Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-06-14
The Kerr Investigating Conn.
miftee Report Favora-
bly, to Him.

The Kerr Investigating Gem
miftee Report Favorn-
!, bly, to Him,
cH REPORT rs UNARlNOuS
; ACCEPTED DY THE HOUSE
AsliTNGToN, June 19Mr ~,
mcr from the Committee an r.,
dltures IN the War Department ~ y
a report IN the case of chnrmas a, ..:.. |.
Speaker Kerr, saying thai tha a an,,s
mittcc found there was not 4 aho.ae1.
OF truth in the charges. He drmnn,',
ccd the testimony of Harvey AZ,
Kerr had exercised his privilege -
appointment and the committee fn,l,
exoncrated him from all corrupt pur
poses and found nothing in the cvi
dencc to detract from his well cstab
llshed reputation for integrity and
purity. This conclusion of the com
mittcc was unanimous.
Mr.. Danford, q Republican mem.
Der, heartily endorsed the report OF
simple justice. It was only the fact
that Kerr, an Indiana Democrat. Sc.
cured the appointment for New
York Republican, that justified inves.
tigation. lie was glad to say that SC
far as Kcrr's corruption was concern.
ed, Harney's testimony had not 4
shadow of truth in it. lilo denounced
the practice of investigating good
men at the instigation Of bad ones
The testimony of Harvey was but The
natural outgrowth of these investi.
cations. The committees of the
House had been seen this session
housing around and dragging public
life and private correspondence into
publicity, publishing even the bank
accounts Of officials without charges
and without specifications, He has
felt some times that there was, in Ger.
tain quarters, a qualification when q
public official could be smashed. He
remembered tho head lines of q news.
paper some two months ago, in which
it was announced that "Grant il
caught at last and a dispatch actu
!, ally rejoicing in the prospects thai
the President of the United States
had been found in n questionable
transaction, referring TO the matter OF
the expenditure of money in rogari
to the New York election frauds
The President is one whom all mel
should honor and respect for the pc
. sition which he occupies. lie is
man who had been the leader of tn
, American army from Donelson K
| AppomattoX, and who is now in tn,
, last year of his second term as Prcsi
dent; he was the successor of Wash
, ington and Jefferson and Lincoln. |
, was sad sight when any committc'
, of the House of Representatives, OF
when any citizen of the United State
could express gratitude at the catch
ing of the President in a questionable
transaction. He also remembers,
| another transaction Of another com
f mittec, in which witness wa
brought to testify against the Presi
, dent in regard to the breaking up o
I marital relations of witness; tina
r witness had come without q sinGi
corroborating circumstance, Withou
a single fact to support his testimon
2 and yet though the Presidents publ
character might he blighted, his rep
{ Utation smirched forever, and hi
: family relations broken up, if tina
might be, the committee felt called
I upon to examine that witness until
| was learned that he was lunati,
, He had also i'm his mind, a committe
of the House, which by process of a.
) officer of the House, had gone to tn
: office of one of our telegraph compa
o MES of the country and had seize,
Q several hundred pounds of telegraph
o messages indiscriminately, from cit
zens of all classes, in regard to pr
vate and public affairs, all to be mou;
ed through by committee Of til
House. Was il wonderful therefor
that such conduct and such opera
tons should beget an occasiona
y Harvey.
Mr.. Danford said the good name O
Mr.. Kerr, which he had borne witt
out reproach for many sessions of th
z House, was the greatest circnmstanc
in the testimony. He would be lott
to believe such a thing of such mar
lie hoped that the vote on the repoi
e would be a unanimous one, withou
a dissenting voice or heart, and tina
every gentleman on the floor VIII
knew the Speaker of the House a
they all knew him and should kno,
him in wiping out this attempts
stain on his reputation and on hi
character, and that they would. by at
ton to-day, enable Mr.. Kcrr to pres
. . ent to his countrymen an evidenc
that his name was as white to-day a
> il had been before the breath @
/. scandal had touched it. 1t was tn
. duty Of the House to Mr. Kerr. as
= good and upright man, to adopt tn
: report of the committee without
. dissenting voice. so that he might b
= in the future as he had in the past, a
= honor to his country. n tower q
strength TO his colleagues, and com
fort and consolation TO his wife am
, children.
= Mr.. Hurlbut said tho reputation G
> our public ,iacn is among the bes
riches OF the country, and the mai O
!; men who would nniustly dctract frol
!, the reputation of public man wa
! not only stabbing at his life an
; character. but among the most fata
mischief 10 the success of the nation
l did not wait for this reportto max
: up my mind in this matter. | onl
= rise here on this occasion to carry on
: by my voice and my vote the ide
!. that for one, as a representative O
! this American people looming befor
: my eyes. the honor of people and tn
honor of the house, which is the hon
or of the people. am glad here t
! be able from my heart to say tina
, whatever shadow this momcntary i'm
pntation might have cast on the day
Of the distinguished gentleman. ia
Speaker of this House-days While
some of us fear are numbered alread
I it is the unanimous voice of the peopl
! through their representatives, tina
the acgis Of a long and honorable lif
/ has protected him from the cnvenom
Q ed shaft of malice; that the cloud
removed, and that if his sun goc
down in full honor and in the estcer
: of all honorable men of whateve
! party. Applause on both sides o
, the House.
Mr.. Garfield suggested that tn
vote on the report should be taken b,
the members rising. The suggestion
was adopted and all the members, q,
in number, rose in the affirmative
none in the negative.
i. Mr.. Garfield then asked that ii b.
entered on the record. and the speak
er directed that il be put on record n
a unanimous vote.
Mr.. Leaycnworthth moved that tn
House furnish to Mr.. Kerr i'm Iii,
most formal, a certified copy of tn,
proceedings on this occasion. Agreed
to- 1[zEItl-E