New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-25

! gives the assurance of ia complete and thor
cough investigation" The reason given Tor
deferring it until after the recess is That the
! Committee "cannOt go into IL as steady Jop
| "beforc then" This Characterization Oh IL as
a steady job indicates a clear appreciation
on the part of the Committee of the extent OF
| the work, while the bold avowal OF purpose
to make it complete and thorough may
be taken as evidence that, notwithstanding
the blood -curdhng account given by Mr.. Wood
of Davenports gongs-on, and the terror De
has inspired In the breasts OF all good citizens,
! the Committee do not fear to tackle nm IN
his own fastncsses. Asked if he thought the
Committee would be able to report to TINS
Congress, Mr.. Hartridge replied, confidently.
"Oh, yes. MIR. Wood tells me we can ger
through in about two weeks. we VIII get all
" the facts and figures he has, and the names
of all the witnesses he can give us. ana we
"yill call upon everybody in New-York VINO
"can throw any hight upon the SUBJECT
Then, ms if it had occurred to nm
that this was large programme ne
added, cit may take us longer than
two weeks, but we mean to do our WORK
thoroughly" We suspect Mr.. HartrIdge Is
over-sanguine. Either that or Mr.. Fernando
Wood has been Guilty-which Heaven forbid
of exaggeration. For no such case as that
represented 10y Mr.. Wood in his answer to
the Presidents Message can be finished IN
any two weeks. There must be some mistake
about Mr.. Woods having expressed the
opinion with which he is credited. For that
statesman certainly did give the country to
understand that he had facts and figures
on the Davenport business that were worth
berg investigated aCOmmittee OF the Whole,
instead of paltry subcommittee, and would
occupy any committee months instead OF
weeks. There's evidently mistake some
where Mr.. Wood never would have burst
into the first days proceedings with the Dav-
export business in the way he did had there
not been something more in it than is indi-
Gated in the Hartr,dge interview. Let US
hope for bigger thing.
Meantime, IL Is said that the tyrant au-
daciously invites investigation, and proposes
to offer the Committee the use of his own
Office free of expense during the pro-
grcss of their labors. What line OF
defence he viii offer we have not been in
formed bur it would not be at all surprising
if he should have the effrontery to undertake
to prove to the Committee that the victims OF
bis tyranny were not imprisoned in loathsome
dungeons, and that the only intimidation used
was to prevent illegal voters and repeaters
who contemplated fraud from carrying ont
their lawless purpose. There is great comfort
in the thought, however, that no amount OF
evidence upon this point can convince the pres
ent Congress that any Democrat in the
City of New-York, or any where else,
ever barbored a purpose of voting where
he ought not TO, or more times than was alb
sOlutey necessary to insure the success OF
Democracy and Reform. Mr.. Wood has only
to prove that the victims of Davenports
tyranny were Democrats, and the case will be
made up for this Congress. The rest goes
without saying, and in spite of any proof that
can he brought to the contrary. And the
public waits impatiently for the show to open.