The Portland daily press., 1880-12-16
Mr.. Reeds Speech.
The Facts in the Louisiana Case.

In the House Thursday, during the debate
on the electoral count, Mr. Reed In reply to
Mr.. Davis Of North Carolina, denied that anc
forged electoral vote from Louisiana in 1876
was counted. Monday the debate was renewed.
Mr.. Davis repeated his assertion and Mr.. Reed
said:
am panied to hear this matter opened
again; but suppose the Democratic party has
got into condition on the subject which may
be regarded as chronic. Time seems not to be
able TO assuage their grief; on the contrary,
time but seems to make it grow.
The attitude they have assumed for the last
Iour years reminds me very much of dog that
once owned. After going out into the street
and getting complete and thorough thrash
ing from bigger and worthier dog he used to
come into the house and lie down unon the
hearth, and then with one paw rub one dam
aged ear and growl, and with the other paw
rub the other ear and growl and then he would
rub his Scared and unhappy nose and feel bad
generally. Laughter.l Now, I am in hopes
that Time, alter sufficient lapse OF il IN, cure
them as it has cured him.
Mr.. Updegraff, of Ohio. The dog is cured
now? 7r-
Mr.. Reed. He is dead. [Great laughter
Now, in what have to ssay, pass by the in
finite courage of q set of men fresh from the
recent election. the closing scenes Of which
were dignitied by thing which was not only
forgery, but spurious as we'll, coming in here
and bringing up tour-year-old difficulty, one
which they themselves have never dared to
face since in any open field.
Ii the Democratic party in their inmost heart
ever believed in the charge Of fraud in eonnec-
tion with the election of 1876, they ought to
have been Jealous on the side that YOU
were on, Mr.. Speaker, and ought to
have presented to the people for vindication,
Samuel j. Tilden, the ablest and keenest nian
that belongs to their party, and say that af-
ter having had some experience thereof.
There never was baser thing in the history
OF this or any other country, than the fraud
lamentation, which has been so eloquently and
so melodiously revived by the gentleman from
North Carolina. Mr.. Davis] 1t was born In
sin and conceived in iniquity. The very class
OF men who spread the charges abroad before
the country have been proved in the face and
eyes of the world TO have been themselves men
who were attempting to bribe the citizens
whom they afterward and contemporaneously
slandered. ro. f
And the people Of this country, after delib-
erately listening to the testimony which was
brought up before the committee which was
created ior the purpose of proving q fraud
have become entirely satisfied that the only
fraud and the only scoundrelism were TO be
found In the cipher dispatches and their at
tendent history. And It Is as useless for the
gentleman from North Carolina GMr. Davisl
as It Is Tor any other man TO attempt to revive
1t is astonishing that men who have them
selves declined in the face of the world 10 as
sumo the responsibility Of nominating the man
who they say was deprived of the Presidency
should continue TO bring before the people Of
this country that old and false accusation.
These men started out with the declaration
that the votes of three States of this Union
we're counted tor &. b. Hayes, frauduiently
and improperly. SO far as South Carolina
was concerned they have abandoned this ac-
nj mir tftaif ffe.ac
30 lar as Florida is concerned, l have Just
lew words 10 say. When the returning board
Of that state met-and it was a returning
BOARD which one OF their own witnesses, Cen
erai Barlow, declared 10 be pure in purpose,
in action and In intentlon-when that board
got together 1t proceeded TO act under the law
as LAID down by The Democratic Attorney Gen.
eral OF Florida, who was q member of the
board. Under that law they declared that the
Hayes electors had 800 majority. When the
supreme Court OF that State passed upon the
subernatorlal question, an entirely separate
one, they laid down principles OF law contra
dictory of those which the Democratic Attor-
ney-General had sanctioned. The board again
met together and canvassed the votes upon
that basis, and the result was 30 majority for
the Hayes electors.
