Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-07-17
SHERMAN TO POTTER
Secretary Sherman Ready with
His Witnesses.

secretary Sherman Ready with
His Witnesses.
WASHINGTON, July 9.-Secretary
Sherman has sent the following re-
ply to Chairman Potter's letter of Ju-
ly L:
TREAS. DEPT. Office OF SEc'Y.,}
WASHINGTON, July 8, 1878.
The Hon. olarkson N. Potter, Chairman Investi-
gazing Committee. House OF Representatives;
SIR: I have the honor to acknowl-
edge the receipt of your letter of the
lst inst, upon my return to the city
after brief absence. In respect to
the evidence rendered by me to prove
frauds and intimidation at the elec-
ton, have to say that since the date
of your letter the question seems to
have been settled by the committee
in favor of taking such testimony, as
e. L. Weber, q witness called by the
committee, has been examined as to
whether there was violence and fraud
at the election in East Feliciana. In
his prepared testimony he was not
only allowed to testify ss to the ex-
tent Of violence and fraud in East
and West Feliciana, but to the causes
of that violence and its effect upon
the election, and the next day was ex-
amined by members of the commit
tee distinctly upon the causes and
grounds for the throwing out of the
votes of these parishes. Surely, when
the committee thus seeks to prove
that violence and intimidation did
not prevail in these parishes,I cannot
be denied the right to prove that
murder, whipping, burning, raiding,
and all forms of intimidation did pre-
vail in both these parishes, and that
in East Feliciana these were sufficient
to deter any republican voter from
voting, though there had previously
been recognized majority there Of
nearly 1000 republicans. Whether
testimony shall be taken anew by
your committee, or that taken by for
mer committees shall be received, 1
will, with entire Difference, await
your decision with view to identify
the testimony offered by me. have
placed ii in the hands of one of your
committee in the order in which it is
referred to in my written offer. In
view of the fact that your committee
is now engaged in taking further tes-
timoay intended to show that the dec
set forth in the various pro-
tests, are not tfue, it seems to me that
I should be allowed to prove by ad-
ditional testimony that these protests
are true. [ also call your attention
to the nature and character of the ex-
animation Of E. l.. Weber on the Sd
of July. when no member of the mi
nority of the committe was present
to object or cross-exAmine, and
when, by some misunderstanding, my
counsel was denied the privilege Of
cross-examination, unless he did so
against what was claimed to be the Or
der and the wish of the majority of
the committee. The questions were
not only in form leading, but he was
allowed to testify to common rumor,
and this not only against me but
against several members of the House
of Representatives, and other high
officers of the government. also
beg leave to correct misapprehen-
sion into which you have fallen say
ing that had given to the public a
communication designed for you.
The only communication l have Civ
en- to the public is my formal offer of
testimony of violence, and that 1 on
ly gave several weeks after it was
sent you and after Mr.. Morrison's pa
per had been published. But now
respectfully ask that my tender Of
testimony and my memorandum to
Governor Cox aud this letter may be
published in the official Record. l
have also to state that l am now pre-
pared, at the convenience of the COM
mittee, to submit testimony here in
Washington to repel the charges
against me, and have given to Mr..
Shellabarger a list of witnesses
whom 1 ask may be srbpenaed.
Very respectfully, JOHN SHERMAN.