Year: 1877

| WASHINGTON, teDruary 10.


In the House to-day, Mr.. Purman, the


Republican Representative from the


second district of Florida, in speaking Of


the Investigating Committee, said:
"I find now an appropriate opportunity


to state from my own knowledge the


true condition of the Presidential vote in


my State, concerning which so much is


involved in misunderstanding and con-


troversy. The Republican party in our


State, with all its dissensions healed with


the whole machinery of the State Gov


ernment in its hands, went into the last


campaign determined to win, and with its


own resources and efforts, coupled with


the most heroic devotion on the part of


our voters, could achieve such an end.


Free speech and free locomotion were


enjoyed to the fullest extent by speakers
and managers of both sides, and at no


time during the campaign, or from any


portion of the State came up any cry Of
intimidation, with one or two minor ex-
Ceptlons. 1t was without exception the


most peaceful election ever held in the
Stats and no case of violence and dis
turbanCe on election day has come to my


knowledge.


1t seemed the peculiar privilege of Re.


publiCans to win under all these advan-


tageous circumstances, but it is a fact


which cannot stand upon this floor and
deny, and which every man, WOmGn and
child IN my State knoUS that Florida WdS lost
By the Republican party in the late election
and that the Democratic Governor and the


lIden electors lgere truly elected. l make
this declaration now under the most
solemn sense of public duty and from an
irresistible feeling of obligation to the
people of my State who have right to
expect that, however partisan their rep.
resentative may be in his political faith,
he should at least on questions of public
fact be an honest man. But, sir, ] would
not be understood in making this declara-
ton as laying claim to any amount of
honesty or conscience, but only assert my
knowledge of facts. l love the principles
of the Republican party and for their
sake have been singed by the fires of
martyrdom, and l believe in the ultimate
triumph of its regenerative mission, but
l cannot return to my State and look my
constituents in the face, if, standing upon
this floor, and in the presence of the
American people anxious and entitled to
know the whole truth concerning this
dangerous Presidential issue. 1 should
shrink from the responsibility of doing
Justice to my State and defending her
honest political victory against the aCiltal
perGer8t0n or a bold, dishonest and O,lScruptt-
lou8 CanUdSsing Board. Applause on the
Democratic side,) Should my Democrat.
ic colleague in this House introduce a
resolution here declaring that st. Johns
river had it's rise in the Southern portion
of our State, flowed northward for hun
dreds of miles, and emptied its waters in.
to the Atlantic Ocean, l would be COM
PEELED to support the affirmative of
the resolution for the reason that l
would know the statement to be true, be-
ing personally acquainted with the ge-
ography of that country. Therefore, for
a like reason, am I compelled to give as
sent to any declarations which have been
or may be made upon this floor, that the
lilden electors were truly elected in
Florida and that only by ways that are
dark and tricks that in this case have
not proved to be vain were these electors
and the majority of the people of the
United States defrauded out of their fair
and lawful victory.


Mr.. Purman described at length the
manner in which the canvass was con-
Quoted, and charged that Cowgirl, men,
Der of the Board, was personally consult
ed upon the fact of frauds having been
committed and that he gave his assur-
anCe in one instance, that, if it we're
pausibly covered up befor the case came
before them for adjudication, it should
suffer no scrutiny or discount at his
hands. Mr.. Purman concluded as fol-
lows:


"I thank God and the good people of
our State that Florida does not present |
the alarming spectacle of two rival gov
ernments upon her soil, both claiming to |
represent the sovereign will of the peo-
Pile. No one can foresee he future mis-
fortunes that may befall the States of
South Carolina and Louisiana in conse-
1uence of their dual governments, though |
i is my opinion that whether Gov. Hayes
Or Gov. Tilden will succeed to the Presi-
lency, in neither event will Republican
claimants be able to maintain their au-
,hority whether rightfully entitled or not.
The pressure will be too great both upon
hem and upon the President, and the
policy of the Republican administration
necessarily will be to secure peace and
at the price of any conces-
ion involving the rights of Southern Re-
,ublicans,