The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-06-13
ALEXANDER n. STEPHENS spEAKs.
nepIy to sIr. Pottsrs Letter.
WAsH1NcroS. Nav Q

following letter in reply to the letter OF
Nj. Potter, which was published to-day
To the Editor 0fkhe ". Y. Times:
SIR notice in the issue Of YOUR pa.
Ps. this morning letter from Hon.
Clarkson N. Potter of the House, in re-.
sponso to inquiries of one of his cores
pondents in relation to the passage of his
resolution in regard % the appointment
of Q committee 10 investigate the fraud
in the late Presidential election. &c,
which not only justifies but requires some
public notice by me, 80 far rs the letter
relates TO me aud my oct in connection
Herewith. This notice will be as brief
as possible, and with all due respect to
Dir. Potter-for him personally / enter
tain sentiments OF high esteem. That
portion of the letter 20 which / wish
chiefly 90 reply Is contained in the fol.
lowing words expressed by him TO hip
correspondent:
;. You ask me why Mr.. Stephens was
.howled down, The bowling was by the
newspapers. TO interrupt the pending
order OF business by motion or q state.
ment requires unanimous consent, and
every member has the absolute right to
object to the interruption. This obiec.
ton ID expressed by the words, i object
or demand for the regular ORDER
Sometimes one person will prevent the
interruption sometimes the desire 70
prevent 1t Is general, and then the cry of
Regular order will be from many per-
sons. 1t 80 happened that there was
very general unwillingness to hear Mr..
stephens. He had suggested that we
should receive and adopt the Hale
amendment. 1t was reported that he
had given the Republicans q list of %
names who would follow him in any mo-
tion of his TO prevent investigation.
About this he was grossly mistaken, and
this made our side especially unwilling
to hear him. But you will observe that
when rose to make proposition to Mr..
Hale, and the Republican outcry pre-.
vented my being heard, it was announced
by the press that Mr.. Potter's inquiry
was interrupted white Sir. Stephens
was head.lined as the venerable states
man Eowlcd down by Potter's mob.'"
My comments upon this extract from
his letter are as follows:
Flrst-If there was any gross mistake
in this matter 1t was by Mr. Potter, and
not by me. So far as his statement is
calculated to convey the idea or impres-
sion that l had given the Republicans a
list OF any names who would follow me
IN any motion to prevent investigation, is
entirely without foundation. AS mat.
ter of truth, it has net the shade Of a
shadow OF fact to rest upon. I had not
conferred, directly or indirectly, with
MIR. Hale, Dir. Garfield, or any otter Re-
publican upon the subject. I had no.
spoken, directly or Indirectly, with Ar.
Hale within the last two weeks before
upon any subject; nor had any wordr
with Mr.. Ga ield upon this matter, ex-
cept what occurred some weeks befare
when he objected to the reception OF the
Maryland memorial, at which time ]
urged him in the House to Withdraw hi.
objection and let this memorial of a State
60 to the Committee OH the Judiciary
and be reported upon, with view Ia
quiet all questions touching the Presi.
dsns:s! s;:!e. Ely speech upon that oc.
casion and my appeal to him was duly
reported in the Record. Nor had a,
any time had any conference with the
PresideEts as have been alleged in some
papers upon this subject On the Mon.
day that MI. 2otter's resolution were
offered, l Lad appeared in the House
solely with view of getting suspen.
aion of the rules for the purpose of hav.
ing passed the bill from the COMMITTEES 90
on Coinage, &c, providing for the retire.
iHent of the and 5 cent silver pieces,
and having them recoined in other de.
nominations, and also for making tho de-
based or subsidiary silver coins legal ten
DEL. whsn presented in amounts of S2O
and upward, and to have them redeemed
when presented to the Treasury in like
amounts. This bill, upon being read,
was almost unanimously prssed. then
got leave OF absence for one week, ON &C.
count of. my health, with pair with Mr..
harris, of Massachusetts,. L was told
that had hardly gone out of the Capt..
tol when this cyclone burst upon the
House. had no inGimation of it be-
fore. On reaching my room 1 was con-
lined to my bed, aid 1t was not until the
next day that ! knew of what had oc-
CURED in the House after / left. Mr.
Potter himself was one of the first that I
conferred with upon the subject. This
was on wednesday, the 10th, after the
House had come to deadlock. From
sick room ] addressed to Mr.. Potter
the following note, of which he kindly
furnished me copy to-day. 1t ia in
these words
WAsHINGroN, May is, 1873.
Hon. Clar&soa NJ. Potter, House of Rep.
SesentdtiUes.
My DEAR SlR-I am still confined to
my room ir this city; greatly regret that
cannot 90 and see you in person. Let
me, then, say, toyon in this way thas j
tn'nk ~ Will be "a gteat Llistake il our
friends in the House shall pass your
resolution under the previous question,
thus cutting. off Mr.. Hela's or other
amendments looking TO enlarged inyesti-
gation. uo not insist on previous ques-
ton. ! could not vote for it If were
present and were not paired, as am,
nor could vote fog this resolution under
the previous question without allowing
amendments. Itwonld only divide The
DemncFacy aud unite the Republicans.
my own opinion is that no good will
come by the passage of your resolution
eS @ 1t IS, under the previous question.
dnt.9 feeble as l, am, to send il to Won.
Very respectfully,
ALEXANDER 81. STEpHENs,
After that note had been dispatched In
him, I sent the following note to AR.
Gambler, my colleague in the House:
WASHINGTON, May I5, 1878.
Hon. Afilton d. Candksr, House Of Reprc.
seat>sipss.
. 9sE DEAR SIR-I am sorry cannot
DO In the House to-dey. Am still cor
fined 20 my room. think that it is i'm
portant that our friends shall not vote for
tie previous nuastinn IN Mr. Dnsl-.,-
resolution. Amendments such as Mr..
Hale wishes to offer ought to be allowed,
We ought not to have q a'one-sided invcs.
tigation. The country will not be salts.
fed with that sort of inquiry. The peo-
pie want fair play, right, and justice, and