The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-28
THE PRESIDENCY.
Mr.. Potter in Response TO an
Anxious Constituent.
No NECESSITY FOR ALARM.
Revolution, Civil War and Social Con-
vulsion Not Threatening.
REVIEW OF THE LATE ELECTION.
How the Action of the Commission
Binds All Parties.
PURPOSES OF THE INVESTIGATION.
REVIEW OF THE LATE ELECTION.
PURPOSES OF THE INVESTIGATION.
Per Contra-Thurow Weed Fears Reyc-
luton and Anarchy.
WASHINGTON, May 81. 1878.

WASHINGTON, May 81, 1875.
Carkson y. Potter, having received a letter from a
friend in New York containing certain inquiries
gard to the effect Of his resolution prepared tho
following answer
WAsuiSGroY. Nay 81, 1878.
/ Ny DEAR sIR--I have your letter OF tho rs h. l
agree with you IN wishing Congress would adjourn. |
one OF those who think the world is governed too
much. should be glad to SEQ The power CT Congress
over matters OF private and special legislation en-
tirey on, And stree much OF tho pubic
legislation proposed dsturbs business and unsettcs
industry have thought 1t m ght be well il Congress
unless convened by the President, met but every
other year. Is tho with the Legislatures IN some
OF tho States. l accordingly proposed an AMENDING
to the constitution providing Tor biennial sessions OF
Congress- but It had not been received with any favor
Other sections OF tho country do not iee as wc do
about this, and want currency subsidy or other
legislation.
MR. STEPHENS .'HowLED DOWN.
You ask why Mr.. Stephens was "howled,
DOWN. Tho showling' was by tho newspapers. TO
interrupt the pending ordor OF business by motion
statement requires unanimous cnnscnt and every
member has the absolute right object tho inter-
ruption This objection is expressed by tho words
II object" u demand for "the regular order"
Some person will prevent the IN terrupton
sometimes he desire TO prevent Is general and hcn
tho cry OF scgul order will BIO many persons
1t SO happened that there very general unwill-
ingncss TO hear Mr. Stephens Ho had suggested
that wo should receive and ADOPT the Hale amend
mcn,s. II reported that he given the repub-
leans a list OF twenty-five names who would follow
him in any motion OF his to prevent irvesti CATION.
About this he was grossly mistaken, and this made
our side especially unwilling 10 boar him. But you
viii observe that when | TO make a proposition
10 Mr.. Hale, and the republican QUERY permitted my
beng heard announced by the press that .sMr
p
stephens headlined as 'ihe venerable statesman
howied down by Po,.cr's mob"
THE AMENDMENT
You ask me why We would not let TIE Hale amend.
mont be attached u our resolution. Because II
and which changed Tho electoral vote Is proper pre-
vent their repetition, but an inquiry INTO
tempts at fraud which resulted In nothing Is not.
First-Btcluse understood IL contained rccitals
| TO winch We could assent and which would nave
/ forccd us 10 vote against our OWL resolution.
| Second Because We offered Mr. hais every oppor-
tuul,y 10 have b.s amendment adopted a separate
resolution That was 80 offered shows II was really
Th,rd-Bccause It's incorporation into tho rosolu-
port upon the resolution. AS u 10, the committee
will have probably but one opportunity 10 report In
this Congress, AMI this amendment could, II added
the resolution be made 10 prevent the report that
time, and thus TO deprive US OF an opportunity to
port at all just as we got ready 10 report should
be liable TO DO stopped 10 take further testimony IN
OF the added States brought forward Tor the very
| purpose oil preventing report.
