Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-08-10
From the New York Tribune.
The Proctor Knott Report.

Inc report OIL the judiciary Cotntllttee
defending Proctor Knott, which was so
summarily snubbed and recommitted by
the House, was at best but technical, and
did not at all 60 to the root of the matter.
The report said in effect-frst, the Cald-
well telegram could not be regarded as
legal evidence; second, hence Mr. Knott
was not guilty of suppressing evidence.
This is the merest " sticking in the bark. y
Tie report did not say and could not say
that he did not suppress Mr.. Caldwel's
telegram. 1t is undeDied and undeniable
that he received it on the 1st day of June
and carried it in his pocket till the 9th
for five full days-when it was brought
to light by Mr. Blaine's exposure of Knott
on the floor of the House. How much
longer Knott would have supposed the
dispatch, but for the exposure, can never
be known. 1t is in evidence by his own
admission, when crossed examned by
Mr.. Blaine, that in those five days he had
taken no steps whatever to ascertain the
genuine CudldClCE VI tuC hii hO
did was to suppress and conceal it-even
from his associates on the Judiciary Com
mittee.
The technical plea that the telegram
was not legal evidence is paltry and
paltering In neighboring committee
room at the very same time, Gen.
Schenck was being daily confronted with
damaging kilograms from London about
the Emma Mine, and it seems never to
have occurred to the legal mind Of the
Democratic House that these flashes of the
cable were not good evidence. Where
fore the conclusion seems to be, according
to modern Democratic law at Washington,
that a dispatch by cable, damaging to a
prominent Republican. is very good tes-
timony and must be at once made public
but telegram that vindicates prominent
Republican is not good evidence. and the
chairman of the committee is justified in
suppressing it. This position seems to
Justify Mr.. Blaine's taunting remark to
Proctor Knott in the judiciary-room. that
if he had received dispatch from Cald-
well adverse to himself it would at once
have been made public. Impartial people
generally entertain that opinion.
1t is worthy of remark in connection
with this matter, that all the severe scutiny
of the Judiciary Committee in their search
for something to justify Knott. failed te
reveal the slightest connection of Mr.
Blaine with the procurement of the tele
grams from Caldwell. All of Caldwell''
correspondence from this side was will
confidential business agents of his own
jealousy guarding his interests. and Cald
wells full explanation in his letter to Mrs
Gen. Sherman shows how natural and
proper it all was 1t is to be noted, more
over. that the Judiciary Committee take
no notice Of the fact that Knott also sup
pressed Caldwell's affidavit for an entire
| week, and then to excuse him false
dispatch was set aHoat mis-stating the date
| of the receipt of the affidavit by Knott
The very best service that the Judiciary
Committee can do for Mr.. Knott is to trea
him to Sidney Smiths recipe of few "bril
liant flashes of silence" An earlier APP
plication of the remedy would have saved
Mr.. Knott much sorrow and shame.
Ia =. IL = r. 80 .LaJ