The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-05-30

Alter this l sent o elmllaf n0te 10 my
colleague, Mr.. Harris, and requested him
to announce my pair il a vote wa taken.
From these notes 1t will clearly appear
with whom I conferred and the opinion
entertained Of the effect Of the proceed.
iDgs then going on in the House upon
the Democratic party as we'll as on the
country. 1 looked upon them as un-
wise and untimely and fraught with mis-.
chief. It clearly appears from these
notes that l was mot in favor OF the mo-
ton 10 defeat the investigation Of fraud
Of any kind. 1t was only against one
sided investigation, as I have been
since the Presidential contest was con-
additionally decided, against any investi.
CATION with a view TO impeach or as
sail the title Of the present incumbent oil
the executive chair. The democracy Of
the school in which / was reared was
planted upon the principle Of law and or.
der; upon abiding by the law as consti-
~tutiOpally expounded. This was the state
Of things when I made my appearance in
the House on Thursday, the 10th inst. l
had not heard from Mr.. Potter; 1 had not
consulted directly or indirectly with any
Republican in the House or out Of the
House. 1 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
his call for the previous question, or, II
he would not, to appeal to the House
10 the patriots on both sides) TO vote
down the previous question, and allow
Mr.. Hale or any Republican to offer just
such an amendment for the enlargement
OF the investigation as they may see fit.
It was then that Mr.. Potter declined TO
withdraw his call or allow me three min
u,es. He said 1t was from no disreSpect,
but that he could not, as he was acting
under instructions. Whether Mr.. Potter
had communicated to others the pur-
port OF my note, and because he was
determined that I should not be heard
upon the subject, l don't know, but l GER
tainly had not suggested in that note
that the Democrats should do anything
else than receive all the amendments or
additional propositions for the inyestiga-
tion that might be offered from any quar-
ter.
q MIR. Potter seems confused in his
dates. He speaks Of what occurred when
he rose 10 make a proposition 10 Mr..
Hale as II it was done on the same day up.
on which / asked TO address the House. In
this he il mistaken. His propositions 10
Mr.. BALE were on the next day, Friday,
and had no connection whatever with the
proceedings in which 1 was denied hear.
ing.
| 8. Mr.. Potter's rea,ons for refusing Mr..
Hale's amendments appear to me to be
singular and most u~ntenable. He says it
was because 1t was not germane. Why it
was not germane l cannot see. All
frauds, it would seem TO me, are Of a kin.
dreicharacter. They pre- all the same
class Of crimes belong to the same family,
and differ only in character and degree.
II the fraudulent electoral count in Flor.
ida was germane 10 the like fraudulent
count in Louisiana, why was not a
fraudulent count in Oregon or any other
state equally germane to the proposition
10 investigate frauds.
a.. Mr.. Potter justifes his course in re.
fusipg an investigation into the frauds
alleged in Mr.. Hale's amendment, because
he said We understood it contained re.
citals 10 which we cannot assent, and
which would have forced us to vote
against our W resolution. In the first
place, in allowing Mr.. Hale to offer an
amendment, whatever r~ecitals II may
have had by no means committed the
House to the truth Of the allegations. It
would only have allowed him to make
them good II he could.
|. s. Mr.. Potter insists that the object was
not and Is not to attack the title Of Mr..
Hayes. II go, then why did he not, or
the managers whose instructions he was
carrying out, allow Mr.. Casey Young's
amendment to go, in which 1t was
distinctly stated, with the purpose Of
quieting the country, that the object
was not to disturb the title Of the present
Executive, which had been constitu.
tiOnally settled by the last Congress. But
l have no time to say more at present,
except to add that ! look upon the whole
Of this proceeding, concocted as II was
conducted as it has been, "a most unwiSs,
mott unfortunate and most miehierouS. Its
effect will be to disturb the peace, har.
mony and quiet Of the country. Neither
Mr.. Potter nor anybody else can prevent
II, and l say to him, most respectfully,
that nothing short Of immediate zeal and
firm concert Of action Of the law and
order abiding people Of all parties, Re-
pnblicans and Democrats, throughout
the Union, In ~reprobation Of this In.
vestigation proceeding any further,
with a view 10 disturb the Presidential
title (such as was announced by the Penn.
~sylyania Democrats in their Convention
few days ago) can arrest the most fear.
iul consequences. Those who have,though
iunOcently sOWed the wind will reap the
whirlwind. My own opinion Is, as /
have repeatedly said, that this affair will
prove In the end either a contemplate
farce or a horrible tragedy. Whether it
will lead TO the Mexicanization Of our
Federal republic, the result must show,
but l say, As l said on an other recent oc.
c%asion, that all Iea ipOrdi iaaihafAg in he
miadi Of he people Of dis country, lie iaa
Aat Mr. Hayes eaa b peacefully uaseaisd by
Congress are as ddaivc aad as gRitsfl as
lie Uhbpaiag9f dc great ard ksad ia tie
ear Of En-, from Whieh spnaaq all our poss.
r. w. I