The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-08-29
The Potter Committee.

MIN - bANh VI II Az yOiAO III
Orleans which with the excl ement of ties ify.
ing before the committee may have caused
a arrangement of mind A telegram was
received from Governor Kellogg in Chicago,
denying severai sta ements of Leete, in his
testimony, and stating hat Lee'e had been,
for mon MS past, begging for Office. Lat erly
threatening and ~denouncing him because
he didn't receive one. Any statement thai
Packard and himself or leading Republicans
ever took Leete into the party councils
would be received with derision in Lou
isiana.
As Mr.. Horn, who was expected to testify,
did not come, the Sergeant-at-Arms was di-
reeted to compel his attendance before the
Committee, tomorrow.
General Butler then called attention to
his request made last week regarding the
failure and refusal of Senator Matthews to
appear before the Commissioners. He now
moved that the fact of his service by
subpoena, and his failure to come before the
Committee be entered on the minutes, and
the committee report him to the House for
their action.
Mr.. Potter said he has lost sight of Gen.
eral Buffers motion, last week, but remem-
bered it, and would entertain it now. He
| put it to the committee, and it was resolved
to report Mr.. Matthews to the House, as be
ing in contempt. There beingn no witnesses
before the committee, adjournment was
taken till tomorrow.
On August 20, the Potter Committee
called Major E, A. Burke to the witness
stand. General Blu Ter did all the question
ing of the witness. Witness said the highest
Tilden electoral vote was SO, 1859, and the
lowest Hayes ~elector received 1920, q
difference of 8,619. Witness could not give
the vote for Nichols exactly, but he had a
MAORI y of 1000 votes. The Returning
Board threw out some 10000 votes to count
in Hayes.
Witness said he re~ligiously and sincerely
believes that Hayes and Packard were de-
feated, and Tilden and Nichols elected,
and that was the opinion of every honest
man there. / went to Washington, said the
witness, on the 18th of January, as agent
for Governor Nichols, to secure interven-
ton by the Government troops with the
State Government. We felt we had the
moral and material force of the people of
Louisiana sufficient to establish ourselves
We never attempted to have a col ision
with the United States troops. We were
de ermined to protect the interests of our
State against any source whatever, and if
an armed attack were made on the Nichols
Government 1t would rave heen repealed.
We have become sick and tired of the
state of things. Cheated out of two elec.
tions and plundered, we determined not to
stand it longer, and would have forced a
military Government in preference to stand
ing such things. General Grant modified
his ideas after my visit to W 4shington. /
was in Washington for The purpose of get
ting the troops not to interfere, and got an
order to that effect, on the afternoon of the
I'd of March.
@. Then you got that order IN that day,
when General Grants term expired at
twelve o'clock that night. Now, did. you
not known that Hayes called on Grant that
same day at eleven o'clock in the morning?
A. No, sir, l did not hear of it. Did
not know of n conference between
Hayes and Grant A telegram was sent the
LIST of March, 1877, from Grant to Packard,
in which he states that he does not believe
public opinion will sustain any action by
the United States Government in louisiana,
and that the troops would be only used to
protect the peace. Witness admitted to be
correct. Witness said that we in Louisiana
were not in favor of the Electoral Com
mission. We understood, through a crude
reasoning, that if Hayes was recognized
Packard would also have to be recognized"
Witness saw nothing in Hayes's letter of
acceptance about the State going two ways.
Here another telegram from Grant to
General Augur, dated the 18th of January,
1877, was read, in which, while
deprecating interference on the part of the
Federal Government in the State Govern
ment, yet said that the Packard Govern.
ment should be recognized, as the Electoral
Commission had declared them elected
When the hope of seating Tilden, whom ht
knew to be elected, passed away, on the
10th of February we were ready to confer
with Hayes, and see what he meant doins
for Louisiana. Among some of the prom
Uses made to Senator Matthews were thu
suppression of crime, the education of thu
blacks and whites, the promotion O
friendly relations between both, and equa
civil and political rights. The witness
afterwards held conversations and confer
ences with General Grant, Stanley Mat
thews, Dennison Sherman, Foster ant
others in regard to the Louisiana election
and Withdrawing the troops.
August 81, MajorE. A. Burke again tool
the stand. By mutual agreement, said tn
witness, friends were to visit Gen. Gran
with a view of asc~ertaining what his view
were on the question of the establishment
of the Nichols government, but ther,
was nothing said, as far as 1 am aware
about any commission. l was assure,
by Mr.. Hayes and others that all tn
troops would be withdrawn. Witness rea,
from some paper, which he had in his pos
session, that there was a letter from Nj
Hayes to Mr.. Foster, under date of Febrr
ary %, containing the basis of guarantee
and assurances, and verbal guarantees O
Messrs. Sherman, Matthews, Foster, DENIM
son, and Garfield, both at the intervieN
(which was-heldin the committee room Q
the Senate, and at Wormley's Hote
This letter embraced all the guarantee
and assurances we had. Said tn
witness, / acted as messenger myself, an
3 we did not scratch Tilden until the part
, shook him. gave the copy intended fo
Matthews to Sherman, whom I met on tn
stairs leading to the Finance Committe
/ room. never stated that / received an
: letter of assurances from Sherman or Other
at the conference. Major Burke said, to h
i knowledge, that there was no not
or memorandum in writing. 3
met Foster subsequently at his room, b,
u there was nothing of any conversation cor
e mitted to writing. General Butler entere
into a cross-examination for the purpose
drawing out of witness the statement tn
Mr.. Hayes had entered into a personal ba
gain, but witness denied he ever told ar
one Mr.. Hayes in person had authorize
0 guarantees or assurances.
o Burke continued his testimony before Il
Potter Committee August %. He said tn
the census of 1875 for New Orleans W
fraudulent ana IN the interest OF tne Repu
lican party, by increasing the negro vo
$4,000, and that the State was carried f
Nichols by s. 200 majority and for Tildenb
about 5000.
Witness said unusual pains were tax
by the Democrats to prevent intimidatio
Intimidation of voters all came from the r
publican side.
N @. What was the course of the board
1T regard to ex parte afidavits? A. They fiji
decided not to receive any such, but aftt
ward changed their opinion and receive
ex parte afidavits FROM the Republics
is side of the house; and then again VIII
TT the Democratic afidavits were sent in, tn
re changed their ruling again, and refused
receive them. 1t was the 23d Of Novemb
before we had any opportunity to recei
Ii protests. When we handed in large bod
Of ex parte afidavits the board refused
It, receive them, and said witnesses shou
d. be present, and on producing a large nu
Der of witnesses, the board only examin
:, a few of them. This put the DemocrI
~ to great trouble, owing to the distant
In of some of the parishes, The total We
ed of the State of Louisiana in 1876 "
.c. 176, 149, or nearly ninety per cent. of t
registered voting populati n. He saw A
:. derson on Sunday m rning in a restaura
" Witness was in company with Mr.. ruth
and at the other side of the restaure