The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-31
THE SEWING MACHINE ARRESTS.
Now me Democratic Majority In New Or
leans was REDUCED.
Extract from an Interview In the Washington

new the Democratic Majority In New Or.
leans was Reduced.
Extract from an Interview In the Washington
~ know ell about them. for issued the
warrants. was United States commits
sioner, and know exactly how many were
issued and how many. were executed. Pitkin,
~ marshal, was entitled only to his fees for
the warrants he executed, but he charged for
every one that was placed In his hands. and
lots OF them were returned to my Office
Endorsed not found He got from the United
States treasury $4700 and some odd dollars,
when he was legally entitled to only about
The "Jedge" was forced to suspend his
muchly inflated volume OF talk for moment
to get a swallow Of water, and the Post took
advantage OF the temporary lull to ask about
the sewing machine warrants. The subject
of Col. Pitkin was about exhausted, as that
gentleman was not present to give his side Of
the story. TEL us about the sewing machine
Warrants" persisted the Post.
"Oh, we Issued warrants for everybody"
replied the "Jedge.' Il mean for everybody
who voted the Democratic ticket. 1t was a
hurly-burly HI Of q time. and, honestly. 1t
was awful perfectly awful. But l was q
1believed the end justified the means"
Elbow many warrants were issued2'
about twelve thousand altogether. !
issued them rs fast a5 they could be signed.
Auu yOu Set III WIS Ouiy u low uHy5 UciOI0 Iie
election. Men used to come to my Office by
the hundred and ask about their cases; nearly
oil Of them had the number written on their
shirt cuff. Well, I'd ask the number, and tell
one Of my clerks TO turn and look it up. Sure
enough, 1t would turn out that warrants had
been issued for them, but my lord, couldn't
remember where, there were SO many When
1t came to trial they were there by the thou
sand. My courtroom was iammed oil day,
and / tried some OF the cases-a few OF them
4 didn't hurry myself much. Only two or three
hundred were tried out OF oil the cases."
'sAnd what was done with the others2"
"Their names were stricken off the poll
a don sns ses yU aat sts s
ching, but 1t was politics, and wanted Hayes
and Wheeler to win. I'll tell you this: The
Democrats bulldozed US lthe Republicans out
Of 1000 or 5000 votes IN the parishes. but we
Orleans by those sewing machine warrants. |
They only got about 1000 or 5000 majority, |
when they ought TO have had at least 1900 |
or 1900, and would have had, too, but for /
those warrants. Lots OF men we're afraid to |
vote, because they saw we had the power and
meant to use It. You SOC those people had
been licked like hi q few years before and |
they didn't feel like coming into collision with
the government or Its officers. It was awful.
acknowledge it, and wouldn't do Il again.
But under the excitement and anxiety to see
my party win, Invent into it."
"And, as United States Commissioner, Is
sued warrants for innocent menY'
"They were all innocent, as far as that.
Nothing was ever done with any Of them. We
only wanted to keep them from voting, and
We did II. The scheme was understood by
ali the Republican officials, and. besides, you
must remember every officer was Repub-
ncan then, and every election officer was q
Republican, too. Kellogg was Governor, and
appointed them. We wanted to keep the
State In our hands,
As the Post was leaving "Jedge" South
worth said: Now, you can publish what
say about Pitkin, and / can prove II, but don't
mention my name In connection with IL; that
might spoil It. Just keep my name secret,
and In q few days I'll give you the whole his.
tory Of the sewing machine frauds"
The Post bowed itself out of the room and
said nothing, but en- route to the office de-
cided that the "Jedges" story was too good
TO keep. He tells It on himself, and nobody
else could do the Job so WELL