The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-16
The Forged Title.


There never has been the least moral
doubt that when KELLOGG signed what is
known rs the second set OF certificates for
electors of Louisiana, to correct the errors
which rendered the first set worthless he
knew that several names were forged TO
that paper, II hc was not directly party to
the forgery.
Everybody knows now that the date
OF the certificates was fabricated to cor
respond with the rejected original which
Returning Board ANDERSON had carried to
Washington, and which Mr. FERRY, Prcsl-
dent pro tcmporc OF the Senate, had told
him was irregular in form and therefore
invalid. II has already been proven that AN
DERsoN opened this certificate In Washing
ton, where he consulted with the Republican
chiefs as TO the exact form, and then hur-
ried back to New Orleans to procure the
paper upon which the Electoral Commission
acted finally. A. Il. LEvIsEE sworc before
the POTTER Committee that his signature to
the second set was palpable forgery, and
KELLY, the colorcd man, who was KEEL
LodG's messenger at the time and had
charge OF the room where the forgeries
were perpctrated, recently swore that to his
knowledge the name Of OSCAR JoFFRroN was
also forged.
When the POTTER Committee were at New
Orleans ten days ago, diligent inquiry was
made for others of the HAYES electors about
whose signatures there is also distrust.
Yet additional testimony on this point is
not necessary, and the case would not be
strengthened II every name TO the second
certificate was shown to have been forged.
LEvIsEE. who now holds the Office OF sub-rcv-
enue agent in San Francisco and was prob
ably assigned to that remote service so as
TO be out Of the way has established one
forgery in his own person, and KELLY has
proved another.
The difference between the two certificates
from Louisiana is that the first pretended TO
verify fraudulent result OF the election for
President by genuine signatures, while the
second repeats the fraudulent attestation
by forged signatures; and this second paper
was the one adopted by the Commission as
tho means Of declaring HAYES President.
So that the astounding fact will go into his
tory that the eight electoral votes OF Loulsi-
ana were In the first instance stolen by
conspiracy and fraud; and in the second
instance, that the certificate declaring
this result, being vltiated by barefaced
forgery, was yet solcmnly adiudlcated as
valid, because the eight-by-seven Com
mission determined that they would not 60
behind the face Of the forged paper!
Honest thinking mon may be deluded or
confused by a conflict Of testimony in re-
gard 10 the vote of Louisiana, based upon
the stories Of intimidation and violence,
artfully constructed to mislcad the UNI
wary and TO deceive the tens OF thou
sands who accept at second hand the as
surances Of party managers and party
papers. But putting all that entirely out
OF view, the astounding fact yet stands, that
the whole administration of forty-hve mil
lions of people, the public policy, the
treasury and its mighty operations, the
vast patronage Of the Government, and the
hundred thousand Offices at home and
abroad, are to-day in the hands Of a man
who was not elected at all; and that even
the fraudulent title by which he claims to
be President rests upon forgery!