Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-03-26

y
for sale. That these Supervisors had
made returns that there were no vio-
lence in their parishes they were in
duced to make supplementary protests,
and that they both confessed they did
this because of reward In other par
ishes where officers had seen and cer-
tilted to perfectly fair election, Kcl-
logg, by pressure, exacted like false
protests.
MANUFACTURING EVIDENCE.
The report then goes on to state how
the Returning Board, having got pos
session OF such unlawful protests, pro-
ceeded TO take evidence of United
States officers and money being used
to bring ignorant negroes from inter
ior fields into a great city whore they
were hcrded together taken before
officials and had aflidavlts written down
for them to which upon making their
marks, they received their fees and
were sent home. The process of man
ufacturing these aflldavits is set forth
to show how worthless the affidavits
were. As an illustration Of how ut
terly reckless the returning board was
in considering evidence. it points out
that in East Feliciana only twenty.six
Witnesses to any kind Of disturbances
to which they testified had arisen from
cotton seed and other thefts by ne.
groes; their suppression which had
been conducted by leading Republicans
purposcly refused 10 vote was shown
by 1000 witnesses, and although four
fifths Of the negroes in the parish ac-
tually did vote with the Democrats,
the Returning Board threw out the
whole vote. The report points out a
great many other instances of what it
styles the fraudulent outrages and des-
perate character of the Returning
Board, and shows the impossibility OF
their considering testimony before
them as they had more than could be
read by man reading ten hours a
dav for tvo weeke
The report states that the Returning
Board wcnld never have so outraged
the people but for their encouragement
from visiting statesmen and the sup
port which they and the troops gave
them. Then follow details how som,
OF the visitors, were deceived by loeaI
managers and innoccntly co-operated
in frauds Of the Returning Board
while others did not. 1t refers very
briefly TO the alleged bargains BY
which Hayes, who got 5000 votes les'
than Packard counted in while Pack
ard went out. land mentions Sherman
offer to prove.intimidation, but point
out that when the Committee Offered
to receive it, tho evidence was not pro
duced, and they were met by som,
shameful excuse for not producing it
How they had examined many of tb'
witnesses that were before the Return
ing Board, who in almost every in
stance re.counted and explained how
they came to mako such false state
ments as they made before the Return
ing Board were totally unfounded.
THE SHERMAN LETTER.
1t then refers to the Sherman letter
in regard to which it SIMPLY state
the facts as they stand, showing
a letter was actually written, AM
largely Influenced political action il
Louisiana whoever signed il, and draw
ing attention to tho attempt in the in
terest of Sherman by Mrs, jerks
whose husband and brother are em
ployes of the Treasury Department
to induce the Committee To produce
forged letter.
The Florida portion Of the report !
followed by list of persons connecteI
with the election there who have beel
appointed to Office, and Louisiana by
still longer list Of personsin that Stat
appointed to Office.
FORGED CERTIFICATES.
The third part of the report deal
with forged Louisiana electoral cert
ficates. 1t tells how the Vice Presi
dent, having refused the first certif
cate, the Republicans secretly manu-
; factured another, anteda,ing and max
; ing 1t in paper and printing to resem
J bio the ono previously made. How
having very little time to prepare il
and it being impossible to get all tb
electors TO New Orleans to sign i
within that time, it became necessar,
to forge the signatures of two absen
tees; that thus there were put to trip
licate paper eighteen forged signature
which were attached on December 2a
in a small upper room in the Stat
building, then in charge Of Conques
/, Clarke; how the making Of this sec
: ond certificate was concealed until /
was produced before Congress how
when it was referred TO the Electora
Commission, il was not read, but order
ed to be printed, and the printing wa
changed and the Electoral Commission
were served with two printed copie
Of the forged certificate, perfect i
form, aud no copy of tho genuine bu
I the defective how, after the Commit
: sion was changed so that the Jorge
, certificate, copies Of which were reall.
before the Commission, was supprcsse
and record made to show as IL th
genuine detection certificate had beel
: considered and passed upon how thi
; was not done by accident but by d.