The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-12-04
The Louisiana Senatorial Contest.

from O staff correspondent of the Angus
ia Chronicle, from which our readers may
form some opinion Of the corruption i'll
the election Of Kellogg to the U. s. Sem
ate by the pretended Packard Legisla-
ture. The testimony was taken before a
subcommittee of the U. S. Senate in the
Spofford-Kellogg contest. 1t would be
difficult to conceive of lower degree Of
rascality and lying for party purposes
than this evidence discloses:
| NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 25.
The appearance last Thursday of
Messrs. Alleyne and Leloup, managers
committee, brought up again the
premacy and corporate rights. Both
gentlemen declined to deliver any
messages in their possession until fur
ther orders from their superiors in New
York. The subsequent production by
Mr.. Alleyne of all messages sent to Kel-
logg from New Orleans during the
months of May and June, 1879, put to
rest for the present, at least, question OF
State rights that Mr.. Hill thought might
be carried to the absurd extreme of con-
stituting corporations, chartered by New
York and under Government protection,
the dictators to and defiers of the Govern
| Iu0llI 1LSGll. uC NOW 4OiA ouSiAOi AcASSt
however, did not court this issue, and
| Mr.. Alleyne, therefore, was able to pro-
duce twenty-one kilograms from General
Badger to Senator Kellogg. They are
written in cypher, but Of so simple a
| character that 1 am satisfied an expert,
| like Gen. E. P Alexander, for example,
could unriddle them without much
| trouble. The testimony of the last two
sessions of the committee has been much
mixed, but bears very heavily upon kel-
logg. Gustave Tournade, Commission
er Of Election in the 7th ward, poll 8,
| declared under oath that the election was
| a fair one; that the Democrats had de-
| cided majority, but that his papers were
unlawfully carried from his house by
| Moore, one of the candidates, and by
Gardere, who had brother also candi-
date. This witness was evidently q
| truthful one, and his testimony was val
liable as showing how officials were
duped and returns "doctored." The
bright particular star of corruption ap-
peared in the filthy person of a mulatto
named John Clark Miller. His testimo-
nv was one unblushing, shameless lie.
He said, when cornered by Mr.. Hill,
that he thought it no harm to tell q lie II
you did not swear to it, and more than
| intimated that under certain circumstan-
ces, notably for party purposes, swearing
to lie was an act of virtue. This was
the most colossal liar yet developed, and
one, too, whose moral code knocks the
decalocue higher than a kite. Senator
| Cameron was willing to pay the fellow
and let him go; but Senators Hill and
Vance overru1ed him. Pending the pro-
duction of witnesses by Judge Spofford'ss
attorney, Mr.. Kellogg was allowed
meanwhile to introduce "Col." Jim Lew
| is, specially for the purpose of rebutting
| the terrible evidence of Bernard Will
liams. The "Colonel" took the stand
with an air of bravado, but Mr.. Hills
cross-examination made him as limp as
O dish-rag. He began with flourish OF
| the offices lie had held, from the time he
went out as cook of a Shreveport compa-
ny, in the Confederate army, to the as
cending grades of Captain of Police,
Administrator of Public Improve
ments, and Naval Officer Of the Gus
tom House. He comprehensively de-
MED the giving of money to Will
liams; never mentioned Cavanac's name
to him and as against Williams unsav-
ory record, he presented his own charac-
ter as commended officially by such
Democrats as Wiltz and Burke. Having
testified that his departure on the same
train for Washington with the five ne
gro perjurers was mere coincidence,
and that he went to the Federal Capital
to consult Secretary Sherman about the
reduction of wages in his department at
the Custom House. Mr.. Hill compelled
him to confess that nearly two months
had elapsed since the reduction had been
made, and that he knew of the depart
ure of the five negroes. He then shuffled
and said he went to see how "the Briga-
diers" looked in Congress; but had to
confess that the sight was no hovelty,
as he had paid annual visits to Washing
ton. Admitting his intimate friendship
for kellogg, he had the hardihood to de-
nv taking an active interest in his case
at Washington, though several times
comforting with the Senator. Although
he slept in bed with one affidavit negro
and had constant intercourse with the
others, he had the audacity 10 deny
speaking to them on the subject Of their
visit to the capital! He alluded to the
affidavit negroes as "statesmen"-Louls
lana statesmen-and thought be helped,
with Kellogg's money, to pay their board
bill. which was defaulted by debauching,
he had never, forsooth, talked with them
about their business in Washington Mr..
Hill made him disgorge that he felt
bound to help Kellogg, and that his pre-
sence nlight have impressed the colored
men who had perjured themselves. The
value of "Col." Lewis testimony may be
inferred from the fact that, in answer to a
direct question from Senator Hill, he
made the disgraceful avowal that he was
an intimate friend Of Miller and the five
living witnesses; that he believed them
to bo men of "truth and reliability" that
lying is no sin under certain circum'
stances" etc., etc. (! "Then," said Sen
/ Etthnra 10 QN1n in I,0nlSl1na
among colored Republicans that man
may lie so he does not swear to it; and
that he may even, without crime, perjure
himself for party purposes J" With a
hang-dog look, and beholding no escape
from Hills terrible grip, the "Colonep'
huskily admitted the impeachment, but
plaintively bleated out that he would not
lie! The testimony of this man reminds
one of that Of the Italian witnesses at the
trial of Queen Caroline, and it is appa-
rently Just as incredible. That such a
man. with such code of morals and such
associates, should be high Federal ofii-
cial in the Custom House, is monstrous
and intolerable. He is Mississippian
by birth. His head exhibits craft, and
intelligence. His feet are like scows.
uuent. and his knowledge of French pro-
blematical The general impression
made by his testimony is unfavorable to
Kellogg, and it would appear that the
"Col. :" while pulled up with vainglory,
is "embarrassed by facts"
Louis f. Baugnon, an assistant Ser
geant-at-arms of the Packard Legislature,
testified that he saw Governor Kellogg
bribe Senator Twichell, and described
how it was done. Kellogg put tho mon
ey in Twichell's vest pocket, because the
State Senator had lost both arms. A
number of witnesses swore that accounts
of bribery were notorious, especially
among colored members, and that ne
groes who had not n cent the day before
Kellogg's election were quite flush the
day afterward. Frederick j. Stokes had
been Judge of Grant Parish and is still q
Republican. The election there in 1876
was fair one and carried by the Demo
Gratis. On an anonymous letter, written
by J, Madison Wells, he was run out ol