St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-06-21
why the Program has been Changed.

T Immediately after the passage OF
the Potter resolutions, Alexander ID.
Stephens declared that the result of the
: proposed investigation would "be either
terrible tragedy or a miserable farce"
The democratic managers are not re-
markable for their foresight or ability
to note the drift of public opinion, but
so general and loud was the protest
against any attempt to open the Presi-
Dental question that the leaders, who
began as conspirators intent on terrible
tragedy, have now allowed their per-
formance to degenerate into ga misera
BILE farce.n Democratic papers like the
! Washington Post, which two weeks
since openly declared that it was the
purpose of the investigation to prepare
! the way to unseat President Hayes,
have dropped the tragic bearing and
donned the cap and bells. A few weeks
since they were for "undOing the wrong"
! Now they cannot be sufficiently amused
| in ridiculing the revolution" which re-
publicans detected in the course pur
sued by the investigators of the inves-
tigation. Had the judiciary committee
of the House made its report upon the
Blair proposition for the reOpening of
the Presidential question Immediately
after the passage of the Potter resOlu-
ton, it is very probable that Mr.. Knott
would not have stood alone in hostility
to the declaration of the committee that
it is not within the power of the pres
ent Congress to reopen the Presidential
question OF confer power upon any tri- |
bunal to reopen the matter.
Unfortunately for these men, who
,,o,,I1 haya haan aOnSpira tOrS hut for
the protest of the country, there are on
record too many indications of their
real purpose to question the title of
President Hayes on the proof of fraud
by the Potter Investigation. These gen.
temen may now declare very loudly
that they had no such purpose, and rid
icule the suggestion of Tilden revOlu
ton, but before they can make the
country believe that they are sincere,
they will find it necessary to explain
few occurrences which are now matters
of history and record.
For instance, if it was not the pur
pose of Mr.. Potter and those for whom
question, why did that gentleman re-
fuse to accept an amendment to his
resolution for an investigation disclam-
ing the purpose to attack the Presidents
title D.? Why did Speaker Randall re-
verse his ruling by which thesPOtter
resolution was made Il question of priv
ilege in order to shut out the amend ,
ment above referred to, if it was not {
the purpose of Mr.. Randall and his as
sociates to reopen that issue?
Again, if it was not the purpose of
the democratic leaders to attack the
Presidents title, why did the Demo-
cratic National Committee, when they :
passed a resolution indorsing the inves-
tigation, refuse to declare that the in :
luiry was not instituted with view to {
turning out Mr.. Hayes and putting Mr..
Tilden in his place Why is it that G
Mr.. Tilden's organ declared that Alex
lnder ii. Stephens, by opposing an at
,ack upon Mr.. Hayes's title, was "as =
BAD as the conspirators who perpetrated s
he fraud" if it was not the purpose of {
Mr.. Tilden's party friends to reopen /
hat question
1t is unnecessary to extend the list of
proofs respecting the aims of those who
sprung the Potter resolutions upon the
House and compelled the democratic !,
members by caucus dictation to force y
hem to a passage. All their acts indi-
ate that such was their plot, and it is
low too late for them to hope to escape
popular condemnation by disclaiming
heir first purpose. The cOnspirators y
ave repudiated their original plot be- '
ause there came from all sections an ri
ngry protest against opening ques- 5
ion that once came near plugging the Il
ountry into civil war, pending its set Il
lement. If they have relinquished il
heir original purpose, it is because they h
aw that to insist therein would bring C
Inevitable ruin upon them as party Ii
eaders. Fear OF punishment, not patri- Y
tic impulse and devotion to the "
ighest welfare of the nation, has led c
hem to change their program by in fl
erting farce for the intended tragedy L
'ut inasmuch rs they have desisted d
rom reopening the Presidential ques- II
ion because they dared not carry out Il
heir plots, are the democratic leaders b
ntitled to any more confidence than if G.
hey had persisted in their course p b
'OStOR Journal. p