The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-05-25
THE INVESTIGATION.
Fraud to be Fastened,

On the 18th instant, Mr.. Clarkson
n. Potter, Democrat Of New York,
introduced in the House of Represen-
tatives the following Preamble and
Resolution, which, after being resisted
by the solid Republican vote for five
days was finally passed on the 18th
inst:
"Whereas. The State of Maryland
has by its Legislature formally de-
clared that due effect was not given
to the Electoral vote cast by that
State on the 9th of December, 1876,
by reason of fraudulent returns in the
Electoral votes in the States of FIori-
ia and Louisiana; and,
"Whereas, An affidavit by Samuel
B. McL'n, Chairman of the Board of
State canvassers of the State of Flori.
da, on tho election held in that State
in November, 1876, for Electors of
President and Vice-President, has
been made public, alleging false and
fraudulent returns for votes for such
election IN thate State, whereby the
choice of the people of that State was
annulled and reversed, and that the
action of the Board of State Canvas.
sers in making such returns was in
tluenccd by the conduct and promises
of the Hon. Edward F. Noyes, now
Minister to the Government Of France;
and,
"Whereas, 1t is alleged that a con-
spiracy existed in the State of Lou
isiana, whereby the Republican vote
in East Feliciana and in some pre-
cincts of West Feliciana, at the gene.
raj election in November, 1876, was
purposely withheld from the polls to
afford a pretext for the exclusion by
the Returning Board of that State of
the vote cast in those precincts for
the Electors Of President and Vice.
President, and that Jas. E. Anderson,
the Supervisor of Registration at East
Feliciaua, and A. A. Weber, Super
visor of Registration in the Parish Of
West Fe|iciana in that State, in fur
therance of that conspiracy falsely
protested that the election 10 such
precincts had not been fair and free,
and that the State Returning Board
thereupon falsely and frauduIently
excluded the votes of said precincts,
and by means thereof, and of other
false and fraudulent action by said
Board, the choice of the people of
that State was annulled and reversed,
and that such action of said Weber
and Anderson was induced or 6ncour-
aged by the assurances of the Hon.
| John Sherman, Secretary of the Trea-
sury of the United States.
"Whereas, The gravity of these
charges, the nature of the evidence
upon which they are reported to be
based and the official dignity and
position of the persons named il con
nection with said frauds, make it pro-
per that the same shoald be inquired
into to the end that the honor Of the
nation may be vindicated and the
truth as to such elections made known.
Therefore, be it
"Resolved, That select committee,
consisting of eleven members of this
House, be appointed to enquire into
the aforesaid allegation as to the con-
duct of the persons in Office aforesaid
in respect to the said election, and
into the alleged false and fraudulent
canvass and return Of votes by the
State, county, parish and precint Of
6cers in the said States Of Louisiana
and Florida, and into All facts which,
in the judgment of said committee,
are connected with or pertinent there
to, and that said committee, for the
purpose of executing this resolution,
shalt have power to send for persons
and papers, to administer oaths and
to take testimony, and in their dis
cretion to detail subcommittee with
like full authority of said committee
every particular and with power to
sit in Florida and Louisiana, which
sub. committees shall be committees
of the House, and the Chairman there
of shall be authorized to administer
oaths that said committee and sub.
committee may employ stenographers
and he attended each by Deputy
Sergeant-at.Arms, and may sit du.
ring the sessions of this House and
during vacation, and said committee
proceed in this inquiry and have
leave to report at any time"