Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-29
Secretary Sherman to the Potter
Committee.

mlttee is acting accuses me of inducing GER
tain election officers of the state of Louisiana
to falsely and fraudulently represent and pro-
test the election of November 7th, 1876 in East
Feliciana and part of West Feliciana as not
"free and fair
AS to the allegation that said election was
Tree and fair and the protest" to the con-
trary false and fraudulent, ask that the wit
nesseS hereinafter named be subpCenaed and
examined at such times and places as you may
order: L Sub]0ln a brief statement of the ma
ter about which l expect these witnesses to
give material testimony, and also refer to the
document and page where their former testi-
monny is to be found-to the end that the com
mittee may thereby be enabled more conve-
.nently to judge of the propriety of ordering
the subPGnaes asked for, and also may be to
some extent aided in the examination of the
witnesses. The names and residence of the
witnesses are as follows:
The list, in tabulated form, contains the
names OF ninety-two residents of Louisiana
who testified to raids by armed democrats,
whippings, threats. hanging and shooting OF
republican voters, etc, etc.l
In order to convey to the committee little
more explicitly than the above statements do,
what l expect to establish by the foregoing
witnesses, l add the following statement OF
what the records of Congress authorize me to
state the combined result of their testimony
will be: 1st. The prevalence in the parishes
above named, as well as jim those adjoining,
before and at the time OF the said election and
especially at the time and places of registra-
ton of voters preparatory to said election of
the thoroughly organized and executed system
OF intimidation Of republican voters by the
democrats.
= This intimidation, enforced by means of
daily and nightly raids by armed bodies of
men upon the persons and property of repub-
ncans Included in these acts of violence kill
ing, WOundIng and whipping OF republicans;
breaking into and burning houses and stores
and other outrages, by means of which such a
and the adjoining parishes that the leading
republicans IN these localities were forced to
leave their homes and prevented from organ
izing for the campaign, and the rank and file
Of the party utterly disheartened-a large
majority OF them forced, against their wish,
either TO deslst from voting or to vote the
That this intimidation was carried to such
an extent that the large republican maiori-
ties which had appeared at every election
eeeon Of @ o was ane RfGr TO the
Verted into large democratic majOritieS, so
that In some OF the precincts, and in Que of
the parishes, to wit: East Feliciana, not a sin
gle republican vote was pOlled.
I'd. expect by this testimony to show that
witnesses Of both parties cOncede the exist
ence OF this violence and intimidation, though
the democrats say that it was not political in
its origin.
Sd. | expect by this testimony to show in es-
tablshment of the claim that it was political
and directed by democrats against repubi-
so timed as to precede and cover the time of
registration and to precede elections, and that
II ceased after the election and that the vic
TINS of the violence and intimidation were
almost always the active, leading republicans
and never democrats.
4th. expect by this testimony to show, and
records of Congress, amongst others the fol-
lowing list of enormities committed in the fol-
lowing parlsheS-these for the political ends
above Stated-namely:
East Feliciana-Killed. 5; wounded 8; hung,
z: whipped. "A; shot at. 4; expelled from office
by threats OF violence, .: driven from home, S:
In West Feliciana-killed, 25; wounded, l;
hung, 3; whipped 7: Shot at, Z; expelled from
office. &c, by threats of violence, A. driven
ii9m nome, IL; burnt out, l3; threats to indi-
make this application to the committee at
this time because wish to give the committee
the opportunity to take action thereon before
i shall send part of its members to Louisiana,
II that should be done. In case of the decision
to send sub committee to Louisiana, and
that the committee shall deem it improper to
Drlng all the witnesses named to the city, then
ask that this application shall be treated and
acted on by the committee and by the sub
committee sent to Louisiana, as an appiica-
ton to have the witnesses named subpHnaed
and examined wherever the committee or sub
committee shall decide it best to have them
aP4Rear; P4be names and testimony 40 anovs tna,
Gated derive, mainly, from the records of
congress, which have pointed out. Deeming
1t due to the committee and myself to file this
application without the delay that would be
involved in an attempt to find out whether any
and which Of the foregoing witnesses may be
dead dead or out Of reach Of the process Of the
as soon as notified that my application will be
granted, my counsel here and in Louisiana
Will, before the subpoenas are issued strike
from the list the names of any persons whose
attendance it shall be found to be impractical
wv " pi''U'' '''' i'sp':Jtdds JOHN SHERMAN.
The above is the offer of Secy Sherman, hith-
erto Unpublished: morning paper says: AT
Potter committee MI MORRISON iu iIed for % tfie fns
ture consideration OF the committee, a pro
posed posed reply to the letter OF Secretary Sherman,
closes as follows:
Whatever Of accusation is made against
la you IN the the resolutions OF the House of Repre-
acting, rests, so far as any testimony yet
heard shows, upon the statement and allega-
tion that to influence and control D. A.
Weber and James E. Anderson in their official
acts, you made them verbal promises and
wrote letter to them, giving them assurances
and promises OF reward If the committee
it, you denied writing such a letter and
making such promises. However material the
evidence Of the witnesses you ask to have
Of persons killed, threatened, driven from
office or otherwise intimidated, as you assure
the committee it is, it can in no way effect you
understood you to deny the allegation that
you wrote the letter and gave these promises
ana an 0;a assurances; for such allegation will
dence of the number of men killed in the Fe-
iciana parishes, whether killed because thew
had stolen the property of others or because
others sought to steal their votes The com
mlttee is therefore constrained for the present
respectfully to decline compliance with yOur
request to have Subppnaed as witnesses the
several persons named by yOu.'
With respectful Difference to the Inyesti-
eating Committee, Mr.. Sherman refused to
give to the press his offer of testimony made
June 6 until the committee should act upon it.
After long delay, without notice to him, a
paper is published this morning purporting to
be the proposed reply of the committee to his
formal request, in which he is denied the right
to prove the very giSt of the whole matter
whether or not there was free and fair elec
ton Ill East and West FeIiciana-and the Sub
committee is now in Louisiana acting upOn
this construction. The pretence that he can
not prove that there was not a free and fair
election because he denies the writing of an
imputed letter, is frivolous to the last darree
Whether he wrote the letter or not. the real
thing that the committee wants to know is
whether there was actual fraud and violence
In these TWO parishes to justify the returning
board in doing what they did If so, that IS
the end OF the inquiry. III not, and if the
action In louisiana was unlawful and i'm
proper, then 1t may become material to Ger
tain who participated in this The whole
allalr mas become ludicrouS burleSuue. a
tfaVeSty on business ana fairness.