The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-12-08


Mr.. Edmunds moved that il be laid on
the table, as the subject had already been
reported TO the Senate. So ordered.
Mr.. Anthony from the Committee on
Printing, TO which was referred the mo.
tion 10 print the depositions accompany.
ing the communication Of Hon. John
Sherman and others TO the President, re.
gardmg the election in Louisiana, report.
ed in favor Of printing all the deposi-
tiOns. Fa .-ls
Mr.. Saulsbury,a member otthe Com
mitlce on Printing, said tha, he could
not consent to publishing such matter
He honestly believed that these exparte
statements should not be distributed to
the public as testimony.
Mr.. Sherman, in reply to question by
Mr.. MerrimOn, said that there were three
classes Of testimony presented with the
communication, viz: lat. Oral testimony
taken before the Returning Board and
proceedings Of the Board. Cd. Statements
OF the Supervisors OF election and altda'
Wits sworn to by them. ID. Testimony
taken, according to the laws Of Louisiana
in interrogation and cross.interrogation
Mr.. Eaton opposed the printing Of the
documents because they were notbroushi
here by the action OF the Senate. Proper
testimony in regard to the late election
in South Carolina, Florida aud Louisiana
would be taken both by the Senate and
House OF Representatives, and that
should be printed.
Mr.. Thurman said he did not want
public opinion to be forestalled by pre-
mature publication Of only q part Of the
facts. II this matter should be delayed
until all the testimony was fully pro
duced, as it would be soon, he would moi
object to It's publication. He commented
on the action OF the Louisiana Return.
ing Board, and said II was the third time
that the Board had act aside the will OF
the people OF that State. Now the mat
ter concerned not tho State Of LoUiaiana
alone, but the whole Republic, and he
(Thurman) wanted to scrItinils the tcs-
timony on which this extraordinary re-
suit has been reached By the Board. He
hoped the documents would he allowed
to lay upon the table until the otherside
should bc heard from, and then, print all
Mr.. Morton said the Senate had o
angular spectacle hero OF the denuncia.
tion OF the Returning Board Of Louisiana
for fraud, while at the same time fesis.
tancc was made 10 laying before the coun.
try the evidence on which thcYaction Of
the Board was based. The Democratic
committee in New Orleans, although in.
vited by the Republican Committee,
were not willing to make public their
case as II was before the Board. They
wanted to wait 10 get moro testimony and
thus have case which was not before the
Board. II the Board acted unfairly lei
the Democrats bring forward their evi.
denCe TO that effect. He was not afraid
Of testimony; the more the better.
Mr.. Thurman said he did not know
thy tie Democratic Committee in
New Orleans declined 10 furnish tcsti.
mony to the Republican Committee, but
had he been member Of the Democratic
Committee he would have refused. His
colleague (Sherman) and comrades went
to New Orleans Rt the request OF the
President. They did not ask tic Demo-
cratic Committee to join them in making
report to the President, but asked that
the Democratic testimony be placed in
their hands, that they, five Republicans,
might make up verdict and send 1t to
the President. Who constituted the Sem
ator from Ohio (Sherman) and his four
associates in New Orleans the sole judges
IN this case? There never was time in
all the history OF this nation when the
form OF government and Constitu ion
were to be put TO moro severe test than
now, aud everything done by Congress
should set an example to the people Of
coolness.
Mr.. Morton said, all tho ingenuity that
could be brought TO bear on the other side
could not change tho dilemma in which
the Democrats were placed. When the
Republican Committee in New Orleans
offered to lay the whole testimony Of
both sides before the country the Demo.
Gratis declined TO furnish their side, and
when the Republicans came forward to
publish what they had they were asked
by the Democrats not 10 dos 80.
Mr.. Sherman said that the Committee
presented every particle Of the testimony
they could get. They tried to get it all
on both sides, but could not do 40. lie
argued that it was on testimony now he.
fore the Senate, the decision OF the Re.
tuypinu Roar ,yas mada
Mr.. Thurman said It was on one side Of
the case that the Board rendered It's dc.
cision and reversed a popular ma jority oil
1000. GOA
Mr. EamundS said tho Sd section Of Cd
article OF tho Constitution Of the United
States be transmit to Congress, from time
to time information as to tile State Of the
Union. lie was commanded TO perform
that duty and bound to obey Il. The
President to obtain information in re.
gard TO oncl OF the States Of the United
States, invited certain citizens to go there
to get such information, and after he had
obtained II he communicated to Congress,
a. he believed II was Of 4 character which
justified him in transmitting 1t to Con.
gres'. He argued It had never in the
history Of the Government been usual
to refuse to print information sent In by
tho President.
Mr.. Bayard said il was usual to print
documents sent to the Senate by the Pres.
ident, but these papers were not official
and did not pretend to be official. They
were not accompanied by any rscommen.