Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-15
A BIT OF HISTORY.
Bon. MUS Story of Ho,c the Electoral
Count Wa Secured.

! "
Count Was Secured.
| Correspondence of the New York Times.]
WARRINGTON, June 9.-Senator Ben. Hill,
of Georgia, made some highly interesting
statements to-day respecting the most inn
portant events that transpired during the
electoral commission, and which throw new
light upon the history of that critical period.
The conversation originated through an al
fusion to the resolution introduced in the
Senate yesterday by Senator Spencer, one of
the avowed objects of which is to investigate
into and expose the proceedings of what is
known as the "Wormley Hotel conference y
A passing reference to this political gather
ing is, perhaps, necessary in order to main
tain the continuity of this narrative. AS the
story goes, few Republicans, friends of
Mr.. Hayes, who were cognizant of his pur-
poses, met by appointment an equal number
of Southern Democrats at Wormley's Hotel
in this city. It was during the
height of the excitement pending the
last days of the Presidential count, when q
deadlock seemed inevitable, and all sorts of
| alarming rumors were in circulation. The
Democrats who participated in the confer
ence claimed as alleged, to have it in their
power to prevent the completion of the
electoral count, and were willing to with
draw all opposition to such completion if
the friends of Mr.. Hayes would guarantee
that, when he became President the federal
troops would be withdrawn from Louisiana
and South Carolina, and that such other
measures would be adopted as would secure
the dissolution of the Packard and Cham
berlain governments, and the establishment
of those of Nichols and Wade Hampton.
The Republicans, in consideration of COM
pletion of the count being permitted, agreed
to the terms proposed by the Democrats.
Both parties to the negotiation exchanged
pledges satisfactory to each other, and in
pursuance of this arrangement the count
was completed, Mr.. Hayes was inaugurated,
and the changes in the State governments
of Louisiana and South Carolina effected.
Up to this time the power of the Demo
Gratis who took part in the Wormley confer
ence to have prevented the completion of
| the electoral count has been undisputed, and
the credit for defeating the flibustering
movement in the House has been generally
attributed to them. Senator Hill however,
emphatically and unequivocally denies that
the agreement entered into at the Wormley
hotel conference had any bearing upon the
peaceable solution of the Presidential prob
lem. He states that the Democrats who par
ticipated in the conference did SO without q
shadow of authority from anybody, and with
out consultation with their party colleagues.
1t was purely the gratuitous, irresponsible
the Honse except their own, and who did
ment it is alleged they made. Senator Hill
mil no ofo hot 10 o;,,;o
| the Democrats who participated in the
Wormley conference could have had no other
object in view than desire
to obtain notoriety. So far from having in
fuenced the action of the House, Senator
Hill, to use almost his own words, said to
the Times correspondent: II am now abo ut
to reveal to you the dim outlines of what
will some day form one of the most patriotic
pages in American history, and after con-
clude my brief narrative you will know just
how much influence the so-called Wormley
conference had in affecting the result of the
electoral count. When the decision of the
electoral commission in the Florida case be-
came known, became satisfied that the dis
| puted States would be decided in favor o f
Hayes, and that the issue which would pres
| emily confront us would be the legal inaugu-
ration of MI. Hayes as President
! or another revolution. I consulted
with a few ex-confederates, all mem
! bers of the House of Representa-
| tives, and the situation was thoroughly and
| earnestly discussed. Not to enter into UNI
necessary Details we, who had just emerged
| from ruinous and disastrous war; and had
| experienced its devastating effects-we ex-
rebels determined to prevent second civil
| war and spare the country from all the ter
rible horrors that would attend it. Accord
| ingly, forty-two ex-confederates solemnly
| pledged themselves to each other upon their
| sacred honor to oppose all attempts to frus-
trate the counting of the votes for President
and Vice President. We held no caucus nor
no meeting. called upon each gentleman
personally and obtained his signature to a
paper that presented to him. We conducted
the movement with the greatest caution, fol-
! we did not desire our plans should be
even suspected. You may judge how well
| the secret has been kept when it has re-
NAMED inviolate to this day. Having dis
closed these facts, you can now determine
what degree of importance to attach to the
influence exercised by the Democratic mem
bers of the Wormley conference upon the
result of the electoral count. The forty-two
ex-confederate Congressman had pledged
themselves to abide by the decision of fhe
| electoral commission several weeks before
the Wormley conference took place, SO that
despite the sensational minors that filled the
air, toward heiclose of the count, there never
was the remotest possibility of trouble. We
held the balance of power, and did not pro.
pose to permit another war if our votes
could prevent it,
Catch 1T.
Delano Eagle.
Next week DR.. Stewart will come home
Then H-l-of fix Fletcher and other Wash.
burnites will catch it.
! lEnA1NH1