Daily Kennebec journal., 1878-04-30
Mr.. Tilden's Florida Card.
Especial to the Tribune.


| WASHINGTON, April 26.-The Florida card,
been expected, turns out not to have been trump
after all 1t has not produced one-half the effect
that the examination of Maddox aud Litteiield,
in the Louisiana case, did last Winter, and is not
acce pied by anybody of ne-fourth much
| importance as the stories Of those two swift wit
! nesses.
The present feeling in Washington over this
business is one of disappointment. There is some
thing satisfactory in genuine sensation, even if
ones political opponents profit by it. But when
after all the labor the mountain brings forth only
| mou,e e. those who have gathered to witness the
operation feel resentment in their disappont-
ment even if their houses aud farms have been
saved from the expected earthquake.
Half the republicans in Congress have not read
McLin's confession; and half the democrats are
alarmed lest the constant agitation of this trouble
some question. which settled more than a year
ago, and which ought to be allowed to remain so,
shall disgust the people With Their party and
streng hen the republicans in the Fall campaign.
Peace and quiet what the country now needs
these men say, and the party that does most to
bring them about, and preserve them, will be
most popular.
SECRETARY sHERMANs OPINION.
Most public men whose opinions worth
ANYTHING have given so little thought to the Flor
ida matter that they have little or nothing of in
terest to say. Secretary Sherman who has ust
returned from Philadelphia ssld in conversation
this evening that he did not for one moment be-
lieve the extraordinary allegation contained in
McIin's confession that the President kRew any
ANYTHING Of Irregularities in Florida or would
have sanct ioned countenanced, even Indirectly,
ANYTHING of the kind Furthermore he did not
credit the assertion that Minister Moves knew
ANYTHING of these alleged mis sdoings he being "a
man singularly upright and chivalrous character.
He said the idea was entirely out of the question.
The Secretary stated that he did not personally
know anything about the Florida election, nor did
he know McLin, but he did not see how these al
legations, or any action upon investigation OF
them, could alter the electoral count or its results.
Mr.. McliD, while member of the Returning
Board, one of three qualified judges deciding
matters under their jurisdiction under oath. Nc
Lin rendered his decision, making oath that it
was Just and true, and according TO the facts.
10 this decision his colleagues concurred, and the
moment he gave his decision he became functus
oficio. McLns associates still sdhere to the JUS
tice OF the decision, and no statement of his,
sworn to or otherwise, more than q year after
wards, can invalidate or even challenge his calm
and deliberate official act, any more than the Su.
preme Court could undo = decision which It had
rendered in case once before it; that decision
would make the law in that case, although the
court might prevent it from becoming a precedent
by reversing such decision IN some subsequent
case. lie believed, however, that this business
was merely designed to be used by the democracy
as campaign ammunition.
Mr.. Sherman expressed himself very strongly
upon the subject of the Presidential election in
the South. About Louisiana he said he knew He
saw matters there with his own eyes, and they
we're enough 10 make the blood boil. In FLORIDA
there had doubtless been trickery upon the
democratic side, but in Lonisians there had been
dow nright repression and bloodshed AID .yranny.
He had no doubt but that there had been q dello-
crate plan, well matuied, and thoroughly carried
out, to bulldoze the Cotton States for Iilden. la
Mississippi the negroes were kept from the polls
by terrorism. In Alabama it was the same, and
elsewhere and if either Louisiana, South Caro-
lima or Florida had been carried by the democrats
he believed 1t woud have been crying National
crime and outrage. He for one believed that in
all the Cotton States there had really been clear
large and undouhted republican majority.
WHAT MR. CoNGER THINKS.
Mr.. Conger said that no Republican with
whom he had talked attacked any espec ia impor-
tance to the allegations Of McLin and others;
and they considered them mere factors in the
| result desired by the democrats-thst Of putting
forward MIR. Illden, with As much chance of sue
cess as possible, as their next candidate. He un-
derstood that Mr.. Tiden's agent had gone down
W scN tnese ahuasi'st auu 'uat the Wuoie tulnR
had been arranged by his friends He did not
see how such action could be taken as would
change the aspect of affairs, even if the aHega
tions were proved to be true and were not met
by charges Of counter-f fraud from the other side
After the action of the Electoral Commission,
each House bad counted and accepted the returns
and he could not see now (even if such an attempt
were made how they could make u recount or
how either House could do so, ana thus practically
pass judgment upon the count OF the other. lie
did not think that the republicans would take any
action in the premises.