The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-03-03

is time 10 stop CHlkluB dUOuL ClpDST Iele~
grams. This is confession that money
was spent to prevent an honest election,
not that somebody tried to spend il"
-
The Report OF the Chairman of the
Potter Committee.
WASHINGTON, March 2.-On Saturday
M. Potter, chairman of the investigating
committee, submitted report and it was
adopted by vote of six Democrats to
three Republicans, Gen. Butler being alb
sent. The report Of Mr. Potter in opening
sets forth what was proper for Congress
sonal investigation, and what not, and the
difficulty of conducting an investigation into
conspiracies which have been successfully
carried out while the successful party re-
main in power. 1t admits that the con-
LESSONS of conspirators who have become
dissatisfied is worth little, hut points to
the fact not generally understood, that
and canvass in Florida and Louisiana there
is no substantial dispute before the COM
mittee, the Republicans having called no
witnesses in Florida and few in Louisiana,
except as to the conduct Of the visiting
dation. 1t dismisses entirely the testi-
mony of Anderson, jerks, Mrs. jerks,
Weber, and that class Of witnesses, and
deals with the case upon general and con-
trolling facts alone.
The report is divided into three parts,
the first of which refers to Florida, the
second to Louisiana, and the third to the
forged electoral certificate. Beginning
- IL 49, Al la
tors having received a majority of the
votes cast in this State were thereby nee
essarlly entitled to be declared elected, and
that the canvassing board, by rejecting
without warrant OF law a portion of the
votes so as to show a majority for Hayes,
unlawfully counted Tilden out 1t states
that the canvassers delayed their announce
ment until the morning of the day the
electors were to meet and vote. So, al
though action was instantly taken to GUST
the Hayes electors, no decision could be
had until the Hayes electors had met that
same day at noon and voted. The report
then recites the judgment of the Supreme
Court which subsequently, decided that
the Hayes electors were not elected nor
entitled to cast the vote of the State, and
that the Tilden electors were, and also
the judgment of the court in the action
brought by Drew, the Democratic can
didate for Governor, to obtain a recan-
vass and decided that the canvassers in
refusing - count the votes cast had de-
frauded Drew and unlaWfuliy seated
Stearns. The legislature of the State
thereon directed re-Canvass of the elec-
toral votes in accordance with this decision
Of the Supreme Court, the judges Of
which were Republicans, and the re-can-
vass showed that the Iilden electors were
chosen. The Governor then issued bis
certificate to the Tilden ee3tors as the
true electors, but the electoral commission
refused to consider the judgment Of the
curt, the action of the legislature and the
certificate given by the Governor in favor
of the Iilden electors, and held that it
could not take notice of any action By the
State after the 9th of December.
The report then argues that the action
OF the canvassiDg board was not only lille
ga! but fraudulent, and cites the Instance
IN which they rejected Democratic votes
on uawarranted ground and refused to re-
ject fraudulent Republican votes.
Ia regard to Louisiana, the report be-
gins with q reference to the anomalous
power possessed by the returning board,
which it says never before existed else
where, Under it, electors aud returning
officers held the grossest power over the re-
celylDg aud counting of votes. Under
the pretext that the color line divided poll
teal parties, they had used this power to
traudulently count the State for the
Republicans. The Republicans set about
false census, in which they made it APP
pear that there were $4,000 more black
voters in the State than whites: and, while
this census reportc but $1,000 colored
men, women and children in New Orleans,
out OF them nearly $4,000 colored voters.
From this the report recites the direction
by Republican authorities to supervisors
OF parishes, requiring them to return votes
according to the census. Notwithstanding
this organization fraud, when the election
was over the Democrats had a majority,
as returned by the Republican election
officers, OF some 10000, the vote polled
being the largest ever pOIled in the State,
nLd larger ID proportion to the population
than that OF other States, The Republi-
CA officers made returns Of the vote ac-
cOrGiugly and declared that the election
was perfectly peaceful and fair. The
Republicans in order TO overcome this
majority then usurped powers not
given to them. ID support of this the
report cites the finding of the Hoar,
Wheeler and Frye commission, that the
returning board had no power to discard
votes where protest as required by law
had not accompanied the returns, no in
stance of which existed ut this election.
Notwithstanding this the returning board
decided TO discard the necessary number
Of Democratic votes. As pretext for this
usurpation, they obtained protests from
certain parishes, which they picked out as
parishes IN which to pretend intimidation
had taken place. These parishes were
largely OF negro population, which the
Democrats had fairly carried.
The report then recites the efforts that
were made throughout the State BIZ Demo
Gratis to conciliate the black vote, showing
by the evidence of republican witnesses
as well as the testimony of gentlemen OF
character, and by Governor White6eld.
now planters combined with negroes to get
CLUBS OF both cOlors, and refers TO the
promises and assurances made to the me-
Rtoes even to equality in cars, theatres.
elc.i Tor outrunnl1g Republicans. The
leaders having Joined the democrats the
WhOle mass OF negroes came in and became
quite enthusiastic supporters, and thus the
vote IN some of the so-called buIIdo1ers,
parishes was the very largest cast.
In parishes whore officers had seen and