Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1880 — EXTRACTS FROM THE GREAT SPEECH OF THOS. A. HENDRICKS, [ARTICLE]

EXTRACTS FROM THE GREAT SPEECH OF THOS. A. HENDRICKS,

DELIVERED AT INDIANAPOLIS, SEPTEMBER 6tl, 1880. SCATHING EXPOSURE OF GARFIELD’S PART IN THE PRESIDENTIAL FRAUD. GARFIELD’S BTAR CHAMBER. There is Garfield at New Orleans—the man that asks to preside in the chief office of this great nation. There is Garfield sitting in that inner room in the Custom House, where the light of day and the judgment of the American people were cut off, and receiving the witnesses that turned the parish of West Feliciana, and examiningthem as though he were a lawyer in the case. **#■ ♦ * * * THE FALSE TESTIMONY GARFIELD CONCOCTED. Now, notice what he has sworn to: That he occupied that room, and that when the testimony was all handed to him relating to the parish of West Feliciana he examined it and the testimony, and he made out a list of one-half or twothirds ot the witnesses, and he sent for them one by one. He examined them, and when their testimony was not as full as he desired, he prepared additional interrogatories, which went, in some eases, at least, before the lieturning Board. _ This comes really very close around the Joa'maf and Garfield. “ The summary in the testimony in the case of West Feliciana was prepared by me,” A little further about what he did: *#•«*«* GARFIELD’S CHIEF WITNESS. Now, gentlemen, I will turn over a page and see what the case of Amy Mitchell was (turning the leaves of a book]. She first made an affidavit in the Custom House, where she was examined privately by James A. Garfield. That affidavit was not full enough. He prepared additional interrogatories to be propounded to her, and she answered those interrogatories, and in her testimony before this same committee she afterwards herself swore that there was no truth in the statement given in response to Garfield’s interrogatories. In answer to a question propounded by Gov. Cox, of i Ohio, who is a Republican, Amy Mitchell said— she repeated her direct testimony—that every statement contained in the affidavit was false ; that she did not say anything because she knew it, but said what they told her to say. Her testimony also showed that she hud been trained in the Custom House to testify before the committee. I don’t say that. Garfield was present when she swore to the answers to interrogatories, but he prepared the interrogatories that were answered, and he prepared the interrogatories after he had an Interview with that colored woman, when there was no person besides themselves present; and the same woman comes beforejthe committee of Congress, not in an inner room, not when the light of God’s day is shut off, but' she comes before the committee of. Democrats and Republicans, and in that testimony, given under oath and under the test of a cross-examination by the Republican members of 1 lie committee, she says there was not a word of truth in the testimeny which she gave in answer to Garfield’s questions. [Applause. [ 11 4 » * * * * GARFIEAD KNEW THAT TILDEN HAD CARRIED LOUISIANA.

