New-York tribune., 1880-02-19
THE Authors OF THE EXODUS.


THE AUTHORS OF THE EXODUS.
o,,,.ron wtxnoM ACCUSED OF BEING ITS ORIG
1xAroR. BUT WITHOUT BLING GREATLY DIS
rroprn ny ,T-wEgE KU-KLUx BARBARITIEs
The CAUsE7
GBY TELEGRAPH To rhB TRIBUNE.l
WASHING ION, Feb. 1S.-Day before yesterday D.
r. Syphax. a colored ex-Member of the virginia
legislature q man very much after the styIe oi Vne
late Count Joannes. was sworn as witness In re-
gard 10 the colored exodus by Senator voorhees, he
asked that bis examination might be deiayed uhui
Senator Window could be present, because his tes'
timony would prove that Mr.. Window was the sole
responsible originator OF the exodus
senator Voorhees, has keen scent for piece OF
identified fun, and he acceded to the request re-
marking that doubtless Senator Window wouId
feel suficient interest In such development to be
nresant at the next meeting of the committee.
MFR. Syphax appeared to-day and told his story
Apparently his only object was to get chahce 10
read a letter he had already written to Senator
Window The style of the letter was bomoastlci
and II WAS read with an intonation and
mock impresslveness which seemed to refresh
the members of the committee, including both
Senator Window and the chairman exceedingly.
Mr. Syphax stopped several times to express 10 the
committee in patronizng way his Willingness 10
answer any questions but he gave the members
either TO Democrats or Republicans.
AT the CONCLUSION of his direct testimony Senator
Window briefly asked If that all he knew about
It, o,
Mr.. Syphax became indignant at such trtlng'
He submitted that the proper thing for Senator
Window TO do was to ask some questions
This the Senator declined to do, casually remark
ing that II was not worth while.
The Hon. r. C. Badger. a very intelligent white
LAWYER of Raleigh. N. c.. was then sworn by Sena-
tor Voorhees,. He is Republican and does not be-
Ieye in the exodus a means of advancing the IN
terests of the colored people On his cross-examin-
alton he told some thrilling stories OF the ku-kluk
barbarities of few years ago in North Carolina,
He said that there were three secret organizations
IN the State. The worst was tho White
brotherhood Its object was the maintenance of
the snpremacy of the white race by assassination.
The plan was to decree the death of some partcu-
lar person who had become obnoxious, aud then
inform the organization in the adjoining county.
the members of which would at an appoIhteo "lho
rome over and do the work.
THE witness stated his belief that Senator Vance,
who was a member of the committee and was then
present in the ROOM had received h's hrsV eIcctoh
"a Goyernor by TeturDing-bOard manlpuiatlons,
ehout 9 700 more votes having been counted IOr
him than tie highest estimate OF tue DenocrauG
vote of the State. " / see another dlstlngmished
citizen of my State Representative ktFhen. Sai9
the witness who comes from district whch had
a Republican majority OF J,OVO, anu "Hi0h was
overcome by similar Methods
THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST MINNESOTA.
SOME CURIOUS FEATURES OF TIE DEMOCRATIC At
TEMPT TO DEPRIVE MR.. wAsHBURN OF HIS
sFAT-MR. wEAvREs COURSE.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
WAsHINGTox, Feb. 1S.-The House Committee on
Elections he'd another meeting to-day to consider
the Donnclly- -Wasliburn case.
Mr. Manning, of Mississippi, Mr.. Armheid,
of North Carolina, and Mr.. Betzhoover, of
Pennsvlvania, tho three Democratic mem-
hers of the committee, who have lately
constituted themselves q returning board for the
lid Minnesota District present. They ap-
near 10 have beon close and apt students OF the pro-
ceedings of Ex-Governor GarcelOn and the other
Maine conspiratoTs, their action IN certain par
ticnlars shows.
The members of this new returning board of a
Democratic House have agreed that 3,177 citi-
zeps of Minnesota. who voted for Mr.. Washburn,
shall be disfranchised, and that Mr. lgnatns Don
nelly a piebald politician, who was beaten by more
than 5000 majority, shall be given seat IN the
House of Representatives.
1t has already been intimated in TIE TRIBUNE
that To reach these results tremendous mathe-
natical feat was necessary. The history of this
performance is quite long, but it is interesting One
feature of it Is worth telling nOw while the history
of the attempted steal in Minnesota is in the public
mind.
In the County of Isanti WaShburn received 53S
votes. and Donnely 1877, leaving majority of 4Ol
for Washburn These votes We're duly canvassed
and returned The County return was signed By
the County Auditor, by a Justice Of the Peace, and
by q person who signed himself as Probate Judge
Now. the State of Minnesota requires that the
Board of County Canvassers shall consist OF the
Auditor and two justices of the Peace by him
elected" The statutes of Minnesota also provide
as follows: Words purporting to give a
ioint authority to three public
officers or other persons, shall be construed
as giving such authority to majority of such Off
GERS or persons"
Reoeated decisions Of Congress in contested cleo
ton cases have been in harmony with the cOnstruc-
tion required by the above law. But there is
no proof whatever to show that the person
who signed himself as a Judge OF Probate was not
also a Justice of the Peace; although whether be
was OF not makes no difference with the return. II
was valid anyway.
There Is not only no evidence to show that the
vote of Isanti County was not fairly and properly
canvassed and counted, but there is absO-
lutely snO pretension made by Mr.. Donnely
that 1t was not fairly given and counted. Indeed
Mr. DonneIy In his own abstract of the vote gwen
puts the vote of Isanti County at exactly the
number that it was counted in the official returns
on which Mr.. Washburn received his certificate OF
election.
1t would be difficult to find even in the history
Of contested election outside of the State OF
Maine more barefaced attempt TO rob voters OF
their rights than is disclosed above. 1t was en-
tireIy fit that this attempt should be led by
Representative from a State where not counties
alone, but whole Congressional districts have been
practically disfranchlsed.
Speculation is rife as TO what course other Demo
cratic members of the Election Committee will take
IN this case. Ii is reported that Mr. Clark, of New
Jersey, who was elected by only small plurality