Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-05-16
Mr.. Hale's Amendment to the
Fraud" Investigation ResOlu-
ton. A One-sided Investigation.

Mr.. Hale said he had an amendment to offer,
which was clearly germane 10 the resolution aud
he submitted that in all fairness he should be per-
m tilted to offer it. He hoped that considering the
magnitude of the subject (Which had been well
referred to and acknowledged by the gentleman
from New York that gentleman would not seek
here and now to stfe further debate or to prevent
the republican side of the House from offering
amendments that would make the Investigation
more exhaustive and searching. He therefore
asked the gentleman from New York to yield TO
b i'm to offer his mendment.
Mr.. Potter-I will yield to the gentleman TO
state the nature Of his amendment II may be
that in the form Of an amendment he merely
wants to get in speech
Mr.. Hale-The better way is for the gentleman
to allow the amendment to be read.
Mr. Potter-The gentleman from Maine is ex-
ceedDgy familiar with parliamentary law, and is
able to state the nature of his anne ndment, and
when he states 1t then will answer whether
will allow it to be offered.
Mr. Hae-Then | will read the amendment.
Mr.. Potter-I did not ask the gentleman TO do
that; | asked him 10 state what the nature of his
anne ndmeDt was.
Mr.. Hale-I think may be allowed to say that
this matter has not come suddenly. Ii was con-
sidered for long time by the gentleman and his
associates, but it was never known when it would
be sprung upon the House. Feeling that it was
becom ing, of course, party matter, consulted
the Speaker and received from him the assurance
ana atn Rlhu 10 say tuul IN tnest mhtteTs Tue
Speaker is always ready to give the minority
chance to be heard) that this side Of the House
should be represented in this matter and should
have an opportunity Of presenting its proposition.
A Il that will come from the genfleman's yielding
to nv courteous request that my ame pdment may
come in. Here is the opportunity to vote upon it.
He and his associates NAV vote 1t down IL thev
will, aud we will then vote upon the resolution. |
ask him now he seeks full investigation, If he
does not throttle the right of the House 10 offer
an amendment
Mr.. Pottcr-I accept all the responsibility that
belongs to me as to the question Of determining
whether the amendment shall come in. l do not
Weld TO allow the anne ndment to be offered. The
final responsibility, however, does not rest upon
me, but upon the House Of Representatives,
which may refuse to second the previous question.
But the gentleman has made no answer TO my
request to what his amendment relates to, anv
more than that be saws it relates to the general
subject of the alleged Presidential frauds.
Mr.. Hsle-Will the gentleman let the amend-
ment be read, and then he will understand what il
isl ! will send it to the Clerks desk. TShouts of
mo" mo- from the Democratic side of the
Housed
Mr.. Potter-The gentleman from Maine can
answer if he chooses aud If be refuses To answer
and insists on giving me an answer in quire of
foolscap, then say that is not such an appeal to
my courtesy as ought to yield to. For augbt
know it may refer to other States than the States
of Florida and Louisiana
MT. Hale men tne gentleman seems 10 limit
his investigation to the selected States and will
not allow it to go outside. Is that the reason
why he will not admit my anne ndment
tell the gentleman plainly that my amendment i.
not confined to the States of Florida and Louis.
lana.
POTTER DECLINES To YIELD TO AN AMENDMENT.
Mr.. Potter-Now / have got an answer to my
enquiry. and decline to yield for the amendment.
If frauds were attempted in Florida and Louis
lana they were carried out successfully and be-
came operative. If the object OF the amendment
Of the gentleman from Maine is to show that there
were frauds in South Carolina, by which the cleo
toral vote of that State was counted for Have.
when it ought to be counted for Tilden, then |
shall be prepared to answer as to an amendment
of that sort; but the gentleman from Msine will
not venture to declare anything OF that kind.
Mr.. Hale-ln other words you mean to say thai
any words that apply on the one tide to be
looked into here, and that any frauds committed
by the gentlemsn's own party are to be excluded.
Is that III Applause on the republican side.
Mr.. Potter-Oh, no. The world of wrong is
very wide. Is the gentleman anxious to inquire
into the matter of moral delinquency outside of
the two States of Florida and louisiana do
not object. Let him introduce his resolution for
that purpose, and himself be put at the head of a
committee and go into that investigation. [Ap
plause on the democratic side. | seek nothing OF
the kind. am not aiming at persons. | desire
to ascertain if fraud in the electoral vote of these
States was really perpetrated, and if so, how it
was perpetrated. in order that such frauds may be
prevented hereafter.
Mr.. Hsle-And the gentleman denies any at
tempt at investigation where there are clearl,
Frauds the boldest in American history perpetrated
bv his own party in half dozen other States
He refuses to let that investigation 90 to his com
mittee.
Mr.. Potter-I will vote for any kind of investi
CATION that You ask, but the amendment you pro-
pose is not germane to this resolution, and il in
tended to prevent an effectual investiga alton.
Mr.. Hale-But the gentleman will not let il go
to the committee of which he is at the head. do
not ask for an appointment on com mittee with a
majority from this side of the House. but | ask
that the gentemans resolution he proposes be as
sweeping as the country desires IL to be.
Mr.. Po,ter-Well, let the gentleman from Maine
sweep the dirt for himself. Laughter on the
democratic side.
IDENTIFY does not mean to sweep. Laughter on
the republican side.
Mr.. Potter-Not with the inefficient broom that
you would like used.
Mr.. Garfield took the floor, but was met with
calls to order on the democratic side.
Mr.. Potter said: II yield to any one of the
visiting statement" Laugh
MIR Gsrdeld-l understand the gentleman from
New York to say when he was first up that he wa,
not see king to investigate rhe Presidential title,
but TO investigate the question of fraud in the
Presidential election. Now, if that be so, can
only say that the gentleman's last position, that
he will not investigate any alleged fraud iu any
State unless the vote Of that State was necessary
10 put the President in the Presidential char is to
conflict With that idea. II seems to me my friend
utterly changes his position now to one of seeking
TO get at the Presidential title If he is seekin,
to get at the question of fraud 10 the Presidential
election then he will get. believe the unanimous
vote Of this side of the House to pass hi. resou
ton, provided he will enlarge ii to take in all the
other cases where there is real bona fide allega
ton aud belief, by large body of the people, of
fraud, fully as great as anything he beiives to
have existed in Florida and Loui sana. If he will
enlarge his resolution in that way, it will have my
vote and the vote of every man on this ii lie Of
the House several republicaus-"every msn"L-
but if he selects certain narrow limit of alleged
fraud. which, in case it is true, only revert to
the political advantage Of one political party and
not To the general advantage Of truth in the re-
public, he will occupy the position which all hon
orable men give to a narrow, partizan partial un-
just investigation. Applause on the republican
side.l Therefore / ask him to let the anne ndme ut
he offered.
Mr.. Potter-The gentleman from Ohio saws tn at
have changed nv ground and that want to st.
tack the Presidential title Not at all. Whatev-
er may happen as to the Presidential title Is q re-
suit of this inquiry does not concern me now
have said. and repeat, that l have no purpose
Of disturbing 1t. He says that if | only want
to investigate the election frauds, the other side
Of The House would be glad 10 go into q sweeping