The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-03-22
TUE POTTER COMMITTEE.

THE POTTER COMMITTEE
While Il, is conceded that no new facts
irnportanco were brought to light by the fo'
mr. Committee in the year il spent over the in
,,stjsaton of the great fraud by which llayc
Nrss counted in as President though Tildcn hat
hna,en him at the polls by quarter OF a mi
Non Of votes and in the electoral callasc 10y !.
Ssrly chosen electors, yc, tue facts have beer
grouped and placed in such shape that They
will 20 down in history ms settled, forever piac
ing the brand of fraud on the brow OF Hayes
snd making his counting in an INFAMOUS mem
cry and warning 10 the ages like the treason
al BENEDICT Arnold. The report submitted to
she late congress on the last day OF its session
a such u stercotyping OF these damnlng facts
The report is qute lengthy, but the associate
nress reporter gives the following bricl sum.
mary Of its contents
The report sets forth the difficulties attend
mo an investigation of II conspiracy which has
been successfully carried out and which re-
suited in placing the successful party in power
II admits that the confessions OF dissatisfied
Gonspirators are entitled to little credit, but
polnts to the fact that about the essential ica-
sures of the election and canvass IN Florida
and Louisiana there is no substantial dispute
hriorc the committee, the Republicans calling
no witnesses in FLORIDA and few in Louisiana.
Il dismisses the testimony Of Anderson Mrs.
jerks and Others and processes to deal with
The case upon the general and controlling facts
alone. The report is divided into three parts
indicated bV the sub heads below
FIoDIDA.
The report cites the law for the appointment
If Presidential Electors and the canvass of the
votes, and CLAIMS that the Tilden Electors, hay
ing received a majority of the votes cast IN the
state, were thereby necessarily entitled to bc
Srclared elected, and that the CanvaSsing
Board, by rejecting without warrant of law
norton of the votes 50 rs to show a majority
nor Hayes, unlawtully counted Tllden out. The
rg4>ort then rccitcs the judgment of the Su-
IEemc Court, deciding that the Hayes Electors
o,cre not elected, nor entitled to cast the vote
nf the state and that the TiIdcn Electors were,
and also the Judgment of the Court in the &C
zion brought By Drew, the Democratic Candi-
date for Governor, 10 obtain rccanvass where
Lhc Court directed u Iccanvass, and decided
hist the Canvasscrs in refusing 10 count the
gotes cast had dcfraudrd Drew and unlawlully
seated Stcarns The Legislature Of the state
,htrcuDOn directed a rCCanva,, OF the Electoral
vote in accordance with the decision Of the Su-
mcmc Court, the Judges of which were Re
Dpblicans, and the rcCanyasS showed the Til
sleu Electors chosen The Governor then Is
sued his certificate to the IIlden Electors as
shc tguc Electors, but the Electoral Commits
mission refused to consider the Judgment OF
the Court the action ot the Legislature and the
,i,-. H. tla IN ,tl
the 1ildcn Electors and held that il could not
takc notice of any iction by the state after the
9Th Of December The report recommends IA
lsW providing that when there il dispute as
"a who were the real Electors of any State the
Judgment Of It's Court OF last resort Is certified
70 Congress before the meeting Of the two
houses of Congress to receive and count the |
Electoral vote, shall he conclusive rs to the
righ, Of the diputing Electors, and which vote
from The state shall be counted unless the two
houses of Congress shall otherwise agree The |
slNim Of the Republicans that they were en-.
sailed to the vote uf the state by reason OF fraud
IS dcClarc3 Un;oaa5lc. 1t then contrasts the
conduct of the visiting Republican statesmen
with that'of Gen. Barlow, whose fidelity to all
has obligations, and integrity, independence, |
fairness and truth the report especially com,
mouds lhc rcport gives lis, Of all person.
i
haye been appointed to office.
LOUISIANA.
lp regard to Louisiana the report discusses
II considerable length the power and duties |
" the Returning board the false census OF
Ans ColOrcd inhabitants; the assumption that
cpiDr necessarily indicated political prcdilcc-
hons; the numerous instances of false rcsicna-
iion the republican charges OF intimidation
81 l.ftGt ,, To tl,,,
s=,',d Dy the testimony; ana the outrageous
c,iOn OF the Returning Board in arriving al
conclusions 80 diamctricaly opposed by facts
TIE report states that the Returning Board
BOuld never have so outraged the people but
to1 lhcir encouragement from visiting states
ncN and the support which they and the troops
gave them II refers briefly to the alleged bar
gain by which Hayes, who had 5000 votes less
lhan Packard, got counted in while Packard
vent ont and mentioned Shcrman's offers to
prove intimidation, but points out that when
ever the committee offered to receive it the cvi
acncc was not produced, and they were met by
soinc sham excuse for not producing it; how
they examined many of The witnesses that were
Before the Returning Board, who, in almost
every instance, rccanled and explained how
they came to make their false atlidav,s IN the
iir3i place, ard how such statements rs they
|
untOundcd
In regard to the Sherman letter, the report
simply states the facts AS they stand, showing
th,.t a letter WAS actually written and largely
iniiucnccd political action IN Louisiana, who
ever signed it, and drawing attention to the at
senpt IN the interest of Sherman by Mrs jerks,
whose husband and brother are employees of
'hr Treasury Department, to- induce the com.
inl,'ec to produce u forged letter, 4 LONG list
u persons connected with the Louisiana cIcc
n"t. who have been appointed to office, is
gwen.
THE FORGED CERTIFICATE.
Treating " The forged Louisiana Electoral
ae... ale, the report tells how the Ncc.prcs.
dent, having refused the frs, certificate the
bcpupllcans secretly manufactured another,
4Atudating il, and made 1t in paper and print
ins 20 resemble The one previously made; how,
hzgiGg very lllt!c time to prepare it, and it br.
iEg impossible 20 ret all the Electors 10 New
Orleans lp -I-n II within thai time. it became
.. Necessary to forge The signatures of two absent
ff.s,ff lttI. IL. -