Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-08-23
Y's,e Presidential Fraud.

ceedinss before the Potter committee, III Nc"
York, Major Burke, continuing lis testimony
said he saw Anderson on Sunday morning 10
restaurant. Witness was in company with MIR.
Guthro, aud st the other side oi the rcstau'
rant Mr.. Sherman aud Nlr. Stoughtou were
sitting. Anderson ted wi!reas that be he'd
signed something 10 the nature Of protest,
but that he was under the iDfuence of liquor
when ho signed it, and could prove that Az
derson told him that in consideration Of what he
had done for tie republican party they had
promised him q naval office. 10 an interview
with Anderson about the lGh Of November ho
stated to witness that be was in possession OF
documentary and other evidence that would
prove the conspiracy by tie republican party to
throw out tho bull deed parishes Of East Ec.
licana. Ouachita, Morchouse, Riohland and
East Baton Rouge lie further said that be
could secure US the parish Of East Feliclans,
but that he was poor, and if he did so, would
probably be thrown into prison 90 trumped up
charges. He agreed. if we paid him $4,000
then and 81, coo after the count was declared.
Witness continuing, said il was communicated
to Governor Nichols that there vas q dettrml-
nation to exact two republican UGited States
Senators from the Nichols Legislature in con.
sideralion for the yielding Up CT the State.
This was what chiefly brought him to Wash
iugtop Il Was learned that leading republi'
eaus, close to the administration IN power, came
| TO the conclusion that bayonet rule could not
| be maintained 10 Louisiana, and that they Wero
| willing to abandon Packard if they could
strengthen their waning power in the Unlted
States Senate. These facts were communicated
| orl, IL,
had on interview with Secretary OF War Cam.
eron on Louisiana matters and as 10 how the
Nichols government light be allowed to main
tain itself. That interview took piece about
the 9Th or 9Th Of February, 1877. 1t vas at a
private house. Nlr. Cameron appeared to be
| Impressed With the conviction that the Nichols
government should prevail, as he appeared to
be fully aware Of the condition Of things there.
Difficulties 10 tho way were touched: upon, such
! az decreasing the power Of the republican
party 10 the United States Senate, aod that
they would, as 10 the party question, oppose
any action in Louisiana that would leSScu their
mower 10 the Senate Difficulties presented in
case the vote of tie State was DECLARED Tor
| HAYES were also discussed, and witness assured
| MIR. Cameron lie could present q legal theory
On winch the Nichols government could BE-
sustained even if the electoral c:uOt wGs eiyau
| to HAYES; that tia returning board had TO
! power to couat the vote tor Governor CT Lieu
tenant Governor, aud that We had already &
n,siority in both Houses Witness WIS to lave
prepared memorial setting i9rth the law un-
der which he claimed they could act. tic tcle.
eraphad this matter to Governor Nichols. A
memorial Was to be CraWn setting icrth all AVE
AMI facts and should be addressed to the Pres
ident, Senate and House Of Representatives,
with view CT getting q bill passed separating
The power from the returning board 81 cOun,lng
the vote for Governor aud lieutenant Cover
nor. Governor Nichols by his replies did not
seem to fully understand The proposition about
the memorial while wltucsJ understood from
Secretary Cameron that t~o republican United
States Senators would be cXactad from 1I0usl.
ana, provided tie Nichols government was
recognized; yet thcro WAS no special pledge
made, and the matter WAS deferred, and MIR.
| Columbus Delan0 went to C0uuibu5 Ohio, III
| reference to the matter. Secretary Cameron
seemed to think that the Nichols government
should be recognized Tho whole subject may
| be said to have been in allegiance pending The
preparation Of the memorial.
O. Thcu you: object in that interview was
| for tho purpose OF securing some pledge that ii
HAYES was counted in the Nichols g0vcrnmGbt
would be recoguized?-A. There was nothing
said about tho count. What we waited 10 have
dcue was the withdrawal Of the troops, as then
we felt We could sustain ourselves. Witness
said he believed Nj. Shclnlu was acting With
Mr.. Cameron in the matter c! the UGitod States
Scholarships. There were two sets OF rcpub!i-
can gentleman in Washington; Que set at the
| Wormley conference, who wore Interested only
| in the seating Of Hayes, and the other, Mr..
Cameron and his friends, who wanted Two
United States republican Senators as we'll Ii
was told me by MIR. Randall Gibson, Rcpre5nn'
tativc from Louisiana, that Mr.. Sherman was
acting with Mr.. Cameron 10 regard II repubIl
can Senators. / havo hesitated mentioning his
namo as believe lie was strictly opposed to tho
surrender Of the two Senator's and would not
| be party to any such proceeding. ln COO
versalion with Mr.. Sherman on tho Goth Ct
| February the difficulties If reorganIa!ng the
| Nichols government were mentioned, and from
that conversation he believed that Mr.. Sherman
was opposed to the election OF two democratic
Ucited States Senator's. Witness suggested
that that could be overcome by pastponlug the
election by the Legislature for Uoited States
| Senators until after the inauguration Of tie
President and the formation OF the Csbioet.
Q. Then. after all this, was not Cameron
against you?-A. Once, when be went to the
telegraph office with Governor Penn and
| stopped the order issued by PRESIDENT GRAFT,
Withdrawing the troops, and said that he vas
Secretary Of War, and would DO ID if he
would let the order &C; that he was Secretary
CT War, and the otdcr should have gooc through
| him"
Witness (contiDuog) said that he did not be-
love that at any time after the 10Th OF January
General Grant believed that the Packard gov
ernment should be sustained. He believed that
General Grants policy favorable to the Nichols
government began 90 the 9Th of January, when
be refused kellogg 5 request for more troops,
and his refusal to recognize either government;
and on and after January 90, he ev!nccd de-
sire to recognize the Niohos government: Mr..
Nichols became Governor of Louisiana, 10 full
possession, January g. 1871. [ believe that
Mr.. Sherman, General Garfield, and other
leading republicans in both Houses were 10
fuencad by considerations proposed at the
Wornley conference.
q. What did Gen. Garfield ever say that iu-
| Jnoo1 cou r. halic,o hat P d.