The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-20
THE FLORIDA CRIME.
MOw ROWLEs, DEHGGERs AND DES"
MIS- FIXED THINGS FOR HAYES.
rTa,e Fraud I'm Baker CGunty-TRe FOrge-
nv I'm Aaachua COunty-The Ballot BOX
of LeDn county Stuffed with 'sAEttie



of Lepn county stuffed with little
Jokers."
New York SUM-
The evidence taken by the Potter commit
tee proves beyond all controversy that the
electoral vote Of Florida belonged to TiIden.
Excluding Baker county, the face OF the
county returns In Florida gave Hayes four
majority. From Baker county there were
two returns, the "Driggers" and the "Dor-
man. returns made by two different county
boards. If the "Dorman" return, return
upon Its face more regular than the other'
was counted, Tilden had majority OF ninety
II the "Driggers" return was counted, Hayes
had majority Of forty-six. when the he
turning Board met to canvass the county re-
turns. no positive evidence existed to show
which was the valid return That has been
shown by the present inquiry. 1t gives
samual j. Tilden the State ION the face Of
the returns"
THE Returning Board ended its first canvass
December 6. For nine days 1t heard evidence
and argument, and pretended to try to find
the illegal vote, as distinguished from the
vote cast and recorded before 1t. The Supreme
Court of the State. Republican In appoint
ment and membership, said In terms that the
board had no power to do these things. The
board accepted this decision, and extended
It's expressed scope to the canvass OF the vote
for presidential electors, Its first cayass gave
HAYES 92G majority. This was obtained by
excluding votes in Hamilton, fernando,
jackson. Leon, Orange, Manatee and Monroe
counties. This the court said the board could
not do. In its first canvass the board counted,
in Baker county the same number OF VOtes~;ts
aupeared on the "DOrman' RETURN lp"'Clay
county 1t canvassed all the votes allowed by
Che county canvassers, and NO. more. When
The board recanvassed the XGte for electors, it
T 4. 4
Counting the "DrirGers""' return this time,
and by excluding the vote In Clay county al
together.
Tbs House last May ordered al inquiry to
Test this canvass in two particulars first, the
motives of the Canvassers; second, the ground
I1Don which the CANVASS was made The tes-
fimonv OF Moves, McLin and others shows
Che motives-impied promises OF office after
Hayes came In. Turning TO the gro'Rnds or
Che canvass, the evidence shows there was no
reason to exclude Clay county, and including
it reduces Hayes majority to As; the " Orig
gers return was fraudulent, the Dorman
true; counting that gives l1lden w majority,
there were other votes, 219 in Alachua county,
and 70 in Leon county, which new proof shows
should not have been counted, as they were
counted for Hayes. This gives Tilden 1872
The first canvass by the Returning Board
counted Clay county, and counted oil Clay
county except four votes admitted illegal
The second canvass excluded IT, In regard
TO this SbG01lt CANVASS IIGiJiIl ItsobllIju
Q-Now, after you had canvassed Baker
and Clay counties, rs you did m The first, 1t
gave the State to Iildon?2, Ayes, sir.
O.-By about So majority? Al have made
no calculation.
The return from Clay county Was brought
before the sub-committe, and it shows that to
the return Of votes in this county was passed,
apart from the signatures OF the county can.
wasting board, O. slip recording the fact that
ct pecnct No seventy-four votes were cast
direct for tTilden and Hendricks. There was
nothing to show that this vote WIS counted
in the county vote. There was nothing to
show that it was not counted. There We're
thirty-five other votes at Precinct No 8
fTilden 49, Hayes g. which were not counted
by the county canvassers because the III
spectors were not sworn. The evidence since
taken shows that they were sworn, the jurat
being produced. So far as the record went
the Spventy-fOur votes cast direct at Precinct
No. / for Tilden and Hendricks wore not
counted in the return OF votes fOr electors so
far as the record was deficient in that the i'll
spectors were not sworn ut Poll No. 8, the
1e incu tnn eth the DBrggers return from
Baker county, this leaves the majority for
committee demonstrates that the Driggers
return should not be taken, first, because it
was illegally made, and, second, because it
falsely states the votes cast by giving Hayes
Baker county gave Tilden % majority The
law required the county judge, clerk and q
Justice of the peace to canvass. In the abb
sence Of either OF these the sheriff acted. Two
Of these made quorum. Friday after the
election Driggers, the Judge not appearing,
and Allen, the sheriff, refusing to act, Coke,
the clerk, called in Dorman, the justice Of the
peace, and they canvassed the sworn returns,
which gave Tilden 1888, Hayes 143. AS there
was no other justice Of the peace i'll the
county, it was plain that in any canvass with
Coke and Dorrnan, Driggors would be out
voted. He issued notices to Coke and Dorman
~,s4l /, tltfr
did not appear. He went to Tallahassee, and
came back with O commission as justice Of
Che peace for one Green. That afternoon
Coke, sheriff. being present, and refusing,
Coke and DOrman CAnVaSSed again. with
the same result. That evening Drggers,
Alien and Green met after nghtfall, made q
canvass-Hayeg 1870. Tilden Sand subse-
quently swore they decided to reject certain
best Judgment and discretion, in pursuance of
the law and practice Of the State" The va
lidity Of this canvass turned on two things
the good faith OF the men who made it, and
the truthfulness of their sworn statement
about it. 1t falls to tho ground it the absence
of Coke and Dorman was secured by trick,
SO as to leave the way clear for contrived
canvass 1t equally falls to the ground II the
votes wore not rejected in accordance to their
s'best Judgment and discretion" Both the
trick and the falschood are shown by the tes-
timony of the men engaged. Driggers testl-
fies that he "contrved Green's com mission, -
"made no effort" on Monday to meet Coke,
and that he threw out the two precincts chang
ing the result with no evidence before him,
and without knowledge OF the law, acting upon
the advice of Howell and Bisbee, one Federal
Collector at Fernandina, and the other Re-
81 publican candidate for Congress. Green tes-
titles that Driggers told him he was commits
sioncd to nssist in the canvass, and that he
was wanted to "rectify things in Baker
county" which he aided in doing without
reading the precinct returns or knowing the
facts in the case. His affidavit stating the