The next question is, what did Garfield know in regard to Louisiana? That we find on page 803. 1 say he knew that Louisiana was Democratic by 8,000 majority when he sat in that inner room and had private conversation with the witnesses and prepared interrogatories to guide and cont.iol their tcsO-nony, when he was at that work, and when he was brief to make it appear the other way, lie knew that had east a Democratic majority of 8,000, and hfere isnlMworn testimony on that subject: Q. JmTyou get any idea how the vote of Lou siana stood from the lace of the returns ? A. I bad all those ideas that could be got from t he newspapers and the leaders of the different parties ; we had had, ot course, very full iuforuiatiou of that, sort. S Q. Presuming that there were not some parishes to be thrown out by the Returning Boai-d, it Was very clear that the state had gone for Nicholls and Tilden, was it not? A. It was very well understood by the time I got there, and indeed before I got there, that if nothing but the face of the returns was to be considered, and if every vote sent up was to be treated as a legal vote, Mr. Tilden was ahead. Q. And if every vote sent up was a legal vote, and some more Republican votes were not found, it was very clear that the state had gone for Nichols and Tilden? A. Yes. A TAINTED CANDIDATE. There is your man, Republicans, that you propose to place in the chair that Washington occupied [a voice: “No, never ”1. It will never be done. No man with a record like that did ever take that chair, and in the kind providence of an eternal God it will never occur. He knew by the returns that Tilden for President and Nichols for governor were elected in the state of Louisiana, and yet when he knew that, he says when he got to New Orleans he stayed there eighteen days, and all that he did v. as to sit in that inner room where nobody could find him, except they passed from the public hall through another room ; and there alone with poor ignorant witnesses he prepared ifiterrogatories and talked with them, and those interrogatories and that talk went to the Returning Board and furnished the scoundrels of that board the pretext to return against the truth that Tilden was beaten in Louisiana. « ******* - * GARFIELD ON THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION. His work was completed, and an honest returaMras defeated. He came on to Washington, and then wha“do you think he did when there was a Dill proposed in Congress—the bill that did finally pass—to appoint a Commission, composed of five members of ths House and five mejnbers of The Senate, and five members of the Supreme Court, to hold a conference upon this great issue t When that bill was pending, Garfield got up and said r ‘ No, it must not be,” and here are the reasons that he gave. Let me give them in his own words if I can ; it is in very fine print and difficult to read. Speaking of the bill then pending in Congress he says (this was on the 25th of January ; he got back to Washington by the 2d of December, ana the bill came up for consideration in the House as to whether this Commission should be appointed to pass upon the right «f President and VicePresident. . Garfield opposing): This is what Gen. Garfield said: “ This bill assumes the right of Congress to go down into the colleges and inquire into all the acts and facts connected with their work. It-assumes the right of Congress to go down into the states to revie ,v the act of every officer, to open every ballot box, and to uiue every ballot cast by S IOO,OOO of Americans.” That was Garfield’s objection to e bill—that if it did pass and these fifteen pien were appointed under the law, it would be their duty to go back of all technicalities and returns, and to pass upon the real facts of tiie case; to go into the ballot box nud see how the votes were, and to decide the case upon the real truth? And after that, when the bill passed and he became one of the fifteen, he voted every time that they should not open the door to investigate, but that the law closed the door. He said that Kellogg’s certificate and the certificate of the Returning Board were stronger than law and the Constitution and the judgment of Congress. And his vote was the eighth vote against seven that declared that they should not go behind the Returning Board.

• GARFIELD’3 oath. “When he stood in the House, ft was Garfield speaking; but when he was upon the commission, it was the party demanding power, money and office.” [Applause.] Let me read you this oath he took: “I, James A. Garfield, do solemnly swear that I will impartially examine and consider all questions submitted to the commission of which 1 am a member, and a true judgment render thereon, agreeable to the Constitution and the laws, so help me God.” [Applause and laughter.] They say he is a preacher. [Laughter.] I don’t pretend to be anyth! ' but a wicked lawyer—that’s all: but there is not wealth enough in the state of Indiana to get me, in my place in the House or in the Senate of the U’nited States, to say, “ If you pass this law I hold that it opens the door to investigation, and we can go down to New Orleans and ascertain how the vote was in fact,” and then after 1 got upon the commission to turn around and say that the Returning Board and its findings is conclusive upon us, and we cannot investigate at all. I would not do it for a thousand years’ of tenure in the great office for which he is a candidate. ********* GARFIELD BRANDED. When I saw that the Journal said that if I did not make this good, I was disgraced, and if I did, then Garfield was disgraced—then, gentlemen, as soon as I saw that, I longed to see you and speak to you with more earnestness and feeling than ever I longed to do before. If I have failed in any one of the questions presented by the Journal I know it not. I have appealed to no witnesses except Garfield himself, and by Garfield is Garfield this night disgraced. [Applause.] ion fair minded Republicans, you gentlemen that love your country better than you do the Journal, better than you love Garfield, better than you love combinations of party, I appeal to you now, by this test, publicly. I have said that it the short-hand reporter is not here for the Journal, I have a report of my speech to-night, and I will furnish it to the Journal, and ask that it appear, and if it does not appear to-morrow morning, then it is admitted, as though it was written in the broadest and brightest capitals, “ We can’t stand upon the issues that'we made yesterday morning.” [Applause.] If they don’t publish what I have said to you to-night. not tn any inner room, but in this temple, then you may know that they admit that Thomas A. Hendricks is not disgraced, but that Janes A, Garfield is disgraced. [Applause.}