Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-05-23


him where they don't want him.
Now AND THEE.-The late action OF
the democrats of the House of Rep
resentatives in passing the Potter Res
olutions has called forth a manifesto "to
the people Of the nation" from the Re-
publican National Committee and has
been made the occasion OF much fire
and birthstone comment by the Repub-
lican press. Why proposition to in
vestigate, and If need be. chGstise frauds
upon the electoral vote and to take mea-
sures 10 prevent their repetition in the
future should develop so much ofPother
and preparation and elicit such an out
cry as is now assailing the public ear is
explainable, coming from the source it
does, only upon the theory that it
touches our Republican friends in a
tender place and promises revelations
that may eventuate in getting them into
a tight one. We cannot imagine, If
they were innocent in the matter OF the
Great Wrong, that they would seek to
cover up and prev an examination
into its details. And yet this is pre-
cisely what they have been and are
now endeavoring! They describe the
Potter movement as another rebellion
or the part OF the "Confederate Briga-
dicrs" and as an attemp; to 'inaugurale
anarchy and Mexicanize the govern
ment." This, to be sure, Is harmless
vaPoring, but they also treat the resolu-
tons as something strange, extraordina-
ry and unheard OF. Is this true ? Is il
not an attempt 10 cover up fraud by a
liei Let US see. A Republican Con-
gressional Committee of investigation
said in 1869 that "the-@pwer to punish
frauds 80 choosing Presidential electors
by the voters Of the States is essential
to the national existence and inheres in
the supreme government" In that year
political body of partisans, the Union
League Club of New York, conceived
the impression that the electors who in
1868 had cast the vote Of the great
State OF New York for Horatio Seymour
had been appointed "by votes fraudu-
lently or illegally cast in the city and
State" Upon the representations of
this club the Republicans in Congress
instituted an elaborate investigation.
The alleged frauds had not become OPP
erative upon the Presidential title, be-
cause Grant had majority of all the
votes independently of New York; but
as the Republican majority of the COM
mittee very truly said, "in view of the
great wrong perpetrated against repub-
lican institutions and Of the possibility
that similar frauds in one great city may
at some future time determine Presl-
dental election and endanger the peace
OF the country, it is of the highest i'm
portance that Congress, now fore warned
OF the danger, may ascertain If there
be a remedy, and, if not, speedily pro-
vide one" Has remedy against this
danger since been found or provideds
Certainly not. All that Mr.. Potter's
resolution aims TO accomplish is TO car
~ out measure which a Republican
committee Of Congress in 1869 pro-
nounced TO abe of "highestimportance."
Is that measure of less importance now,
when, as majority of the people ofthis
country believe, the absence of a proper
''remedy" against this dangerin Florida
and in Louisiana has actually resulted
in the elevation of a candidate to the
Presidency "by votes fraudulently or
Illegally cast;" The authors OF the
. RsaahAiaan address charge the Demo-
Nth "stif,ng all inquiry into at
eemPts at bribery in Oregon and South
Carolina" or anywhere else. There
certa nv is no warrant for this charge
in the effort of the Democrats to pre-
sent the specific case of certain alleged
operative frauds specifically by itself.
There should be no warrant given for