Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-09-22
Sherman Crushing Hendricks.

Sherman Crushing Hendricks.
Secretary Sherman is, certainly, dur
ing this presidential campaign, making
the most powerful political speeches in
his eventful life. His statements have
been clear, conclusive and crushing on
the Democratic orators who have
attempted to mislead the people or to
malign Gen. Garfield. Sherman never
seems to be wanting in hitting the vr1l-
nerable points of his adversaries.
Ex-Gov. Hendricks, of Indiana, is
known to be one of the most astute,
capable and plausible Of the orators in
the Democratic party from the ST. Law
renee to the Rio Grande. In his speech
at Indianapolis last Saturday he tried to
fasten upon the Republican presidential
candidate crime which, it proven,
would render Gen. Garfield forever in
famous. His charges were substantially
as follows:
He recounted the circumstances that led to
Garield's visit to New Orleans. quoted Gar
fields own statements to show that he occupied
an inner room of the custom-house examining
afidavits and by additional interrogations fill
ing them out to suit the requirements of the re-
turning board. His testimony and that of Emil
ly Mitchell before the congressional COM
he "doctored" witnesses, and enlarged
or cut down their evidence to suit
his plans. After commenting at some length
on the wickedness of advocating in congress
the movement to go behind the returns in the
Louisiana case and then, after coming back
from there, saying that it could not be done in
justice to the people, Mr.. Hendricks called
upon the audience to say whether he had not
proven his assertions. The answer was almost
unanimous that he had.
John Sherman happened to be in the
cars when Cincinnati newspaper was
handed to him containing the report of
Hendricks attack on Garfield. He was
proceeding to Richmond, Indiana, to
address an audience there; and he con-
sidered it of first and vital Importance
to answer SO distinguished Democrat as
Hendricks at once. He did answer him,
and in a manner, too, which will make
the Democratic partisans of Hendricks
in Indiana quail under the castigations
which he received from the great finance
minister of the republic.
Sherman knows whereof he speaks, be-
cause he was in New Orleans with Gen.
Garfield at the time, and was privy to all
his movements, and can therefore GER
tify to the verify of his statements.
The great name of Sherman, when
he makes an assertion, will be deemed
more reliable by any court or any jury
in the world than that of the restless,
scheming and ambitious politician, Hen
bricks. Secretary Sherman thus opens
his battery:
While on my way here in the cars this morn
ing I noticed in the Cincinnati Enquirer extracts
of what purported to be speech made by Gov.
Hendricks last evening at Indianapolis, in
which he is reported to have said that Garfield
went to New Orleans Immediately after the
election four years ago, that he participated in
the manipulating of the evidence and in prepar-
ing the case for the returning board and that
upon the evidence which he and others prepared
the returning board made returns against the
men that were elected and for the men that were
not elected. Now, [ was present with Gen.
Garfield at New Orleans upon the occasion re-
ferreed to, and I, with more knowledge of the
facts than Gov. Hendricks has, deny that the
returning board made returns against the men
who were elected. and for the men who were
not elected but, on the contrary, the returning
board, in pursuance of the plain provisions of
the law of Louisiana, did reject from the cleo
ton returns those from parishes and districts
that were controlled by fraud and violence, and
in doing so did their plain duty in strict ac-
cordance with the law. The reporter further
says that reference was then made to the testi-
mony of Garfield, where he admitted that if
every vote cast in Louisiana was legal one
Tilden was head, and upon this declaration
Gov. Hendricks proceeds to arraign Gen. Gar
field as having disgraced himself; but he does
not state, as in candor he should have done,
that Gen. Garfield did contend that the votes
rejected were not legal votes, and with these re-
jected the Hayes electors had the majority.
Upon these declaration he proceeds to say:
Gen. Garfield is preacher. do not pretend
to be anything but wicked lawyer; but there
is not wealth enough in all Indiana to get me to
do what he alleges Gen. Garfield did. He said
he wouldn't do it for thousand years of the
tenure of the great Office for which he is can
diGate, and yet say to you that Gen. Garfield
did nothing in New Orleans but what did and
other Republ cans, whose honor would scarcely
be questioned by Mr.. Hendricks and what Sen
ator Mcdonald, of your state, and Gov. Steven
son, of Kentucky and Judge Trumbuil, of Iii
nois, and other leading prominent Democrats
did on their side. We sought each to present
the facts on the opposing sides connected with
the election. The Democratic visitors had in
vited the Republican visitors to participate with
them in the direct action and agency in con-
trolling the action of the returning board.
which the Republican visitors declined, and both
alike did have testimony taken and arranged, and
reported it to President Grant. While Gov. Hen
bricks says he would not do what Gen. Garfield
did, yet he would gladly have accepted the Of
flee of vlce-presdent by the vote of the state of
Louisiana, which, as shown by the clearest facts
that could possibly be adduced in evidence, was
controlled by murder, outrage and wrong SO
shameless and reckless that any man who would
participate in such proceedings, or would share
in profit or honors won by them would, in the
mind of every just man free from bias or par
TALLY, be himself disgraced as the receiver of
stolen goods. No doubt he finds some way to
reconcile the position of the Democratic party
with his sense of honor and honesty, and l do
not arraign him for any violation of either; but
he is the last man in the world that should seek
to impugn the honor of Gen. Garfield for what
he did at New Orleans. The truth is the Pot
ter committee explored the recesses of that in