West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-06-22

commission
counting the State for Hayes
James Mckinney, Deputy Clerk of the
supreme Court OF the United States was
sworn and examined as TO the identity of
the envelopes and their contents-already
received and examined by the committee
being the Electoral returns and papers con.
| nected herewith, which had been before
/ the Electoral Commission. Mckinney had
been Secretary OF that Commission. He re-
| cognized and identified the envelopes and
Endorsements thereon, some of which were
made by himself, and others by Mr. Cattell
and George A. Howard, who had been his
hrst and second assistants. The letters " n
| C.,' which had been puzzle to the COM
mlttee, were explained by him TO be the
initials of Nathaniel Clifford, President of
turned in envelopes by him to the Presi-
dent of the Senate.
Blackburn, who had been absent from ex
ecutlve session, desired to be informed as to
what had been done then.
The Chairman stated the original election
returns, so Tar as they professed TO be orig.
maj, had been compared with each other
ana with copies printed in the volume
known as Count of Electoral Vote"
ana mat 1t had been found that the certif.
cate which had been before Congress and
/ before the Electoral Commission and
which was called "No. >" was the certifi.
cate first executed, and bearing genuine sig
natures, where there was but one list of
Electors and not two-that is where they
voted at the same time for President and
Vlce-President, and that il was also found
that the certificate which contained two sets
II Electors-that is, where the President
and Vice-President were voted for sepa.
/ rately, and to which Levissee testified YES
| tefday that his name was forged-had not
been printed i'm the count of the Elec toral
vote under the head of Certificate No. g.
which was it's number, but that No. 1, with
some trihing alterations, had been printed
as No. 3.
On the sth, letter from Senator Mat
thews was read declining to appear before
the Committee. General Butler asked that
subpoena be issued, and the Committee
unanimously decided in favor of it,
The first witness called was Mckinney
Deputy Clerk of the Supreme Court, who
was Clerk OF the Electoral Commission and
examined at considerable length by Mr.. Cox
touching the preparation of the Electoral
certlhcates for publication as an appendix
to the proceedings of the Commissi, n.
Inc point sought to be developed by the
examination of Mckinney il the Certificate
No. !, which Levisee identified as contain
ing his genuine signature, contains only
the single statement that the Electors voted
for President and Vice President, while
Certificate No. 3, t. which Levisee saws his
signature is n forgery, contains the double
statement of the note for President and of
the vote for Vice President IL appears
''"1 III DotH volumes 1.-THE in
quarto form, corresponding with the Con-
gressional Record and the one in octave
iorm) II Is only No. 3 that is printed OF
TINS curious fact the only explanation that
could be offered by Mckinney was that
printed copies OF Nos. and were so
nearly Identical in the first page that i'm
gathering together copies that were not
used, they got mixed together there being
no printed number to distinguish them and
that when he handed to Murphy, the official
stenographer, copies To be printed in the
appendix, he had given him two of the
same KIND instead of two of different kinds
Judge A. b. Levisee was recalled. and
maze some corrections in his previous testi-
mony, among which was one DENYING hav.
ing told Asher that he would take 5000 600
and refuse to accept his Electoral certificate.
In answer TO n question whether he had
anything to add to his statement in regard To
voting blank az charged, he said: " Nothing
In particular. i took the tick ct and Endorsed
my name omit. There were no blank votes
us can swear positively, having heard
them read as they were taken out of the
box, after they were voted. There were
eight pieces read, and l am confident the
names of Hayes and Wheeler were written
on each of them" Senator Ferry. Vice.
president pro tem.). was examined as
to the presentation to him of the
certificates of Electors, especially those
from Louisiana, as to his manner of receiv-
ing and reporting them etc. His testimony
was to the effect that in cases of other
states besides Louisiana be had suggested
to the messengers that the Endorsements by
the Electors upon their packages were in
formal, and that in more than one instance
the messengers did not insist that he MIR
FerryI should take the package, but in
stead they went away and returned rs in
the instance of the louisiana package, with
amended or corrected Endorsements. lie
stated that when he saw upon the face any
evidence of informality, he called the atten.
tlon Oi the messenger to the fact and to the
law on the subject; but after he took charge
OF packages he allowed nobody to withdraw
them.
The principal point in the investigation
on the 10Th was the introduction before the
I. Committee, by Hon. Benz F. Butler of the
dispatch sent to l. eutenant Governor
Dung by Boulds a. Baker, Secretary of the
conference of the Southern Republicans
and old-line Wings, suggesting material for
Mr. hayes's Cabinet. The dispatch was
sent on February "a, 1877. Mr.. Butler is of
! opinion that the present investigation will
| lead to startling Developments He re-
marked that what has come is but the
shadow of the substance that is coming. He
SAID there would be sensations enough out
OF IT TO last the newspapers all summer
The dispatch suggested the names of a mum.
Der OF prominent Southern men for the
cabinet of Mr.. Hayes, among whom were
Ex.United States Senator John Pool, of
North carolina; Hon. John Hancock, of
Texas; Colonel X. T. Van Horn, OF Mis-
souri,; General Joseph f. Johnston, Senator
Key, OF Tennessee, and othe,s-all regarded
as Southern Union men, or moderate seces-
sionists, the admission of either one of
/ whom in the cabinet would harmonize
the South. Mr.. Cox could not see i'm what
connection this was competent tes-
timony before the Committee, and ex-
pressed himself as in a condition OF ardent
| curiosity about the matter. Mr.. Butler
said And j must leave you in that condi-
ten until can prove who Boulds Baker is
Mr.. Key, one Of the men suggested was an.
pointed by Mr.. Hayes, and one Of the first
acts OF his administration was to appoint
Mr.. Boulds Baker to the best Office i'm his
gift"
Messrs. Reed and Lilley were brought for.
ward as witnesses, and we're finally directed
TO appear tomorrow with the records. ac.
counts, and the appointment and recon.
mendations Of BOulds Baker as speciaI
AGENT and with like information as 10
George a. Howard, formerly one of the
assistant secretaries TO the Electoral Com
mission.
On June If, Chairman Potter had read
letter to Stanley Matthews ACCOMMODATING n
subpoena stating IL was not the desire of the
committee TO interfere in any way with Mr.
Matthews duties as a Senator. and that
there would be every disposition on the
part Of the committee TO meet his convep.
fence in respect to time Of attendance Al
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