New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-16
rRE Ro0NkRANG REsoL U1TOM

TIE BOOMERANG RESOL U1ION
Yesterday gave more of the phenomenal
Louisiana testimony In the Potter Com
mittee, but it led to nothing. HaV-
inc plenty of sense, Mr.. Potter and
General Butler must now feel that their
investigation has proved particularly dis
astrous to those whom it was meant to
help. Disaster to them, to their party, and to
fts Latest Presidential candidate, must result
from an inquiry which demonstrates that the
charges Of fraud and OF bargain and
"saIeu were wantonly and indecently made,
without as much color of evidence as an
ordinary Grand jury would require before IN
dieting a person of VIGOROUSLY bad character.
Yet, upon the wretehedly shallow lies OF
confessed peElureT, who was known to be III
the market to sell his oath for money, Demo
Gratis in Congress formally indicted certain OF
the highest officials Of the eOuDtry-a proceed
ing in the last degree unjust and indecent.
Mr.. Potter and some other members may plead
that it was whispered to them, with great
solemnity, that vast body of evidence, which
il was not then safe to disclose, but which
amounted 20 conclusive proof, would be ELECTED
If an investigation was ordered. That tins
was a wilful falsehOod Is shown, fist, by the
fact that the originatoTs of the inquiry have
not only failed absolutely, but, after casting
a drag-net through all the slums of bribed
and peYjured scoundTeiism In Louisiana
and Florida, have been unable to draw out II
single item Of evidence to substantiate their
charges, beyond the worthless testimony which
was publicly promised at the outset and sec
ond. by the fact that they did not dare to
l. -. 4.A E-usa fuar Nv
constituted and impartial committee, or ac-
cording to the simplest rules which all courts
recognize as most necessary for the ascertain
ment of truth.
Respecting Minister NOyes, the case has
been virtually abandoned for weeks. Respect
ing Secretary Sherman, it was virtually closed
by his own testimony and that of the
weI-known and distinguished men who
were his associates at New0rleans. Whether
IL be thought that Mrs. jerks actually wrote,
for the purpose of deceiving Anderson, the
paper which be and Webber supDOs d to be a
letter from MF. Sherman, but which cannot be
produced, nor proved genuine by anybody
who ever saw it, this at least is certain, that
the straightforward testimony of Secretary
Sherman, supported by such an array of evil
dence as he produced, viii carry conviction to
every candid mind that no such letter
WAS written by him. and that no such induce
ments were held out TO any members Of
the Returning Board. On ms part, and on the
part of other Republican visitors, there stands
absolutely no proof whatever of any improper
interference with the decision made by LOUISE
ana officials.
The case as to President Hayes, moreover, is
Al -.
of his excellent letter TO MIR. Sherman. Wnt-
ten at the very time when final action was
awaited, written to his most trusted friend,
and the most influential representative Of his
marty then in New-0rleans, written evidently
i'm the fullest confidence, and in response to a
letter obviously of the most confidential ma
ture, this letter says: /" But we arc not TO al
Glow our friends to defeat one outrage and
fraud by another. There must DO nothing
"crooked on our part. Let Mr.. Tilden have
"the place by violence, intimidation and fraud.
''rather than undertake TO prevent it by means
Z" that will not bear the severest scrutiny"
There is no room for a decent suspicion of the
conduct or motives of the man who wrote
those words under such circumstances AddI-
tlonal evidence that he constantly, and to all
corners, held the same tone, saying oil this
subject precisely the same thing to his most
intimate friends and to casual callers, may be
found in the testimony of Major Burke and
Colonel Roberts, who swear that in their in-
teryiewS with him, President Hayes made no
promises, but pointed to his letter of accept
ance, and said that he did not want the Pres
idency unless be was fairly elected. Here
after, the person who imputes fraud to Presi-
dent Hayes in that matter will only brand
himself az q wilful falsifer and sIandereT.
What remains? Only the general allegation
that the electoral count was finally decided by
an understanding between certain leading Re-
pubheans and Democrats as to the course to
be pursued with regard to the Southern ques-
ton and non-interferenee with affairs in Lou
isiana and Florida But it has never been de-
MED that such an understanding existed. 1t
commenced when the Republican National
platform Of 1875 was adopted, because that
platform emphatically favored such a settle
ment of the Southern question as has actually
been made. 1t became stronger when Presi-
dent Hayes, in his letter of acceptance, made
it plain that his real purposes were those ex-
pressed in the platform. 1t was properly
strengthened by Mr.. Foster and Others, who
took occasion, in the course of debate,
to state what they knew of the pur-
poses of the newly-elected President. They
had an absolute and unquesioned right to do
this, and he to authorize il, il he did; and any
onan manly. pafriotic and Dublic understand