The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-05-02
THE FLORIDA BUGBEAR.
[From the Chicago Tribune. ]

a
deluded maid nor of q weak wife. It is
the lament of two veteran political job
bers, each confessing that the "other
fellow" had committed all the crimes
known in the calendar, from ballot-box
stuhing and forgery to bribery and per-
jury.
Under the laws of Florida, the Attor-
ney General, Secretary of State and q
third officer constituted the board to
CANVASS the returns of the election held
in that State in November, 1876. Of
this board, one (the Attorney General)
was Democrat, and the others, McLin
and Cogwell, were Republicans. 1t
will be remembered that the vote of the
State was very close, and, as the maiori-
ty either way determined the Presiden-
| tial election, the canvass of the returns
| in Florida had a national interest, at
tracing to che State eminent and con-
spicuous politicians from all parts of the
country. The Returning Board, after
protracted sessions, declared o result
which pronounced the Republican cleo
tors duly elected these electors, at the
proper time, met and voted for Hayes
and Wheeler. This was in November,
1876, or eighteen months ago.
In the meantime Mr.. Dennis, q local
partisan leader, was appointed to an of
fee in the internal-revenue service,
which he has held until recently. not
withstanding that he had been indicted
by the State authorities Democratic in
eight or ten cases. These indictments
have been recently pushed with some
vigor, but, Mr.. Dennis conscience fore
ing him to confess that the official can
vass of the election returns in 1876 was
fraudulent, the Democratic State authori-
ties have been moved at the same time
to dismiss all the indictments.
MeIin has made his statement in
writing to the effect that, in 1876, he
acted honestly and conscientiously; that
he acted on every point according as
truth and justice dictated, and thab it
was only in cases where the facts were
uncertain that he gave the benefit of the
doubt ito the Republicans-a course which
he considered proper and according to
partisan usage. En- the meantime, after
President Hayes had been inaugurated,
he applied for some judicial appoint
mems, and, vacancy happening in New
Mexico, the President appointed him in
October last to the office of Justice of
the Supreme Court of that Territory.
The nomination was sent to the Senate,
but was not acted on by that body.
When the session opened in De
cember the President again sent the
nomination to bhe Senate, where it
was suspended until late in March, and
was then rejected. McLin again APP
pealed to the President for an office, but
was told that nothing more could be
done for him, because the Senate would
certainly reject him, no matter for what
Office he might be nominated. McLin
retired to the everglades of Florida,
where he has incubated this g confes-
sion"
After protesting his own purity Of in
tention, honesty, and of his action as q
member Of the Returning Board, this
disappointed ofice-seeker has bhe inpu-
dence to say:
Reviewing my action at this distance of time
with all calmness, with my ardor cooled and
my partisan zeal chilled by the President who
has basely betrayed and mercilessly destroyed
the Republican party of the South and crushed
the very men who did so much for his cleo
ton, am persuaded that the Florida canvass
was not conducted with that cool, calm iudg-
ment, and honest unbiased decision that
should have characterized proceedings involv-
ing such vast and important interests.
His conscience, since the Senate re-
ri I'll .soR~o
stories, which he has since heard, enough
to satisfy him, though he has no personal
knowledge of what he heard, that:
Had the 219 votes fraudulently added to the
Archer returns, and the "a votes stuffed in the
box in Leon county, and the 100 votes surrep-
titiously added in Jefferson county, aggregating
+ 304 votes, been rejected, and the Democratic
precincts, which we're excluded for irregularity
and illegelity contrary to the decision of the
Supreme Court been retained and counted, Mr..
Tilden would have carried the State.
t Mr.. Hayes has denied the validity of his own
] title in denying Gov. Packard's. He has ig-
y nored his Florida friends, showing that be
believed them unworthy and tainted with a
fraud, yet he holds onto the Presidency, which,
: in his own opinion, was secured by this very
7 fraud. He has cowardly abandoned and be-
] trayed his Southern Republican friends through
fear of being ousted from an Office that he be-
From all Of which the reader will IN
derstand that this man with this alleged
: guilty knowledge in his mind, and this
e hatred and contempt for the President
= because of his so-called betrayal Of the
c Republicans, was less than month ago
t begging the President for a judicial
!, office The value Of McLin's rehearsal
9 of second hand stories is easily weighed.
r His accusations against the President
n are silenced by the facts. Three months
# before Hayes became President the State
g Government Of Florida had passed into
. the hands Of the Democrats, and the
n State was therefore not abandoned .
It by the President. The wrath of McLin
d toward the President because of PaJk-
+ ard of Louisiana ought, if sincere, to
!, have been as active from March, 1877,
!, until March, 1873, during which he was
6 laboring at Washington to be made q
9 Territorial Judge, as it has become since