The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-01-13
CHEATING ALL AROUND.
How Senator Norton Felt on the Louisiana Affair
in 1876


in 1876.
Gath states on the authority of those
close to the Conspirators of 1876, the fol-
lowing in relation to the Louisiana swim
die:
Morton did not mean to be too fine in
his indignation. He meant te see Hayes
through, and to see Packard through, too
and he stood at his post. H > had oppos.
ed the Electoral Tribune, because he
thought it would lead to trade instead
of "a standup fight, and when it passed
he vent on the Commission, though
he was sick and his death was not far of.
He listened to every suggestion and took
every preCaution to see Packard through,
81 will give you an instance of that"
said my informant. TN making up the
certificates from Louisiana there was an
infJrmality that might have led to a hot
dispute at the counting of the vote. The
law required there should be two Certif-
cates-one sent by mail and one brought
by hand. They wrote the certificates
for both President and Vice President
on the same sheet of paper, the one put
in the mail bag being marked "a" and
the one brought by hand being "B D."
These were correctly signed by each one
of the electors for himself, but when the
messenger came to Washington, Ferry
the Vice President, who had to count
the vote, as we thought, said to him.
There is an informaity in this certif-
cate. There ought to be separate GER
t.fcate for Vice President, signed in
fashion like that for President The
messenger took fright at this, and dart.
ed right off for Louisiana again, and told
our people dowa there that Ferry said
they must make out separate certificates,
In the meantime one of the electors
named L3visse had gone to California,
and his name was written in by some.
body else. Ibelieve the same thing hap.
pened in the case of nan named JOf
eyn. Jotfeyn was absent from the State,
and his signature not being obtainable,
somebody felt justified in writing his
and Levisse's names This is all the
foundation for the story that there were
forged certificates from Louisiana. This
made two more certificates, 30 that there
were four in all. During the dispute on
the Louisiana case Levisse turned up in
Washington, and when he heard that
the full list OF electors had been append.
ed to four certificates, he said to Kellogg:
4 did not sign but two certificates
Have you told that to any body else,'
asked Kellogg. i don't know but l
have Kellogg insanity went to Nor
TOMS room and found that old Captain
in bed, and told him that there was
another bother in store for Packard and
Hayes. WELL said Morton, certificate
No is all right Yes said Kellogg,
with the exception of Ferry's technical
objection Very well, said Morton,
then l will call for the opening and re-
cording of certificate "a" or No. l, as
the correct certificate We were all
waiting with our hearts in our mouths,
to have objection raised to certificate M.
l, and it was raised, but just at that time
Ferry announced that he had received
yet fifth certificate, casting vote for
Peter Cooper, at which Morton made a
remark that raised a laugh, and under
the cover of that laugh it was resolved
by both Democrats and Republicans to
certificate No. 1. Therefore the inscrib-
ing of those names by proxy did not dis
turb the count"
The "inscribing Of these names by
proxy" is a mild way Of stating they
were forgeries. When names are signed
"by proxy" to bank checks, they send
the signer to the penitentiary. All that
is urged in the Morey letter is that ii
was done by proxy" This forgery ol
the Louisiana return was known to Gar
field and Morton on the Electoral Com
mission, and to Evarts, one Of the Re-
publican counsel. They were all acces.
sories to the forgery after the fact.