The Russellville Democrat., 1879-03-20

distinctly refused to unite with Dem ocrats Tn an effort to have an honest cosaG made of the votes actually cast and legally returned by the proper officers of the election. i Ninth-No direct evidence has re- vealed what bargain was made in words or writing with members of the so called returning board; but we cannot doubt that they did their corrupt work with the understanding that they should not only be pro- tected against public justice, but re- warded for their viliainy. This pledge has been kept. When Wells and Anderson were indicted, Federal officers at Washington interfered with the administration of State law at New Orleans, and those same men anG the others who gave their active assistance to the perpetration of the fraud have been quartered on the public Treasury, and the people whom they have defrauded are made to pay for their crimes.
 Tenth--All the foregoing propo sitions of fact apply nomine mutato to Florida as we'll as to Louisiana.
 The majority in the former State was not so large as in the latter, but I, was decisive and we'll attested. The appointment made by the peo- pie was frustrated and altered in a like way under the instigation of of "visiting statesmen" of the same class, and was followed by similar reward.
 The fraud was aggravated Tn Flor ida because the canyasslng board had no power under their statute but that of mere clerks, and their Su- preme court had expressly so decid- ded; and because all the departments of the State, judicial, legislative and executive, protested against their action as not only false, but mere usurpation.
 The necessary effect of a success full and prosperous Justification of the choice of the people for the chief Magistracy of the country is to tempt all those who profit by it to adopt the like corrupt methods on future occasions.
 | CONCLUSION.
 Finally we report:
 First-That due effect was not given to the vote of the electors appointed by the State of Florida at the Presidential election of 1876, by reason of false and fraudulent re- turns for the said electors by the canyassing board of that state, whereby the choice of the people of that state was anaulled and reversed, and that the action of the board of state canvassers in making the re turns was countenanced and encour- aged by, among others, the Hon. Edward F. Moves, who has since been appointed the minister for this country to France.
 Second-That due effect was not given to the vote of the electors ap- pointed by the state Of Louisiana at the Presidential election of 1876, by reason of the false and fraudulent action of the returning board of that state, whereby the choice of the peo. pc of that state was annulled and reversed; and that the action of the returning board was countenanced and encouraged by among others, the Hon. John Sherman, who has since been appointed Secretary of the Treasury.
 Third-That conspiracy existed the state of Louisiana whereby the Republican vote in all the precincts of the parish of East Feliciana and in some of the precincts of West Fe. liciana at the general election in November, 1876, was purposely with held from the polls to afford a pre- text for the exclusion by the return ing board for that state of the votes cast in those precincts for electors
 % President and VicesPresident.
 ,h-That two of the sigma
 second certificate of the
 coral vofe of the state of Louis ,ana returned to Congress and re- ierred to the electoral commission were fcrged; and that William Pitt Kellogg, then governor of that state, and now a senator of the United States, and II. Conquest Clarke, his private secretary, now clerk in the Treasury department, were privy to