Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-09-16
HENDRICKS ON GARFIELD.
The Wee President de jure Dlssects
Gen. Garfield as q Visiting Statesman.
OUT or HIS own MOUTH THE REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE CONVICTED OF NANtPuLAT.
ING ELECTION RETURNS.

Mr.. Hendricks, in a speech at Mar
ion, Ind, on the 18th of August last,
having reviewed the connection of
General Garfield with the Louisiana
frauds of 1876, has since been violent
ly assailed for that speech by the local
journals and more recently by Secre-
tary Sherman. On Monday, Sept. 8,
the indianapolis Journal deliberately
challenged Mr.. Hendricks to substan-
tiate the imputations put by him in
his Marion speech upon Gen. Garfield,
admitting their fatal force, if they
could be substantiated, in the follow
ing words:
"This is a specific charge of corrup,
ton against Gen. Garfield. Assuming,
TO begin with, that the election Of
Hayes was fraudulent, an assumption
which, as a lawyer, Mr.. Hendricks must
know is not only unwarrantable but
false, he asserts that Gen. Garfield had
more 10 do ,Oih L than any other man..
Proceeding to specify, Mr. Hendricks
asserts that Gen. Garfield went to New
Orleans as n partisan, 'lcithom authority ef
idr.' as il any law were necessary to
authorize n man 10 90 to New Orleans,
and that while there he took charge ef he
returns from West Fticiana Parish, and in
one Of tie inner rooms Of PaekarfS C1stou.
House. manipulated dc returns and JrCpor.
ed otG2uii5 and nterroyatories 10 make out
a case.
"IF THIS COULD BE SUBSTAN-
TIATED GEN. GARFIELD WOULD
BE DlSGRACED."
Mr.. Hendricks promptly accepted the
challenge and on Monday evening made
an elaborate speech on the subject of
General Garfeid's connection with the
Louisiana frauds. Slips OF this speech
were furnished TO the Indianapolis Jour
nal, which, after the manner of the New
York Tribune, refused TO print il, grace
fully alluding to the speech rs mock
thunder to rouse the rabble," and also
as causing the atmosphere Of the wig.
wan TO shrink away before the foul
breath IL evoked and TO Mr.. Hen.
bricks himself as "a parboiled lobster
This paper, be ii remembered, is owned
and conducted by Mr.. John c. New,
Chairman Of the Republican Central
Committee of Indiana.
Mr. Hendricks made Gen. Garfield's
own testimony before a Congressional
committee his text. He showed that
on the lith of November, 1876, General
Garfield was in New Orleans with John
Sherman, Mr.. Kelley, of Pennsylvania,
and others, and that he stayed there
about eighteen days. What, said Mr.
Hendricks, "did he do while there2
charge, and the Journal says if il is sup.
ported General Garfield is a disgraced
mani charge that he occupied an
inner room of the Custom. House, assign.
ed TO him and him alone, and in that
room he saw witnesses, black and white,
of Louisiana, and he conversed with
them alone, and when their testimony
was not made out satisfactorily to him
he suggested interrogatories that should
be put to them, and those interrogato.
ries 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 |
will make il plain 10 you tonight by
his own evidence. What does the Jour
nal say. to mel That I have furnished
no respectable evidence, when | have
referred by page and document to the
sworn testimony OF Garfield himself.
What did he dor First, gentlemen,
said that they distributed parishes
among these visiting statesmen, and
that in the distribution Of the parishes
for investigation and manipulation the
parish of West Felicisna fell 10 James
A. Garfield. | will read what he swore
TO, and after tonight it shall not be
before the intelligence of Indiana what
Hendricks said, but the question now
shall be what Garfield said. (Applause.l J
In his answer to question he says
'Thereupon, in order 10 make our work
of examination and our knowledge OF
the case as full as possible, the sugges.
ton was adopted that all the testimony
relating to one parish be given to one
man, and the testimony relating to an.
other parish should be given to another
man. Among the parishes that were
contested were the two parishes Of Fe.
liciana, and | believe that Mr.. Sherman
assigned these parishes to Mr.. Parker
and myself, saying that we could divide
them between US as We chose. / sug.
gested to Mr.. Parker to take his choice.
He took East Feliciana; took West
Felicisna.' daughter.
20. Whist did you take it for5
will give the answer Of that preg.
nant question, and when It is answered,
the Journal says that the man that the
Republicans have upon their banner
for candidate Is disgraced man. Zap.
plause.l "A. | mean by that to say
that | took the copies of all the official
papers which were delivered 10 the Re.
turning Board touching the election in
West Feliciana and for convenience of
examining these papers, as I did not
reside &C the st. Charles Hotel, | 90.
cupied : room in the Custom. House. in
The corner of the building Laughter.
II don't know nov whose room i