Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-30

to Ignore His Alleged Bribery and to
Morrison Exposes the Dishonesty Of the
Proposition. with Telling References to
His Dishonest Conduct While Watching
tho Count.
Morrison to Sherman,
WASHINGTON, June 29.-The following il .
draft of tho letter prepared by Mr.. Morrison, Of
the Potter committee, in answer to Secretary
Sherman requesting to have subpcenaed from
Louisiana one hundred witnesses expected to
give material testimony touching the freedom
Of election, and the murder and intimidation
of voters in al Of East and parts Of West Fe-
licisna parishes. Mr.. Morrison says, in the
course of the reply: The records of Congress
to which you refer, and other records of Com
greas with which You doubtless fanailiar.
authorize the statement that the testimony
of said witnesses is contradicted ~
Witnesses as Ii, numerous, Is intelligent,
and whose testimony is at least d we'll enti-
these one hundred witnesses again repeat their
former testimony five hundred other witnesses
at least Us credible AZ they will be ready again
to contradict them. Seven committees or sub
committees of Congress, have investigated This
question of intimidation in Louisiana, and
have heard the testimony of twenty times one
hundred witnesses, but no committee has ever
agreed as to the fact of the existence or nom
existence of such intimidation. You and your
political associates of the visiting committee,
witnessed certain proceedings of the returning
board where based on alleged intimidation, and
by which proceedings said returning board re.
versed the decision of the people made sby
their ballots actually cast, and then you, with
all your associates, made haste to bear witness
to the justice of its conclusions.
The gentlemen, most of them until recently
your political associates, with whom you re-
count, but who were permitted to witness pre-
sumably all Of the proceedings of the return
ing board witnessed by you, were as prompt to
declare It's proceedings partial and unfair, and
its conclusions entitled to no respect whatever.
as to the actual fact, this committee will rot
feel itself justified in condemning or accusing
any election officer who had, in good faith,
under the laws of Louisiana, done any act
based on intimidation by such officer
believed to exist, even though the committee
may believe such act did wrongfully and an
lawfully annul and reverse the legally e.x-
pressed will OF the people of that State and5of
all the States. Neither will this committee, in
view OF all the facts, enter again upon any in
qulry as to the existence or non-existence of
| Intimidation in any of said parishes. to be in
| terposed because of the false and fraudulent
canvass, and return of votes by State, county,
parish, or precinct officers, or in excuse of any
person who may have in any way contribI.sa
to the results of such false and fraudulent can
vass and return of votes.
Before the contamination of the acts alleged
to be fraudulent, you and your political asso-
GATES met at New Orleans, among others, Hon.
Lyman Trumbull, John L. Palmer, George W.
Il Nv ciataa
who asked you and your associates to join
them in the exercise of such influence az you
together might possess behalf of such can-
yass of votes of that State. as by its fairness
should command the respect and acquiesence
of the people of all parties. This you refused
in that State, you had no rigGt to control Or
influence any of it's officers as % the manner
in which they should perform the duties i'm
posed upon them by it's laws, and because by
attempting 80 to influence them, you then
further alleged, you would be condemned by
the people OF every State in the Union.
In view of such refusal to join in the exer-
else of any influence over tho officers of Louis
lana to secure fair count of votes legally cast,
and Of your alleged reasons therefor, it is to
this committee a matter of regret that the rep
etition of the former testimony of these Wit
nesses, or any inquiry as to intimidation of
voters, or other inquiry involving wrongful acts
of Others is deemed by you necessary to vindi-
cate you from the accusation of being inter
fered with, or exercised any influence or con-
troll over the officers of that State, for which,
by your own statement you should be con-
demned by the people of every State in the
Union.
The reply concludes thus: Whatever of
accusation is made against you in the ressln-
lions Of the House of Representatives under
which this committee is acting rests, so far as
| any testimony yet heard shows, upon the sta &C.
ment and allegation that to
INFLUENCE AND CONTROL.
D. A. Weber and James Z. Anderson in their
Official acts, you made them verbal promises
and wrote u letter to them giving then. ass,,r-
ances and promises OF reward. If the commit
tee correctly understood your statement before
it you denied writing such a letter and max
ing such promises. However material the egi-
dence of the witnesses you asked to have sum
mored may be to show the fact that number
of persons were killed, threatened, driven
from Office, or otherwise inundated, as you
assure the committee, it can in no way affect
you personally. If the committee has correctly
understood you to deny the allegation that you
wrote the letter and gave these promises and
assurances, such allegation will be neither es-
tablished or disproyed by evidence of the num-
Der of men killed in the Fe1iciana parishes,
whether killed because they had stolen the
property of others, or because others sought to
steal their votes. The committee are therefore
constrained for the present to respectfully dc
cline compliance with Your request to have
subpgnaed as witnesses the several persons
named by you, all of whom have testified once
some of them twice, and others three times on
the same subject, and their testimony is pre-
served and now accessible to all in the records
of Congress.