Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-05-01
Confession OF Samuel ID. McLin,
Member OF the Returning Board.

COufesSiOu VI Hoanhuch Ds A"oAns
Member Of the Returning Board.
NEW YORK, April 25.-The fol-
lowing is the text of the statement
of Judge McLin, regarding the
canvass of the vote in Florida for
President, as published here in a
long special from Washington:
AS a member of the late State
Board of Canvassers Of the State OF
Florida, feel impelled by a sense
of duty to myself and justice to
others to make the following state
ment: At the time the canvass
was made, / was not at any time
conscious of acting otherwise than
right and proper. / entered upon
the canvass with the conviction
that it was my privilege and duty,
in political sense, to give the ben
eft of every doubt in favor Of the
Republican party. Ifelt that when
n question could be decided either
way without doing violence to pub
lie sense of justice, it was fairly al
lowable in politics; that l should
always lean to my own party, and
give my decision in its favor, even
at the hazard of straining point.
At no time did l feel that l occupi-
ed the position of Judge, charged
with the duty of strict and nice
weighing and balancing Of all the
evidence presented. Looking back
now to that time, l feel that there
was a combination of influences
that must have operated most pow
erfully in binding my Judgment,
and swaying my action. Ihad been
for many years, and was at the
time of the canvass, very active
partisan. / sincerely thought that
our State and the nation would suf-
fer irreparable injury If the Demo
cratic party were to obtain the
Presidency, and the policy Of hat
red to the negro and those who had
been friends OF the negroes should
obtain control at Washington. It
was the common and unanimous
talk also that the very existence of
the men who in the South had up
held the Republican party depend
ed upon the election of Mr.. Hayes;
that Mr.. Hayes would sustain them
throughout the South while Mr..
Tilden would crush them. was
shown numerous kilograms address
ed to Gov. Stearns and others from
trusted leaders of the Republican
party in the north insisting that
the salvation Of the country de-
pended upon the vote of Florida
being cast for Hayes. Those tele-
grams came from those to whom I
had been accustomed to defer, the
chairman of the National Commit
tee and the man who was the near
est personal friend of Mr.. Hayes
and had conducted the canvass.
These kilograms also gave assur-
ance of the forthcoming of money
and troops, if necessary, in secur-
ing victory for Mr.. Hayes. Follow
ing these kilograms trusted North
ern Republican party leaders and
personal friends of Hayes arrived
in Florida as rapidly as the railroads
could bring them, and ! was sur
rounded by these men who were
ardent Republicans. and especially
by friends of Gov. Hayes. One gen.
tleman particularly, Gov. Noyes, of
Ohio, was understood to represent
him and speak with the authority
of warm personal friend commits
stoned with power to act in his be-
half. These men referred to the
general destruction of the country
should Mr.. Tilden be elected, the
intense anxiety Of the Republican
party Of the North and their full
sympathy with us. cannot say
how far my action may have been
influenced by the intent excitement
that prevailed around me, or how
far my partisan zeal may have led
me into error. Neither can / say
how far my course was Influenced
by the promise made by Noyes
that il Mr.. Hayes became Presi-
dent / should be rewarded. Ger
tainly these influences must have
had strong control over my judg-
ment and action.
Reviewing my action of this
distance of time, with all calmness,
with my ardor cooled, and my par
tisan zeal chilled by the President,
who has basely betrayed and mer-
cilessly destroyed the Republican
party of the South, and crushed
the very men who did so much for
his election, l am persuaded that
the Florida canvass was not con-
Quoted with that cool, calm Judge
ment, and honest unbiased decision
that should have characterized a
proceeding involving such vast and
important interests. Instead Of
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