EFFECT or rnE INVESTIGATION
hut you suggest that 10 raise question about the
last election viii bring CO or
revolution. Not at all About posscss yourself
In peace there IS not the slightest chance OF reyou
tion turbance. When the whole country was at
lever heat on the subject OF the election way was
found 10 establish tribunal TO pass upon
top and every one submitted 70 that determination.
| The PRESIDENTS title rests upon that. II now u
should appear that there was fraud. which palpably
affected tho electoral vote and which the commission
did notice. and II legal remedy exists for
under tho law could lead 10 disturbance Il there be
such legal remedy existing, ana Congress- should
bereaor by the approval OF the President, by two
thirds Of both houses without that APP rovs provide
one, why should the legal detcrm inaiion tnc cater
had more produce disur bancc than the decision
OF the Electoral Commission didr IL is exactly be-
cause this Is not Mexico and occausc The people prefer
ao,ermniar Questions oy legal me.noa- ana u THO
| legal methods oil determining them and submit
tho ctermnaiion thus arrived ai-lnat this country
cannot be Moxicanized. About the enumeration OF
| electoral votes there could be no question Eight
and cignt could only be counted as sixteen Neither
could iherc be question that the conceded
vote oil every State should be counted. To
| refuse that world be revolutionary. But when
there were bona fde returns from a State, each
claimed 10 be us vote, was necessity to decide be.
tween these returns before either return could DO
coun,ed This determination could only be made by
the Vice President who opened tho returns by tho
Congress In whose presence they were opened. |
thought IL clear from the nature Of our government
from the preccdcnts and from the opinions so many
stsescn had expressed, that tins grave power upon
which the las, election did and which any election
might depend. couli only be vested III Congress. II
ths power rested IN Congress alone, then the
OF Congress necessary before choice could be
tue houses OF Congress could not agree la their
choice Of reiurn-one house prcfcrrng ono ana tho
OF that state would bo lost: not because
one house had any greater rights
or both houses together had the right 10 reject arb,.
trariiy refuse to reckon any certain electoral
vote, but only because in case OF bona Gde conflicting
returns from state, each Claiming TO represent Its
electoral vote, wasa necessity TO choose between
the returns before tho vote Of the state could DO
counted. THIS was the view at last established
T1lE ELECTORAL COMMISSION
For tho Electoral Commission TO decide tho dis
putcd votes u created by Congress- and that
the only authority IL possessed. Nov, " seemed to
III 1876 that this clear, and that leading
r. pubican Senators had generally com tou them.
selves ~ ihs view IN previous discussions that
ought 10 stand upon that ground to declare that We
would abide the action OF Congress would accept
whomcvcr the Congress found be elected and that
u tho two houses should faii to whcn the
returns from any State from which there hama
fde duplicate returns should TO received, whereby
tue vote OF the state lost and election by Tho
electors should thus result, VIC would then abide and
tho Doay authorized by the Constitution to elect tho
President where thero - no election by
tho Electoral college. Instead OF dong tnis
diiited along until last the repub
hcans. hcavins all the wbio at tho line
had got usshcro We we're ready accept the Electoral
Coinmission. Having accepted u, 81 course We
bound TO submit 10 It's results, but we ought at least
70 DO allowed 10 show-if such The Tact that the
returns upon when ission passed were pro.
cured by fraud ! admit that the Frequency Is not
worth civil wor but have not believed tina, there
was any danger OF such war The generation who
charged up the heights Of Fredericksburg and dc.
tended the works at Petersburg will no, so lightly
into another ciyi struggle. We get Years fur.
tner on before that Will happen.
WET
] remember alter The election, femarkng 10 Gen.
cra Mcdowell that a great mine might be- exploded
by spark. TO which lac answered. "Ycs, n the ira
be inilsmmabic, but TINS time the powder "a wet
lie was right. There never was danger OF a civil
war. The whole thing was. as | tbink, a gigantic
game III which NO held the cards anu the rcpuDlicars
uiuncd us Years hence, when II Is rsmem.
bored that We needed only one electoral
vote and that your SIDE could not get on without
every one OF tho remaining seventeen; that We had
800 900 popular msjorny; that our majoritics we're
around We capithi, yours IN New England, tue
HorhNcst and Tho facinc coast thai the moral sense
~ tile country was that oar man Vas elected ana
yours not that you had nothing your side but tho
control of m army oi when 10000
nAoslls IN ssxnnafhv xuh us-s~d sommapasd ns