Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-07-26

man prcsecled to the Potter committee the
following correspondence:
STATE OF LOUISIANA, EXECUTIVE DEPT,
New ORLEANS. Nov. %. 1876.
Nv Dear Sir : have DOT written you sooner,
for the progress Of our visitation will be Known
to you through papers sooner than from my
letters, aud the telegraph Office here Is more
public than a sberiff's sale. We sometimes
hear of private kilograms before they are oe
liyered. The action Of the returning board
has thus fsr been open and fair, aud only con
firms the general result knowo before. we
are now approaching the contested parishes 10
fvo of them, viz Baton Rouge, East and
West Feliciana Morehouse and Ouachlta, the
evidence of intimidation is so we'll made out on
psper that 20 man can doubt as to the just eX'
c,usion Of their vote. 10 these parishes alone
We ought to have msjorty OF 1000, but under
the law the entire returns must be excluded OF
all election districts where intimidation has
affected or changed the result. 1t this is done
The result will give the Hayes electors ma.
iority 10 the aggregate Of "a Ill and The 1lden
electors % 633. But 10 almost every parish
the official return varies somewhat from the
stated msjorites, and thus far slightly reduce
the republican majority. The vote Of each
disputed parish has thus far been laid aside, land
among them are two parishes where most
foolish blupder, or something worse, was made
10 emitting from the republican tickets the
names of all the electors but the TWO Senatorial
aud one district electors. The democrats claim
this vii lose Us over2 900 votes; but our friends,
whose Information We have generally found
COZ filmed. say it will lose u. the most, l93
votes. The law seems conclusive that the de
tectlTe ballots cannot be counted tor any cleo
tors but those named 90 the ticket. though 1t
is couclusivey shown that the remaining elec
tors were omitted by reason OF the m,staken
idea that the district could ouly vote for one
elector. The whole trouble has grown out OF
the fact that 10 these Two parishes a candidate
for dst1ic: iu ICE vas cot banned 90 the tlckc:
printed By tue State committee. We Undertook
10 correct this by prin'iog Dew tickets which
R,re voted 10 these parishes. The result Of
this b uuder will leave the polls 50 close as to
reDder it probable that one CT more CT the
Tlden electors would have majority. There
are other parishes where the organized lntlnl
oatiou was DOT so general as 10 the parishes
named, though 10 single election precinct IL
was efzc'ive. These pari hes where formal
protests have bseu filed are Bieuvllle, Byssiec.
Csld veil, FrsLkiin. GGaut, Iberia, L!ncop,
R;chland and Satioe. How far the proof in
these parishes will sustain the protests We can-
not Judge uotil the e7ideoce is heard before
the returning board. We are now collecting
the testimony as to the huIdc3=d parishes. II
seems more ike the history of bell than Of
civilized srd Christian comuuaites. The
means adopted are almost Incredible, but We're
feariu'Iy effective upon 40 iRuorant and super
stitiuus people. That you would have received
ct fair election q large majority 10 Louisiana
90 honest uan can question. That You did DOT
receive %, Jrlty Is ,qIally clear. Bu: that
iotipmidation OF the very kind aud nature pro-
vided against By the Louisiana Law did eoter
iuto aud coutrrl the election 10 more election
polls than would change the result and give
the repp biicaos the vote I believe as firmly as
that write this The difficulty Of gathering
this testimony and putting it 10 legal form has
been very great but believe it has been fully
met. The whole case rests upon the action OF
the returning board. | have carefully observed
them ADD have formed high opinion Of Gov
error Wells and Colouel Anderson. They are
firm, judicious aud a. far as l can judge,
thoroughly honest and conscientious. They are
personally familiar with The nature aad degree
of naturalization 10 Louisiana. They can see
that the lotimmidation as organized was With
view Of throwing cut republican parishes
rather than t1daogering democratic parishes.
Our little party are now dividing out the dis
putci parishes, with the view OF careful ex.
animation Of every paper and detail. Many
are iut latent Of the delay aud some have gone
home. We will probably be able to keep abou!
ten here. We have incurred some liabilities
fur reporting, printing, &c., but hope the Re.
publican National Committee will make this
good. II not We must provide it for ourselves.
We are 10 good hope and spirit, not wishing
the return in your favor unless 1t IS clear that
it ought to be go, and not willing to be cheated
out OF it, or to be 'bul!dcZed," or inundated.
The truth is pslpable that you ought 10 have
the vote Of Louisiana, and we believe that you
will have it By az honest and fair return &C
cordng to the letter aud spirit Of the law Of
louisiana. Very truly yours, o
JOHN SHERMAN.
II this General Hayes responded as fol-
lows: -
CoLUABUs ONO, Nov. q, 1876.
3Ig Dear Sir am greatly obliged tor your
latter Of the 231. You feel | am sure, as |
d. about this whole business A fair election
would have given Us about forty electoral votes
at the South-at least that many. But We arc
not 10 allow our friends to defeat one outrage
and fraud By another There must be nothing
crooked on our part. Let Mr.. 1'ilden have the
place by violence, Intimidation, aud fraud rath.
er than undertake to prevent it By means that
will not bear the scTerest scrutiny. l appre'
ciaic the work doing by the republicans who
have gone South. aud an especially proud OF
the Acknowledged honorable conduct or those
from Ohio. The democrats made mistake 10
sending so many ex republicans. New converts
are provetbiaIIy bitter and unfair toward those
they have recently left.
trust you will soon reach the eud of the
work and be able 10 return 10 health and safe
IT, Sincerely, Il. 3. HAYES
10 the course Of the examination Sec,
rotary Sherman said be would not hest
tate to appoint any man because he did bis
duty.
Gen. Butier-I think Sauer was appointed
90 the recommendation of Senator Kellogg.
Did DOT the appointment come down to you
from the President, instead Of going up from
you to him
The Secretary replied The paDcrs will show
that you trench 90 delicate ground: ought
DOT to tell you What the President SAID to me,
or what [ said 10 the Pre;iient