After the new year came in, the Democrats
for the purpose OF creating wrong impression
constituted par tsan board TO go over that
again; am that partisan board, out of vote
oil forty Thousand, found a majority OF twenty
seven for the Democratic party. Aud yet these
gentlemen talk about fraud there.
have seen honorable gentlemen on the 9TH
er side, whose distinguished character 1 bow
down TO every day, vote 10 thrust out Of this
House Republican member who had received
four thousand majority never dreamed
that any of them were either bribed or bought.
/ thought that party feeling might account for
that. tn
Then when you come to Louisiana, these
gentlemen have always said that the votes in
the ballot boxes were those which ought to be
counted. Now, you cannot always tell house
from brick; but you can always tell some-
thing of the material of which the house is
built by inspecting portion of it. / had occa-
sion to investigate one parish; and want TO
call the attention of the House to certain facts.
want gentlemen to draw their own infer
ences. will not draw one, nor will state a
tact that either side can deny or dispute.
In the parish of East Feliciana, in the State
OF Louisiana, in the year between 1874 and
1916, there were fourteen persons murdered;
and that fact no man doubts. No man can dis
pute it. The Democrats say tina. it was on
account OF cotton-Seed stealing and personal
difficulties; the Republicans say that these
murders were political. On those two points
1 men differ but here are the other facts, equally
undisputed: First, every man who was killed
was Republican; second, cotton seed stealing
and murder simultaneously ceased on election
day: third, in 1874 that parish cast 1000 Re-
publican votes against 500 Democratic-two to
one; and in 1876, after these murders had
taken place, there were 1,700 registered Demo
cratic votes, 400 unregistered, and one for
Rutherford B. Hayes. Ll
I Mr.. Davis, of North Carolina. Will the gem
tleman allow me to ask just here question
which is entirely germane?
Mr.. Reed / will in moment the gentle
man will excuse me Just now.
Now, if any man lives who says that that
vote ought to be counted, with those facts un-
disputed, he must have very different idea of
American institutions frsm any which have.
Mr.. Warner. Ought it to have been counted
for Nichols?
Mr.. Reed. I say further that the returning
board of Louisiana had right, under the law
OF that State, to throw out that parish; and
they did throw it out. leave gentlemen to
draw the inference as they please.
now come TO the immediate subject which
has provoked this discussion.
Mr.. Finlee. Will the gentleman allow me
to ask one question? rs.t
Mr.. Reed. will listen to the gentleman.
MI. Finley. do not wish to interrupt the
gentleman.
Mr. Reed. Well, 1t does very mnch inter-
rupt me. II be allowed to finish will be
happy to answer any question.
Mr. Finley. would like the gentleman to
explain one thing He speaks about the oc-
currences between 1874 and 1876 in louisiana
Is it not a fact that committee of this House
made report, in which Mr.. Foster aud Mr..
Phelps, both Republicans, joined, that in 1874
tuo tl6CtlOu al LOUISIANA was 1reo anu Ialr;
that there had been no intimidation? And
did thsy not in that report say substantially
that all fraud that had been committed, had
been committed on the Republ Can side?
Mr. Reed. l answer very distinctly, that
was the very year when the Republican vote
in that parish was two to one as compared
with the Democratic vote. / think 1t very
possible that may have been fair election.
Now, having embalmed that fly in the liquid
amber of my discourse, l wish TO proceed.
Laughter
near. the gentleman from North Carolina
Mr.. Davis] several days ago announced to this
House Tor thought heard him) that certain
i'rged votes were counted, which rendered the
election Of Mr.. Hayes invalid but the debate
swept on before had an opportunity to verify
my impression. Afterward, however. heard
him repeat the statement; and, thereupon,
having some knowledge of the facts, ven-
tured to state what was the truth-a trnth
which he has not disturbed In the slightest de-
gree. Now, let me state to this
House what were the facts with re-
gard to those certificates. There was
one set of certificates from Louisiana hav.
ing separate lists of the votes for Vice Presi-
dent on one page, and there was another set