hence and his refusal to recognize
| any Individual member for the same purpose.
Now, however, he has made up his mind to re.
cognize the representative of the committee,
and is prepared with decision that the ques
ton is one of the highest privileges. This de.
cison will not be used unless objection is made
! By republicans to the acceptance Of the reso
luton.
The democrats expect to prove 10 this inves.
tigation not only that frauds were committed
| BY republicans, but that President Hayes was
cognz,nt of their commission. They claim to
| have dispatches to and from him and Secretary
Sherman 10 Lousians and Governor Notes 10
Florida which sustain this assertion. They say
those dispatches were sent 10 cipher, but CLAIM
to have discovered the key thereto. They know
that this will not furnish legal foundation for
his impeachment, because that could only fol.
low the preparation of some illegal act after
his inauguration. But they hope, as they say,
to eucidste the truth Of history; in other words,
TO manufacture campaign thunder.
The witnesses 10 becalled include McLin,
Dennis. Bell, Bee, Vance, Black, Moore,
Duke lie Rue, Stearns, Purman, and others,
of Florida; Chandler. OF New Hampshire;
Noyes, of Ohio; and others who were present
ct Tallahassee during the count; also the entire
electoral college pLouisiaoa, Secretary Sherman,
the South Carolina case, ift is over reached, the
State election officers and Judges Settle and
Shellabarger.
The Archer precinct is tho most important
point in the Florida case and tho one upon
which the democrats mainly rely; but when
they probe it TO the bottom they will find, per-
haps that the frauds were begun by their own
people. 1t is known 10 republican circles that
when the polls were closed at noon on election
day at this precinct number OF ballots we're
taken out OF the ballot box and replaced by a
double handful Of democratic tickets. Captain
Dennis statements regarding this matter,
which are in The hands of tho investigators,
probably do not refer to this undoubted fact,
as they are supposed to be confined mainly to
explanations of the manner in which tho ro-
publicars, as it is alleged, attempted to effect
this brszan piece Of democratic ballot box stuff
fog. It's understood that DanniSs' statements
arc confirmed to some extent by afidavits from
Messrs. Black, Moore and Duke, election off,
GERS, aud Thomas Vance, the clerk of the pre-.
cinct. There is story that Dennis, who be-
ieved when the MONDAY stu6iDg was discovered,
that these officials had sold out to the demo-
Gratis, threatened them. except Duke, who was
or is democrat, with condign punishment,
| and that under these threats some effort may
| have been made to countoract that fraud. The
story further goes to the effect that a man en-.
ployed by the democrats was concealed 10
| hogshead in the store where the polls were To-
Gated, from which he emerged when the can
vassers had gone to their dinners. Out Of this
hogshead will come the discontinue Of the
aemnnranv