The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-03-06

his agents, in season and out of season, had
iterated and reiterated charges that the Cam
vassing Boards of the doubtful States had
acted fraudulently and corruptly in discharge
of sworn duties. II these charges had been
fortified by any proof the characters of those
quence whatever. But in fact the whole
Investigation, with its 8, 900 pages of hearsay
and falsehood, had not afforded the slightest
proof Of what was asserted. No man. had
come forward to say that any bribe was &C
cepted, or that any member Of any Canvass
ing Board indicated any desire to betray his
trust. Every intimation of that kind had
been traced to some Democrat and there ends,
and that Democrat had never been brought
before them. Mr.. McLin, to whose testimony
Mr.. Tflden referred, although goaded by sick
ness and imaginary wrongs, never for mo-
ment me aamitteo lmproper conoucg AT tne time.
may have been mistaken.
As to the South Carolina Board, the full,
free and uncontradicted testimony of Mr..
Dunn satisfied every man who heard It of the
charges, then, of fraud and corruption with
which Tlden and his agents had filed the air
were nothing but the unsupported assertions
cided.
The next question to be. considered was
whether either the Florida or South Carolina
Returning Boards were for sale. The South
timony of Dunn, uncontradicted, clearly shows
that Smith Weed was played with by shrewder
men than himself for purposes entirely proper,
and in a manner entirely justifable. AS to
Marble had probably not given the full facts
Of his attempt. So far, however, as he indi-
Gated the source OF his proposition lor "dan-
ger signals"), it ended this way: Mr.. Dyke,
the party named, telegraphs that he never
knew anything about it himself. he WIS told
by Mr.. Robertson that a Republican Con-
gressman said they could be bought. Mar
ble's statement amounts then to this: A man
told him that man told him that third
could be bought. This may not be consistent
with his preparations for bribery, but it Is all
the evidence he vouchsafed. The truth was
that all this clamor about fraud was made be-
cause the canvass changed the I" face of the
returns" Now there was nothing sacred
about the "face of the returns" The very
existence of the Canvassing Board implies that
the face of the returns are not a safeguard or
final arbiter OF elections. In Florida the
"face Of the returns gave but ninety one ma
iority to Tilden on their most favorable con-
struction. The fact that the final count gave
the State the other way surely could be no
ground for charging corruption without other
evidence. As to whether there were any Re
publican dispatches similar In character to
those of Tilden's agents the report says there
is little evidence on which such an inquiry
can be founded. But from the first there has
been going on a kind of shadow hunt for
some dispatches supposed to be destroyed.
Ih1S Qunt mas not OeeE SUCCESSFUL
In reference to the election in Florida the
report reads: "The Democratic party was
composed In main Of native white voters OF
Florida On one side was arrsyed the North
smrsna sna tns lately
men; on the other side the former masters,
Confederate soldiers, or contributors to the
lost cause, and II Florida elected Tilden
Electors the colored men must be won
to their support, and we desire most en-
phatically to deny that it was even at
tempted by peaceful methods. Resolu-
tions of conventions for Northern con-
sumption were passed, but fraud and violence
were resorted to and even death inflicted. We
assert that the supporters of Tilden to carry
that election did resort to the most open ille-
gal voting, fraud, and personal violence"
Board the report goes ON to criticize the con-
duct of the Florida Board. Threats OF per-
sonal violence 1t states were made against
member of the Returning Board by Demo
Gratis and he was followed by armed men at
night to his house from sessions of the can
vassers, and q distinguished representative OF
the Democratic party endeavored to influence
his action by an offer Of money.
AS to the result Of the Florida election,
adopting the rule contended for by the major
ity report, that the Canvsssing Board could
only canvass county returns by agGregating
the vote appearing upon their face for the re-
spective candidates, the Hayes Electors had
forty majority; following the rule laid down
by the Supreme Court they had 200 majority;
purging the county returns of fraud accord
ing to the decision and advice OF the Demo
cratic Attorney-General they had 800 major
With regard to Louisiana affairs the rrport
devotes most attention to the Sherman let
ter. The majority report. 1t states fails to
report explicitly whether the testimony sus-
tanned the charge that such letter, as An
derson and Weber STATE, had been written.
They (the minority emphatically declare
that it does not.
The last point the report touches upon
is the Wormly conference, in regard to which
it distinctly and altogether denies the alleged
cludes: "We are not aware that anything
has been found more significant of wrong
than the notorious circular of the Demo
cratic campaign committee OF 1876, in
which they advise q parade Of Demo
ctatic clubs on horseback, and their march
ing as organized bodies to the "central rem
devious" for the purpose OF impressing
negroes with the sense of their united
strength. The Recommendation Of systematic
warning 20 negroes that tive have the means
to carry the election and we mean to use
them,' ~ and the like. To ignore this as the
majority have done forces us to conclude that
the time has not yet come when fair review
Of the case and just Judgment in regard
thereto is possible.
The minority regret that the result Of the
investigation in which the taking OF testf-
mony continued till the last day but one Of
Congress, and is still incomplete, must be q
report that in obedience to the directions OF
the House q great mass OF evidence has &C
clmulated which can neither be considered
tage gained by the public in the daily consid-
Grafton of it, upon which the minority in
sisted, is the only matter of profit to any one.