The daily gazette., 1880-08-20
GARFIELD'S PART IN THE ELEC
TORAL FRAUD,
from James r. Doolittle's Speech at In
diauapolis.l

From James r. Doolittle's Speech at In
diauapolis.
All the world knows, for there is not
an intelligent man in the United States
any party who does not know that
Jne Tllden electors In Louisiana of the
votes cast from 5000 TO 5000 majority
Mr.. Garfield. who was one of those who
went to New Orleans in Novemher
1876, knew this to be a fact. euote
I'm what Senator Trumbull said upon
this this point as to facts stated upon his
personal knowledge:
"l was present when the returns from
every parish in that State were broughtto
New Orleans, and according to 'hese re-
turns before they were doctored and alter
ed, made by theinsiruments cfihe Repui-
licdn party themselves, the Tilden cleo
tors had majority ranging from 6 900 10
5000 votes. Gen. Garfield was at New
Orleans. He knew these returns fairly
elected Mr.. Tllden President. He stood
by when that Infamous Returning
Board, without law and by fraud, re-
jected the votes Of the people. He went
60 w WasbngtOn and sat upon the Com
mission of fifteen. After these return
had heen fraudulently made, ami when
the question came up before the Com
| mission, whether, the returns being
fraudulent, they could go behind them
l appeared before that Commission. We
were required to state in writing the
reasons why the vote of Louisiana
| should not be given to Hayes, and we
put 1t down in writing that we were pre-
pared to prove that a majority of ihe
| free votes OF Louisiana were given for
the Tilden electors.
We offered to prove that by conspir-
acy entered into by the Governor of that
State, William Pitt Kellogg, who ap-
| pointed every officer that controlled the
elections in the State-that by a con-
piracy entered into by him and the
| Returning Board, IL was agreed that
| W latever the vet might be they would
give the certificate of election to the
Hayes electors. Garfield sat on that
commission. He said: I'VE won't let
you prove il. You are concluded by the
returns A. a member of the Electoral
Commission, sworn to try judicially and
determine the right of the case, whether
| Tllden and Hendricks or Hayes and
| Wheeler had the rightful majority, he
refused to examine and try the very
question and the only question they
were appointed by law to determine,
viz: Whether majority of the votes OF
| Louisiana were cast for The Tilden cleo
| tors or for the Hayes electors. Certainly
| there was not so big fool IN either
1
| Wells Returning Board certificate had
been given to the Hayes electors.
| The only question the Commission was
to try was whether that certificate was
true or false. Garfield knew it was false,
and because he knew 1t was false he re.
fused to try the question. II he believed
it was true, he would have heard she ev.
idence to prove 1t true. For in his speech
in the House upon the Electoral Com
| iusi,, btI faA ;,
that if the bill passed, the Commissi OF
| would go behind the returns 10 try the
question of fact upon the merits. Gar
field knowing the returns were false in
violation OF his public speech, before the
bill passed, voted to sustain these false
and FRAUDULENT returns"
To further 81 ow.Garfields guilty knowl
edge, and his moral weakness to resls
the behests of his party, l state another
! fact upon the authority of the Hon. Car
ter Ii. Harrison, then member of Con
gress, and now Mayor OF tue city of Chi
cago. After the decision, Harrison aske,
| Garfield how it was pos BILE for him
after his speech in the House, to refus'
to go behind the returns, and to decid,
the question of fact upon the merits
Garfield replied: "Carter, If you hat
the cards, wouldn't you play them?" HI
knew the certificate of the Returning
Board was false. He knew Tilden wa
elected and Hayes was defeated. HI
knew that if the Democratic party woul,
agree upon the Electoral Commission 70
the sake of peace, the merits of the cas-
should be tried, Yet because, includln
the judges, there was a majority of on
Republican upon the Commission in vic
lation of truth, justice, fair dealing, an
pliRhted faith Oy partisan majority
Garfield refused to try only questions the.
were authorized to try, and which he a
least was to try. For the part he tool
In this outrageous and damning fraud, |
for no other reason, Garfield is sunworth.
of the high office of President.