The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-12
The Two Set, Of Committees.

The Two Sets of Committees.
Roth Houses of Congress have appointed
committees 10 investigate the recent cleo
tions in Louisiana, Florida, and South Car
olinu, but the Senate has extended the
range of itsinquiry into Alabama, Georgia,
and Mississippi, aud included the years
1870 aud 1876. by this latter proceeding
the situation Will be more complicated
than IT already is, and new questions will
be opened for angry discussion. Whether
II was the intention of Mr.. EDNuSDs to
divert the public mind from the monstrous
fnluds in the three States which tie Re
turning Boards have counted for HAYES,
Will appear hereafter
II may he assumed in advance that these
committees will disagree radically I'm their
conclusions, and in their colorng Of the
material facts IN each case. One side has
TO expose fraud OF the worst kind. and the
other side has TO sustain it. Consequently,
there is little, if any, hope of harmony in
the reports. After the paper which JouN
SHERMAN and his associates signed in New
Orleans, and their eulogy OF the Return
ing Board, which Republican committees
had previously branded with infamy, II Is
easy to forcsee what sort of document
HowE, MCMILLAN, and WADLEIGu will lay
before the Senate.
The conspirators in South Carolina, Flor
ida, and Louisiana will. of course, throw
every possible impeachment in the way of u
searching investigation by the House COM
mittees. until their own friends of the
Senate appear upon the ground. There is
reason TO believe they have been already
advised TO pursue that course from Wash
ington. The original plan of Mr.. MORTON
was TO conduct this investigation at WASH
ington, but when the policy Of the House
was fully developed, the programme was
changed to its present form.
All the returns, records, and reports con-
nected with the elections in these three
States are in the hands OF KELLOGG, CHAM
BERLAIN, STEARNs, and their subordinates.
who, in some form or other, were con-
nected with the frauds that have been inn
posed on the country, Instead OF the votes
that were really cast. They. OF course,
will not scruple at any means by which
these iuiquities may be ostensibly sus-
tanned. Ii the suppression OF evidence, or
the manufacture of testimony, or the falsi-
flcation OF papers be necessary, there will
be no lack of hands to produce them.
The Senate will. OF course, be guided by
the reports Of its own committees, and will
not consider even the minority views that
may be presented. The Republicans have
substantially made up their minds, and
they are preparing II case Tor the public to
defend that judgment. They mean to
count HAYES in. and they are sustained III
that purpose by GRANT and all the power
which his Administration can exert. All
disguise has been thrown of, and every
day develops some new scheme to pro-
mote this design.
The people who are watching the turn of
events Mt Washington will sift the wheat
from the chat of the two sets of reports
that will probably be laId before Congress
by the end Of this month. Truth will as
sert itself in spite of all attempts at per-
version, and the country VIII soon settle
down to the conclusion which OF the two,
HAYES or TILDEN, is fairly elected. When
three States, with all the election ma
chinery in the hands Of the Republicans,
with the army stationed to help them
under the orders Of partisan marshals, and
with thousands of deputies scattered nj tho
public expense ~ eloctioneering agents,
return Democratic majorites. IL Will re-
qure something more than the stale
charge OF intimidation TO make the pco-
pie of he United states accept the rc-ults
declared in secret by three Returning
Boards.
These committees will probably not
exert the least influence in bringing the
Senate and House of Rep esontatiyes nearer
together than they now are. or in soften
ing the asperitios OF the debates. But the
testimony collected by both will enable
the great body of intelligent aud indie
pendent men, who regard the present
crisis as involving consequences far graver
than the success of either TILDEN or
HAYES. to form candid Judgment that
will 20 far to shape public opinion, which
is more powerful than the President, his
Cabinet, ana all the conspirators around