Sharp County record., 1878-08-16

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or ire gular; Imade some figuring as TO what
results would be produced II certain parish
returns were thrown out; think ii probable
/ the figures were not mentioned 10 the visiting
statesmen, bus l naturally suppOsedth mat
ter would be brought to their attention;
understood the result of the calculation was
sent to Florida 50 as 10 come to the knowl-
edge of the officials. Later on in the eXamin-
alton witness said he had no doubt the cal .
culatiOn concerning the ultimate result in
Louisiana was communicated to the visit
ing politicians, as they were as much inter.
ested in knowing what would be the result i'm
Louisiana as the Republicans there were in
knowing what would be the result in Florida.
Witness, in answer to a question by Butler,
said the result in the state showed both
Packard and Hayes were elected under
the laws. He said it was generally
understood that the mission of the
McYeagh Commission was to break
down the Packard Government, and
establish Nichols. His opinion was that if
the Packard Government had been recOg
nized in the first place as kellogg's had
been, and had the President said that he in
tended to maint ain the Packard Government,
and given to it the necessary moral support,
there would have been no trouble in main
tanning it.
The Committee, on the 9th, after hearing
some unimportant testimony, adjourned to
meet in New York City on the 29th
The Potter Committee held a session in
New York on the Goth, and examined eXGov.
Palmer of Illinois. Gov. Palmer went to New
Orleans Nov. 13, 1876, and was chosen chair
man OF the Democratic visiting committee
After their organization he called on Gov.
Kellogg and Gov. Wells and urged upon the
latter the necessity for filling the vacancy in
the Returning Board Gov Wells prOfessed
to feel great dislike for the local Louisiana
politicians of the Democratic party, and eX-
pressed an unwillingness to filling the va
cancy in the Returning Board. Anderson
always expressed his desire to ill the
vacancy, but said he was unable to agree
with the other members as TO who should be
selected. The witness found, from statements
of some cOlored men, that many of the par
isheS had been good deal disturbed: their
school money had been used up, and Demo-
cratic politicians had made many promises
to them to capture the cOlOred vote. Gov.
Nichols had obtained the respect of the col
Ored people down there more than any other
Governor he knew of, and more than Gov.
Packard. The witness had conferences with
the two delegations, so as to lay the facts be-
fore the country. Witness asked the Board
that when returns from any parish were
pOlled he be given the result, but they would
not consent to do so until they were com
pleted. He also asked permission from Gov.
Wells to enter the compiling room, but was
refused. The witness thought some Republic
cans had access to that room; thought he saw
Mr.. Hale coming out of there. He saw Eliza
Pinkston when she was brought into the
room by two men, and her condition was
certainly horrible. He had heard Mr.. Ascher
say that Judge Levissee stated the election
was fraud and if he could have 100000 he
would give his vote to Tilden. If the witness
were asked if the election in Louisiana was
fair he would say not. The sense of the peO
pie there was that Tilden and Nichols were
elected. He had heard of no prosecutions
against parties charged with committing the
PinkstOn outrage. He said to Gov. Wells
and Gen. Anderson that the Tilden Electors
were chosen, but they (the Board) might,
on a fair consideration of the question,
come to a different conclusion, but that this
conclusion should be arrived at on evi
dence that could be clearly put before the
public. The witness satisfied himself as to
the preparation of the Pinkston outrage by
inquiries, and told Gov. Kellogg that if
these things happened in Illinois he (the
witness) would bring the parties to punish
ment or he would leave the State. He be-
lieved that the people would have been salts
fed with the Packard Government if they
thought he had been fairly elected. After a
few unimpOrtant questions, Gov Palmer's
testimony was closed, and the committee ad-
jOurned till the 18th of August, unless sooner
called together.