The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-16
The Belkuap Business and the Escape
of Marsh,


The administration press is very anxious
to call public attention away from the cor
ruptlons of the Republican party and to
charge the Democrats with aiding Marsh
to escape. Here is fair specimen of Re-
publican talk on this subject, from the
Chicago Journal:
1t indeed does look as though Belknap would
escape punishment The inexplicable haste with
which Clymer, the Democratic chairman of the
witness, Marsh, and helped him to get out Of the
country, before the committee made its report OF
me beknap disgrace of the house, thus depriving
Beknap tc fail. -
What are the facts? We will give them
as stated in the house of representatives
by the members of the committee, includ-
Ing Mr.. Daniord, Republican
In the house, on the Sth, this matter was
brought up and Mr.. Clymer asked Mr..
Danford, of Ohio, Republican member of
the committee, if. when Marsh was ex-
amined Judge Blair, counsel for Belknap.
did not cross-examine him,-and after it
was suggested that they were through
with him and he had asked to be discharg-
ed, MIR. Danford answered: Certainly.
We now copy from the Congressional
Record OF March s, page 33, the official
journal of congress, as follows:
Mr. Clymer And did not he then say that he
had no other or further questions to ask him?
Mr.. Danford. Undoubtedly.
And fhnr,i ,.t,xa
Blair and in the presence Of the whole committee
did not the witness say: Are you done with me?
And was not my reply, or the reply of some one,
more to ask you" And did not the witness then
say Il want to go to New York" And l remem-
Der that asked him, When do You propose start
ing?" and he said, II would like to get of very
early" | asked him if he would go that night and
suggested that If he was going he could get hi.
mileage and ray' and even went SO far as to ray
that would go with him to the sergeant a arms
II he was not acquainted with him. think
minated + that he cared nothing about that: The
witness left the room in the presence of and with
the consent of the entire committee
Mr. Hoar. Will the gentleman from Pennsylva
mia allow me to ask him question?
Mr.. Clymer. Certainly
Mr.. Hoar. 1t is whether, if a resolution had been
offered TO the house 10 take order for the detention
OF that witness for the purpose of teslfying in The
impeachment case, it would not have been better,
instead Of calling the previous question his
solution, and preventing men who understood their
business from attending to it
Mr.. aine. And iurther-
Mr.. Clymer. want to reply to that question. l
want TO say that no member of that committee after
seeing the manner OF the witness and the fairness
OF the statement of his evidence had the least sus-
piclon on the earth that he would leave the coun-
Try.
Mr.. Hoar. | want TO ask the gentleman
Mr.. Clymcr. One moment. | say now that he
left the country and If he does not return it is be-
cause this case has been pursued with purpose so
as to frighten him from the country.
Mr.. Hoar. l want to ask the gentleman whether
be Is not now satisfied that he made a mistake in
reporting his resolutions and calling the previous
question on them before anybody could suggest
the proper course to be pursued:
Mr.. Clymer. No sir; made no mistake.
NJ. Beebe He could not anticipate what your
president won do
Mr.. Clymer. l made TO mistake. let the blow
fall as fall it should with a swiftness and sudden
ness calcu ated 10 strike terror to all evil-doers
Mr.. Danford. desire TO state in relation to the
remarks made by the chairman of the committee
Mr.. Clymer] that while l do not remember the
entire colloquy between himself and the witness
Marsh, do remember the substance OF it. The
gentleman states correctly what took place in the
presence Of the entire committee.