New-York tribune., 1878-05-24
THE POTTER cOMuITTEE'S SIDE ISSUES.

THE POTTER COMMITTEE'S SIDE ISSUES.
There are two selections for the Potter In
vestigating Committee in making which Speaker
Randall seems to have had the economical and
unitarian end in view of killing two birds
with one stone" There are two persons on
the committee who can use the opportunity
of a visit to New Orleans to prosecute certain
individual investigations which do not come
within the scope of the committees in
quiry. These are Messrs. Butler and Morrison.
Mr. Butler has some inquiries of a personal
character to make concerning the visit OF Dir.
Wayne MacVeagh to New-Orleans IN the Win
ter Of 1876-'77; and in addition to the ordinary
fishing tackle with which he is provided to
assist the committee in angling for the whole
truth " and the bottom facts" he takes
along with him harpoon for such facts as he
may he able to discover as will show Mr..
MacVeagh to be a scOundrol Of the deepest
dye. He will not, of course, do anything that
looks like pIOstituting tins great national In
quest to the purposes of petty mallgnlty and
personal spite but he will, nevertheless, have
n keen and convenient eye for things casual
and incidental that seem to bear upon the acts
and behavior of MacVeagh. And he is the
sort of man not TO shrink from the responsible
ity of asking questions in order to elicit ntOrma-
ton which promises to be of value. He Is as eager
Tor information as the Michigan juryman who
in the course of an exciting murder trial, broke
IN upon witness who happened to mention
incidentally 1.-THE ShebOygan boat" with the
earnest inquiry, "Sir, can you tell NE what
" time the ShebOygan boat leaves p The in
tent and eager manner of the juryman raised
n suspicion In the mind Of the prisoners cOun-
sci that the question was intended to lead
up to some important evidence unfa-
vorablc to his client. He accordingly very
promptly objected to the inquiry, and pro-
ceedcd to state his objections at length. The
opposing counsel replied, and, after long
dispute, the Judge, who was himself some
what in doubt as to the purpose of the jury
man. said: "Ihe Court can decide better as
&" to the admissibiity of the question if the
"genteman will state It's bearing upon the
"case." AT this the juryman, who had listened
with profound interest TO the arguments, said:
"Oh | don't know that il has any bearing on
" this case, but thought I'd like to know
"what time the Sheboygan boat leaves, as
" Pm going to ShebOygan myself next week.
This was IA patient scaIcher after truth. Mr..
Butler is such another. If he IS going to
Shcboygan he takes the first opportunity to
find out when the Sheboygan boat leaves, no
matter what's interrupted, a murder trial or
a Great Investigation. He goes to New Or
leans to find ont about Mr.. MacNeagh. who has
been disrespectful to lin.
AS to Mr.. Morrison, his mission is not un
,I wit vi .it of IN
New-Orleans He has been there before.
Been there as chairman OF an Investigating
Committee. That was the committee of which
Colonel Donovan. late Assistant Doorkeeper of
the House, was Assistant-Sergeant-at-A and
for which that generous prOvGer laid i'll $204
worth of champagne, cigars and "Old Stag
"whiskeyr to start Oh. 1t will be re-
membered that when the hook Of the
industrious Glover got tangled in the
trousers of Colonel Donovan, and this bill of
preliminary supplies tumbled out of his
pocket, Mr.. Morrison skipped gayly to the
front with the explanation that he was absent
when the supplies were laid in; that he
didn't have Il drop of the champagne or
"Old Stag,n and that he had beaten down
the grocer who furnished them from
$2O4 to $196, thus making a clear
saving to the General Government of So. 1t
is under these circumstances that Mr.. Nor
risOn returns to NewOrleans. Does any
thinking man doubt that, though honestly in
tending, of course, to assist in the search for
bottom facts of the most damning character,
he goes with a fixed determination, come what
may, at the sacrifice even of Tilden and Potter,
and everything and everybody else, to find
out what became of that "Old Stag whskey."
1t Is said-and this fact appears from memo
randa that dropped out of the pocket of some
body whom the gifted Glover caught on his
hook and turned bottom side up-that several
thousand dollars were spent on this Morrison
Committee which cannot be accounted tor.
Incidentally Mr.. Morrison will make inquiries
about that but his chief sOlicitude will be as
to tho "Old Stag" which he approved the
vouchers for without ever tasting drop. New
Orleans doubtless has for him the same
sad interest that certain shady place
near tho shore in NewEngland
lake has for Johnny Tlbbals, who used to
fish there. Johnny and friend had gone
out In boat, taking their small stores along,
among which was a bottle of 'whiskey, pos
sibly "Old Stag" at would be good plan,"
said Johnny, "to tie string around the neck
"of this bottle and let it down to the bottom
"of the lake to keep 1t COOL" The other fellow
happening to have what he called "a string"
it was brought into use and the bottle care
fully Covered by threefold cord OF love"
and one of twine to the cool place. In course Of
time Johnny got dry and pulled on the string.