The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-06-19
HAYES WAS ELECTED
EX-GOV. KELLOGG DENIES BIGE-
LOWS CHARGES OF FRAUD IN 1876.
Statements I'm the s.Life of Tilden"
Declared to Have No Foundation
in Fact-Returning Board.

Washington Correspondence Chicago Even
ing Post.
Ex-Governor Kellogg who was The central
political figure in Louisiana during the ex-
citing time in 1876 and who probably knows
more than any other living man of the
actual happenings in that State at that
period, has come TO the front with the first
important statement in refutation of the
charges earnestly made in his Life OF
Tilden," by John Bigelow, Ii. D., that Mr..
Tilden was deprived of the presidency by
means of frauds committed in Louisiana
through the agency and with the conniv-
ance of kellogg and others.
The statement is sensational contribu-
ton to the literature bearing the Tilden-
Hayes election, and will appear in the biog-
raphy of the late President Rutherford Il.
Hayes, now in process of preparation by
William Henry Smith. of Chicago. Governor
Kellogg refuses to give the text of his chap
ter in Mr. Smiths book, but he to-day ac-
corded the correspondent for the Evening
Post an interview, in which he gives some
of the salient points of the written presen-
tation. The interview is certain to be read
widely and must inevitably be regarded as
a sensational incident in this notable con-
troversy.
"In reviewing the presidential election of
1876" said Governor Kellogg. MIR. Bigelow
begins by declaring that l was made Gov
ernor of Louisiana by order Of Judge Dureil,
and assumes that l had usurped the execu-
tive office. He then proceeds to assert in eff
feet that I was, Ia a great measure, re-
sponsible for the electoral vote of Louisiana
having been given to Mr.. Hayes. He ignores
fhof xrbap I I'm
1872 1 received the support of large con-
sentative vote aside from the vote of the
Republican party; that the organ of the
Germans In New Orleans supported me; that
Williamson, the nc minee for Governor OF
fore the election in my favor; that it was
generally believed Immediately after the
election that / had been elected; that the
vote Of the city of New Orleans had been
held back by the Democratic managers for
over twenty days TO enable them to mahrp-
ulate the returns; that the returns from
twenty large Republican parishes were
seized and carried away by the Democratic
managers: that they were traced beyond
the limits of the. State and to this day have
not been found; that / applied TO the courts
for relief only as dernier resort; that
L repeatedly and publicly offered to submit
my right to the office to the decision of dis
interested men, and that finally, when a
joint committee of Congress was investgat-
ing the situation, i offered, in written
communication, TO submit my right TO the
office of Governor to said committee. which
offer McEnery refused to listen to. He also
ignores the fact that finally committee OF
the two houses of Congress- composed of
Democrats and Republicans after an in
vestigation, recognized my right to be Gov
ernor, and that both houses of Congress
passed joint resolution so recognizing me,
Alexander II. Stephens, of Georgia, and
for the resolution. So much for that part
of Mr.. Bigelow's so-called history"
RETURNING BOARD POWERS.
Continuing, Governor kellogg said: "Mr.
Bigelow in stating the powers of the re-
turning board, laid much stress upon the
point that the returning board had not the
power to reject any vote from any parish
unless the returns were accompanied by a
sworn protest made by the election officers
upon the day of election. This is entirely
erroneous The courts had before held that
the power of the returning board went be-
yond this, as, for instance, when the super
visors were prevented by intimidation and
violence from making their protests or dis
charging duties. Mr. Bigelow's assertion
eral parishes to which he refers Is also
erroneous, as the records VIII show. To IL
lustrate in a condensed form this msap-
prehension of the law and at the same time
show the manner i'm which the election of
1876 was conducted by Mr.. Bigelows party
in Louisiana will refer TO two or three
Take the parish of East Feliciana,. bor-
dering on the Mississippi line. The vote for
Governor in 1872 was McEnery, 65S; kellogg.
], $50, / receiving over one thousand majority
and at that time the Democratic party had
practically full control Of the polls. The
Republicans had carried the parish every
year until 1876 The Democratic managers
had selected this parish and that of Grant,
Morehouse and Ouachita, among others, in
which to SUPPRESS the Republican vote by in
timdation and fraud. During the night of
the day preceding the election in East Fell
ciana a gang of bulldozers from Mississippi,
operating with local Democrats. took pos
session of the polls throughout the parish.
expelled the supervisors and commissioners.
held so-called election. manufactured and
forwarded returns giving between LEO and
], 800 votes to Tilden and not one vote for
Hayes. Here was a Republican parish where
the Republicans were deprived of their ma
votes, and the Democrats filled the air with
clamorous complaints because the Repub-
leans threw out the entire parish OF last
Feliciana- The Republicans lost the vote
that iegitimately belonged to them, but Mr..
Tilden failed TO get the benefit of nearly
the claims OF the Democratic party were
that Mr.. Tilden received about six thousand
majority In the State on the face of the re-
turns over Mr.. Hayes. The rejection of the
and obviously fraudulent vote
of East Feliciana materially cuts down this
PRETENDED but equally oaseiess =; majority
ish, the election officers being driven from
the polls and fraudulent and Illegal returns
were sent 10 the Returning Board. The
vote of that parish was also thrown out.
1.-The evidence taken by the congressional
committee and the reports of army officers
(now on file in the War Department. and
published in congressional documents, at
test the manner in which bulldozers and
might riders as they were sometimes
called, intimidated and murdered colored
people of the parish of Ouachita, driving
them from their homes and committing acts
Of horrible cruelty that would have shamed
Comanche Indians. All the facts are mat
tiers of undisputed record. Acts of violence
and intimidation most terrible and revolt
ing were shown, causing the returning
board throw out number of polls in
this parish. Mr.. Bigelow and his friends
evidently think that they have cause for
great complaint because this fraudulent
vote was not counted for them. Ii was
the vote from those parishes have named
and from other parishes of the State where
the same condition of affairs existed that
made up the 5000 majority claimed To have
been given In the State for the Tilden
electors.
UNJUSTIFIABLE CHARGE.
81 instance these cases simply to illustrate
the manner in which this election was con-
Quoted and to refute the unjustifable
claim put forth that Mr.. Tiiden carried the
State. The French had a proverb that He
who hears bur one bell hears but one