The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-09-23
THE GREAT FRAUD!
Garfeld's Share ia the
Theft.
The Visiting Statesman Dis
sected by the Lawfully
Elected Vice Presi-
dent.
Out of His Own Mouth the
Republican, Candidate Con-
victed of Manipulating
Election Returns.

|.
Mr.. Hendricks, lin speech at Marion
Ind, on the 18th of August last, hav-
ing reviewed the connection of Gen
eral Garfield with the Louisiana frauds
of 1876, has since been violently assail-
ed for that speech by the local journals
and more recently by Secretary Sher-
man. On Monday, Sept. 9Th, the In
dianapolis journal deliberately chal-
lenged Mr.. Hendricks to substantiate
the imputations put upon General
Garfield by him in his Marion speech,
admitting their fatal force, if they
could be substantiated, in the follow
| ing words:
"This is specific charge of corrup
| ton against General Garfield. Au-
suming, to begin with, that the cleo
ton of Hayes was fraudulent, an
assumption which, as a lawyer, MIR.
warrantable but false, he asserts that
Mr.. Garfield "had more to do with it than
any other man. Proceeding to specify,
Mr.. Hendricks asserts that General
Garfield went to New Orleans as u par
tisan, 'withom authority of laW," as if
law were necessary to go to New Or
leans, and that while there he took
charge of the returns from West Feliciana
Parish, and in one Of the inner rooms Of
Pdekard's Custom-House, manipulated the
returns and prepared a1idauits and interroga-
| tories to make out a case.
IF THIS COULD BE SUBSTAN-
TIATED GENERAL GARFIELD
WOULD BE DISGRACED."
+ Mr.. Hendricks promptly accepted
the challenge and on Monday evening
made an elaborate speech on the sub
ject of General Garfield's connection
with the Louisiana frauds. Slips of
this speech were furnished to the In
dianapolis Journal, which, after the
manner of the New York Tribune, re-
fused to print it, gracefully alluding to
the speech as mock thunder to rouse
the rabble," and also as causing the
+" atmosphere of the wigwam to shrink
away before the foul breath it evoked"
and to Mr.. Hendricks himself as g a
parboiled lobster" This paper, be it
Remembered, is owned and conducted
by John G. New, Chairman of the
Republican Central Committee of In
diana. Dr.. ....
Mr.. Hendricks made General Gar
field own testimony before Con-
gressional Committee his text. He
showed that on the l4th of November,
1876, Gen. Garfield was in New Or
leans with John Sherman, Mr.. Kelley
of Pennsylvania, and others, and that
he stayed there about eighteen days.
4 A.sn al Il
he do while there? charge, and the
Journal says it is supposed General
Garfield is a disgraced mani charge
that he occupied an inner room of the
Custom House, assigned to him and
him alone, and in that room he saw
witnesses, black and white, of LOuisi-
ana, and he cOnversed with them alone,
and when their testimony was not
made out satisfactorily to him he sug-
gested intelrogatOries that should be
put TO them, and those interrogatories
went to the Returning Board, and that
Returning Board made a report
against the men that were elected.
That is what charge. / say to you l
will make it plain to you tonight by
his own evidence. What does the
Journal say to me? That l have fur
nished no respectable evidence, when
L have referred by page and document
to the sworn testimony of Garfield
himself. What did he do? First. gem
tlemen, 1 said that they distributed
parishes among these visiting states
men, and that in the distribution of
these parishes for investigation and
manipulation the parish of West Fell
ciana fell to James A. Garfield. l will
read what he swore to, and after to-
night it shall not be before the inteIli-
gence of Indiana what Hendricks said
but the question now shall be what
Garfield said. (Applause) In his an
swer to a question he says: 'Thereup.
on, in order to make our work of
examination and our knowledge
of the case as full as possible the
suggestion was adopted that all
the testimony relating to one parish he
given to one man, and the testimony
relating to another parish should be
given to another man. Among the
parishes that were contested were the
two parishes of Feliciana, and 1 be-
lieve Mr.. Sherman assigned these par
ishes to Mr.. Parker and myself, saying
that we could divide them between
us as we chose. L suggested to Mr..
Parker to take his choice. He took
East Feliciana; took West Feliciana.
Laughter.)
80. What did you take it for?''
q will give the answer to that
pregnant question, and when it is an
swered, the Journal says that the man
that the Republicans have upon their
banner for candidate is disgraced
man. (Applause.) "A. 1 mean by
that to say that took the copies of all
the official papers which were deliver
ed to the Returning Board touching
the election in West Feliciana, and for
convenience of examining these papers
as did not reside at the st. Charles
Hotel, / occupied a room in the Gus
TOM House, in the corner of the build
ing.'
g I don't know now whose room it
was; it was room not very much
used think it was one of the private
offices perhaps, of the Collector him
SELF You recollect who was the Eol
Iector, don't you? 1t was Packard
that was running for Governor and
that could not hold his office, although
Hayes, who got the vote of Louisiana.
80. In that inner room was there
anybody beside yourself. A. No
body"
HE was asked whether there was
any body in that inner room but him
self and he says no. No, there was an
inner room, hut there was nobody in
the inner room but himself
"Some Of the men who were getting
up statements about other parishes
came in there, but the room was as
signed to me. (Applause.) There you
have it in an inner room reached only
by passing through another room
through the public hall, and he occu-
pied it and received the witnesses
there, as will now proceed to prove. |
So the question, what did he do in the !
inner room? was asked him under
oath. @. What did you do? A. L
took all those papers, commencing /
with the protest, and read them care /
fully and made careful brief of their /
giving the summary of each .
witness in my own way, as l would if I
I were a lawyer in the case ZAP
plause.) There is Garfield at New Or
man that asks to preside in
the chief Office of this nation. There