The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-03-16
THE WAY REPUBLICAN, IN VESTI-
eating COMMITTEES DIDN'T
DO ~. -A.l .--.------ d

speech on the 8th inst in the House of
Congress, on the Belknap affair, and
said:
This suspicion of rascalty in the adj
ministration of the government has been
in mems minds for good many years,
After all our minority trials and troubles
for long lime our investigations have
proved almost fruitless. Nearly all of
them were suppressed by the kind and
patriotic efforts gentlemen on the other
side. Laughter do not wonder that
the gentlemen Cfthis Committee charged
with this duty were little reluctant to
confer with gentlemen on the other side
in respect to these matters or 10 submit
their evidence to other and insignificant
tribunals.
When it is charged, as it is here, that
this matter transpired in time to affect
an election it is about the best defense of
the crime possible. Then it is said that
it is brought out for some malicious pur-
pose, and when failing to defend the
badness, they turn around and inculpate
the committee for something. They
abuse the plaintiffs counsel like the law
yer in the old story. This mode of de-
fense does moi look like the high moral
tone CT the party which is claimed to be
based on moral ideas Laughter.
But, Mr.. Speaker, was about to say
that we have had investigations hereto
fore under Republican auspices. Iserved
two months on the committee on the
"Black Friday" panic. We had to go up
and down Wall street and Broad street /;
and we rushed from Washington county,
Pennsylvania to WashingtonCity, District
of Columbia, to obtain our proofs. We
unearthed much that was Infamous. We
brought matters almost up to the very
portals of ofpower How were we treated
then? l have at last accidentally found
in my COMMITTEES. the journal
of the currency Committee. II was un-
der the authority of hat committee that
this Black Friday was examined, Ihave
an abstract here which l will give you
now, and | do not care whether it affects
the New Hampshire election or not,
(Great laughter.) 1t ought to make hon
est men vote for the Democratic party
this year. [Appause,]
Now, what is that record? On the lst
of February, 1870 after certain revela
tions, Mr., Cox offered resolution that
the chairman of the Committee on Bank
ing and Currency should confer either
personally or in writing with the Pres
dent of the United States in reference to
the testimony given before the committee
referring to him or his family, and that
the President be respectfully requested
to state whether, after considering the
matter he desired to be heard before the
committee, or otherwise, with reference
to said evidence. That resolution was
agreed to-.
On the 4th of February Mr.. Garfield,
the chairman, reported that he had, in
persuance of instructions, called upon
President Grant and stated to him that
in some ofthe testimony given before
the committee ersonal reference was
made 10 himself and to some Of The mem
bers of his family, and inquired whether
he desired to make any suggestions or
statements concerning the same.
Mr. Garfield also reported:
The President desired me- to express
his thanks to the committee for their
courtesy, and to say that he preferred
not to see the testimony uor to make any
suggestiong or statements in reference to
it during the progress of the investiga-
ton.
Whereupon Mr.. Cox offered the follow
ing resolutions:
Re8olUed, That the Committee summon
the President Of the United States.
On motion, the consideration Of the
resolution was postponed.
On the 9th of February Mr.. Cox moved
to summon General Dent, and Mr.. Jones
moved to summon Mrs. Corbin. The
consideration of the resolution was post.
poned to the Sth of February, and on
that day, after great deal'of trouble and
trial, the motion of Mr.. Cox to summon
the President was taken up.
Mr.. Coburn (Republican) moved to
amend by requesting the President to APP
pear before the committee to testify. The
amendment was lost by the following
vote, Democrats in italics.
Yeas-Messrs. Coburn, Lash, Coz and
J0neS-4.
Nays-Messrs. Judd, Smith, PACKER,
BURCHARD, and the chairman, MIR. GAR
FIELD-5.
The vote was then taken on the original
resolution offered by Mr.. Cox. 1t was
lost as follows, Democrats in italics
Yeas Messrs. Coo and JOneS-2.
Nays-Messrs. Judd, Cohurn, Smith.
PACKER, Lash, BURCHARD, and the chair
man, Mr.. GARFIELD-7
The reason given for not requesting or
summoning the President was that he
claimed to be coordinate branch of the
government. And there was no way of
reaching him so as to obtain his testi-
mony. We could only impeach, not in
vestigate by his own evidence. In spite
of the urecedents of Jefferson and Lin
coin, who had appeared before congress
sional committees without OBJECTION, they
refused to summon him. They voted it
down, as also the motion to summon Mrs.
Corbin, General Dent and Mrs. Grant.
On the 9th of February, 1870, the motion
of Mr.. Jones to summon Mrs. Corbin was
taken up and it was lost by the following
vote:
Yeas-Messrs. Cox. JONES and BURc-
HARD-3
Nays-Messrs. Judd, Smith PACKER,
Lash and chairman [GARFIED]-5.
Mr.. Jones moved that the testimony of
Mrs. Grant be taken. Lost by the follow
ing vote;
Yeas-Messrs. Cox and JoNEs-2.
Nays-Mossrs. Smith, Judd, PACKER,
Lash, BUCHARD and the chairman GAR.
FIELD -6.
Mr.. Cox's, resolution to summon Gen.
Dent was then taken up, and lost by the
following vote:
Yeas-Messrs, PACKER, Lash, Cox and
JONES'.
Nays-Messrs. Judd, Smith BURCHARD
and the chairman [GARFIELDl-4.
Thus the House will see how Repub.
lican investigations proceeded and why
they were so vain. This was the way
testimony was taken in these matters.
We could not get the facts. There was
no way to get at them. We could not
rrooant thano m tho pOuntrU fairly Thay