The Portland daily press., 1878-07-30
THE INVESTIGATION.
Testimony of Ex.Gov. Palmer
The Inquiry Adjourned for the
Present.

New YORK, July 29-This afternoon the
members of the Potter committee consisting of
Messrs Potter and Hiscock, met.
Littlefield testified that he was Gle rk in the
Returning. Board and was second CLERK and
also examiner OF the returns The Republican
visiting statesmen were seen BY witness often
They were generally at the Returning Board
when witness was there. Witness was not
They were lodged with u.s.
Commissioner Woolfley testified that it was
about the 18th of December when witness left
Louisiana. He had heard Mr.. Ascher say that
Judge Levisse had stated that the election was
fraud, and that if he could have 100000
he would give his vote to Tilden.
John N. Palmer was sworn and testified that
on the 18th of November, 1876, he went to New
Orleans and was chairman of the visiting COM
mittee. After their organization he called on
Gov. Kellogg, also called on Gov. Wells and
had full aud free conversation with him. He
Knew several colored people in New Orleans
whom he saw when there. and exp
lained to them the reason of his visit.
He urged on them the necessity for filling the
vacancy in the Returning Board. He talked
with Gov. Wells and Gen. Anderson and
this matter of the Presidential election. Gov.
Wells professed and felt great dislike for the
local Louisiana politicians of the Democratic
party, and his unwillingness to fill the
vacancy in the Returning Board. Witness
stated to him that the feeling in Northern
states was that the Returning Board should be
organized. Witness then saw Anderson and
he told witness that the Board was unable to
agree. Witness met Anderson on the street
shortly after his arrival and he always ex-
pressed desire to fill the vacancy, but that he
was unable to agree with the other members as
W N a
Gratis of New Orleans claimed the right to
name the party for the vacancy on the Board.
Witness urged on Gov. Wells that it was a
duty owed to the country that the vacancy
should be filled. He devoted good deal Of
portions of the State. Some Of them were
brought to the witness from Washington,
Louisiana and other states. He usually had
conversations with them alone. He thought
he had conferred with probably hundred
negroes were being disregarded in the politics
of Louisiana. Some of these conferences were
10 the presence of his confreres and others
were alone. Witness found that
from statements of some of the
c0lOred men that many of the parishes had
had been used up and the Democratic poli-
ticians had made many promises to them if
they would vote the Democratic ticket. The
Democrats had made extraordinary efforts to
capture the colored vote. Gov. Nichols had
obtained the respect of the colored people
krew Of and moro than Gov. Packard. Wit.
ness had conferences with Gen. Garfield, in
which he urged the coalition of the two dele.
cations so as to lay the facts before the coun-
try. On one occasion Gen. Garfield was pres
ent when witness had interviews with the
colored people from Washington. Jos. Steven.
son was present with witness during some OF
these conferences. Witness was present al
the sessions of the Returning Board all
that were open. The plan of the board was to
lay aside all disputed parishes and take up the
undisputed ones. On the 28th of November
witness asked the board when the returns
from any parish were polled that he be given
the result but they would not do 20 until they
were all completed. The protests that were
entered after the returns were filed the Demo.
Gratis claimed should not be considered. Gov:
Packard filed a protest which embraced 16
parishes. Witness asked permission from
Gov. Wells to enter the compiling room. Wit
ness thought some Republicans had access to
that room. He thought he saw Hale coming
out of there. John Ray wasl official counsel
solidated returns. Witness was a lawyer by
profession and his opinion of the proceedings
of the board was that very little was done.
BE thought the work of the board was to re-
ceive returns, affidavits and protests. There
were no arguments. They would not have the
filed. There were several complaints made to
the board about the m amer in which the pro-
ceedings were carried on, but this produced no
effect. 1t was on Sunday evening witness
heard as matter of rumOr that the Hayes
electors had been chosen. He did not remem-
was announced. He saw Eliza Pinkston
when she was brought into the room by two
men, and her condition certainly was horrible.
Witness then went to the Democratic board
room aid saw some OF the persons there whom
she had accused in her charges. They said if
they were given an opportunity before the
board they would prove their innocence.
Gov. Palmer testified that he had conve +
sation with Casenave and Kelley, colored meD,
of the Returning Board. Palmer was of the
opinion that the people of Louisiana took less
interest in the Presidential election than in
classes on the subject He thought the white
people vera uait in favor of the Nichols
governments outside Of New Orleans. There
was no organization among the colored people
and they could not be relied upon to furnish
sapport 20 snyoody Witness under
zation down there which could have been
brought to full effect by the beat of a drum.
dis belief was that they meant to resist enough
to compel the military government to take
control of the state. The general expression
of opinion was that the Returning Board could
passed on the work before them in the time
they had spent on it. His impression was that
if the Board had taken the report of parish
and passed on it and laid it by they would
have saved little time but the duties they
discharged required all the time they had. The
members of the board were Republicans of
their party conviction.
Witness said that Packard, on account of his
previous career in Louisiana, had made him.
self obnoxious to many public men,. If the
was fair he would say not. The sense of the
people there was that Tilden and Nichols were
elected. He had heard of no prosecutions
against the parties charged with the Pinkston
outrage. He said to Gov. Wells and Gen. An
delson that the Tilden electors were chosen,
but they might on fair consideration of the
question come to different conclusion, but
that this conclusion should be arrived at on
evidence that could be clearly put before the
public. Witness satisfied himself as to the
preparation of the Pinkston outrage BY in
quiries, and he supposed the political parties,
by taking the same means of inqiry he did,
could also have satisfied themselves as to its
perpetrators, He told Gov. Kellogg that If
these things happened in Illinois he (witness)
would bring the parties to punishment or he
would leave that state. He believed the peo-
pie would have been satisfied with the Packard
government if they thought he had been fairly
elected.
After few IN important questions Gov. Pal
mer's testimony was closed and the committee
adjourned till August 18th, unless sooner called
together by the chair, and Mr.. Potter said he
was not yet certain, but that in all probability