New-York tribune., 1878-05-13

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VIII THERE BE IN INTESTIGATION?
After months of worimcnt, the Democratic
Judiciary Committee has discovered that II Is
neither very easy nor a very healthy thing
to get up a fraudulent investigation OF pre-
| tended fraud, and to adjust the probing and
| boring machinery so nicely that it VIII never
! touch anything except Republican misdeeds.
! Dark care sits upon the souls of sensible Dem
| ocrats at Washington. Dennis makes remarks.
| HIS uttcrances do not convince prudent leaders
| of Democracy that his testimony will be alto
! gcther delightful to them. McLins affidavit
! has been not merely discredited b. his
! own sworn declarations at other times,
! but has been proved false by elabo-
rate evidence gathered by Committee OF the
! House III the contest between the Democratic
| aud Republ can claimants OF a seat III that
! body. The other witnesses do not even pretend
| to know anything worth telling, and as 10 all
J of them the Democratic mind is haunted by a
! suspicion that, their cOnScences being quick
ened again, they may fatty contradict every im-
portant thing they have asserted. Ii has been
plain for some time that sensible Democrats
were anxious to get rid Of the proposed in
vesfgation. They see that they have already
/
| the advantage of as much evidence as they
can hope to get regarding Republican mis-
/ deeds in Florida that any investigation Is
| liable to completely disprove assertions upon
which they now rest, or to expose as great or
greater misdeeGs Oh the Democratic side; and,
especially that the party will put itself in
most cowardy and shameful attitude if it de-
Iberatcly refuses to investigate Democratic
!
! Louisiana, as well as Republican frauds in any
! county This question the Democrats OF the
! House will be compelled to meet sQuarcly, a.
! our Washington dispatches show. Mr. Hale,
acting as the Republican leader, will move TO
enlarge the inquiry so as TO include the cipher
tclegIams between Grlmcrcy Park and Oregon,
and the negotiations which resulted in the
temporary erection of Cronin into an electoral
college and by the fairness of the Speaker
this proposition VIII be given standing be-
fore the House.
BlathersRitcs have cost the Democratic
party many a disgraceful defeat, aud promise
It another. If silly braggarts had not talked
50 long and loudly about what the Democrats
were going to prove and to do, the party
would undoubtedly have wisdom enough to
cork IN this investigation altogether and os
cape the great risk and possible disgrace in
v0lyad by opening it. Discussions in the
judiciary Committee, as reported, indicate that
many of the shrewdest and most mtiucn-
tal men of the party are even now
doing all they can TO prevent an inquiry 80
! hazardous But the Democratic blOwhards
have been vociferating for weeks that the proof
was " complete and conclusive" that it would
certainly come out soon, that investigation
would "of course" be ordered on the expo
sure of the startling facts" in possession
of Democratic leaders, and that it "must :"
result in the removal of the President and
fine impeachment of other prominent officials.
After all this braying, the party is forced
either to admit that its pretended proof is
| inconcusIve and unsafe, or to produce
it. The Democratic masses will make short
| work of any leader who says that he holds
really conclusive proof that President Hayes
was not elected, and yet refuses to make it
public. On the other hand, the great body Of
decent citizens, irrespective of party. will make
short work of any leader or party, if that as
sertion is persistently made, and yet full,
broad aud honest investigation is refused. The
party is forced either to accept the brand of
foul and reckless SANDER or to abandon the
charge of which it claims to have proof, or to
subject it to an impartial and thorough inye8-
tigation. TO sensible Democrats, either course
seems bad enough.
The Democratic party does not dare TO in
vestigate. the Presidential question fully and
impartially. It's own conduct will prove that it
does not dare. If it investigates at ALL we
shall see it cOnine the inquiry to some special
locality, and put it in charge of a strict Flrti-
san committee, by which proof damaging to
The Democratic party will be, as far as possible
excluded. As we have already warned them
the Democrats will find that such frau
dulent inquiry will do them far more
harm than good. 1t will be met
with scorn and indignation by decent citi-
zens of both parties. 1t will be held
proof Of conscious guilt that the party did not
| dare to open the whole case Nor is this all.
Democrats who vote to-day may as well under
stand that the damaging evidence rejected
will nevertheless reach the public. The Sen
ate can investigate as well as the House, and
if it does. Republicans will take care to have
the inquiry conducted so impartially and so
thoroughly that its results shall command the
greater public confidence. They can well
afford to put the whole story on record. We
| shall SEQ that Democrats Of the House only