The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-06-13
This was the state of things when I


made my appearance in the House on
Thursday, the 18th inst. had not
heard from MIR. Potter. l had not con-
suited directly or indirectly with any RI.
publican in the House or out of the
House. I made an appeal to Mr.. Potter
to withdraw his call for the previous
question to allow me three minutes only.
My object was to get him to withdraw
the call for the previous question, or, if
he would not, to appeal to the House, to
patriots on both sides, to vote down the
previous question and allow Mr.: Hale or
any Republican to offer just such amend
ment for the enlargement of the investl-
CATION as they might see fit. 1t was then
that Mr.. Potter declined to withdraw the
call or allow me the three minutes. lie
said that it was from no disrespect to me,
but that he could not do it, as he was
acting under instructions. Whether Mr..
Potter had communicated to others the
purport of my note, and because he de-
termined that should not be heard upon
the subject, l do not know, but / certain
ly had not suggested in that note that
the Democrats should do anything else
than receive all amendments or addi-
tional propositions for investigation that
might be offered from any quarter.
Second-Mr. Potter seems to confound
his dates. He speaks of what occurred
when he rose to make proposition to
Mr.. Hale, as if done upon the second day
upon which l asked to address the House.
In this he 10 mistaken. His proposition
to Mr.. Hale was on the next day Fri
day., and had no connection whatever
with the proceedings in which l was de-
MED q hearing.
Third-Mr. Potter's reasons for refus-
ing Hale's amendment appear to me to
be singular and most untenable. He
says it was because it was not germane
Why it was not germane / cannot see.
All frauds, it would seem to me, are of
kindred character. They are all the
same class of crimes, belong to the same
family, and differ only in character and
degree. If fraudulent electoral count
in Florida was germane to q like fraudu-
lent count in Louisiana, why not like
fraudulent count in Oregon, or any other
State, equally germane to the proposition
to investigate frauds?
Fourth-Mr. Potter justifes his course
in refusing an investigation into the
frauds alleged in Mr.. Hale's amendment
because, he said, 1--WE understood it con-
tanned recitals to which we cannot assent,
and which would have forced US to vote
against our own resolution" This seems
to me again to be an untenable reason.
In the first place, in allowing Mr.. Hale
to offer his amendment, whatever recitals
it might have had, by no means commit
ted the House to the truth of the allega"
tions. 1t would only have allowed him
to make them good if he could.
Fifth-N[r. Potter insists that the OBJ
iect was not and is not to attack the title
of Mr.. Hayes. If so, then, why did he
not, or the managers whose instructions
he was carrying out, allow Mr.. Casey
Young's amendment to 60 in, which dis
tinctly stated, with q purpose of quieting
the; country, that the object was not to
disturb the title of the present Execu-
tive, which had been so constitutionally
settled by the last Congress.
But l have no time to say more at
present, except to add that I so look
upon the whole of this proceeding, con-
cocted as it was, conducted as il has been,
as most unwise, most unfortunate and
most mischie7ous. Its effect will be to
disturb the peace, harmony and quiet of
the country. Neither Mr.. Potter nor
anybody else can prevent it, and l say to
him, most respectfully, that nothing short
of an immediate, general and firm con-
cert of action of the law and order abid-
ing people of all parties, Republicans
and Democrats, throughout the Union,
in reprobation of this investigation pro-
ceeding any further with view 10 dis
turb the Presidential title, such as an
nounced by the Pennsylvania Democracy
in their Convention few days ago, can
arrest the most fearful consequences.
Those who have, though innocently,
sowed the wind will reap the whirlwind.
My own opinion is, as l have repeatedly
said, this affair will prove in the end
either contemplate farce or horrible
tragedy. Whether it will lead to the
Mexicanization of our Federal Republic,
the result. must show; but / say, as l
said on another recent occasion, that all
soft words instilling in the mind of the
people of this country the idea that Mr..
Hayes can be peaceably unseated by
Congress, are as delusive and as guileful
as the 'whisperings of the great arch-fend
in the shape of toad in the ear of Eve,
from which sprung all our woes. Very
respectfully,
ALEXANDER II. STEPHENS.