Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-05-07

A sagnincaus Reservation of the
Electoral BIil.
It is o remarkable fact that jour
nails and public men favorable to
Hayes can only see one feature Of
the Electoral bill. The authors Of
this bill only claimed for 1t the
character OF a makeshift. 1t was
intended not to settle the Presiden-
tial question for all time but only
for the time-being. In unmistaka-
BILE language the act itself stipulated
that nothing contained in 1t
should prejudice the right
Of either Mr.. Tilden or Mr.. Hayes
to appeal from the decision
and have the case tried on Its
merits. 1t was never dreamed
that if, by the confessions of the
perpetrators themselves, fraud
should be discovered, there should
be no redress for the man whom
the people had elected President or
for the people themselves. In re-
sponse to q remark. from seren-
aiding party, that he had been
robbed, Mr.. Tilden at once and
very happily responded, at is not
I but the people who have been
robbed" This was magnani.
nous view of the subject by him,
but the truth is that both were
robbed.
The great objection to reopen
ing the Presidential question is the
disturbances that might result.
We can see the force of such an OBJ
lection. The Democratic party, in
its original assent to the sort of ar.
filtration proposed by the Electoral
bill, conceded much to the uni
versal demand for quiet. But Il
it be true that leading Republicans
are willing to have right done
even to the extent of seeing Mr.
Hayes deprived of his ill-gotten Of
fee, what is to jeopardize thu
peace of the country? AS to THU
aspect of the question we repro
duce the substance of an interview
held by New York correspondent
with Gen. Benjamin F. Butler
When asked to give his opinion
concerning the confessions of Nc
Lilo and Dennis. that gentleman
said:
I must decline to say anything
as to the effect these confessions
may have. / am a member of the
Judiciary Committee, where these
matters, II presented in the House
will probably be referred, and there
will have to pass judgment upon
them. 1t would be a strange
thing for a Judge to express ar
opinion upon a subject which
might come before him judicially,
In advance of its submission to
him. I will say something, how
ever, about the paragraph in Mr..
Dennis's statement which has re-
ference to me. [ do not know
whether Mr.. Dennis has been cor.
rectly reported or not, but this is
what occurred between him and
me right here in my Office. Mr..
Dennis was introduced to me by o
personal friend, and said to me
that he knew something about the
Florida elections, and that there
had been frauds committed by the
alteration Of poll and return books
whereby sufficient Republican
votes to make majority for Hayes
had been added. He also read to
me certain papers purporting to
prove that. l said: eff that is so,
do not see how Hayes can hold
his office; but that is a matter
which belongs TO Congress-, and
Congress alone should deal with
It," He also informed me that
these matters had been made
known to Mr.. Hayes, either
through Gov. Noyes or himself Il
think he said by BOTH, and that
Mr.. Hayes had given him letters
recommending his appointment to
some position. He said he had
held several appointments under
Hayes, upon the strength of these
recommendations. Isaid to him in
substance, that If the facts were to
be presented in Congress, such &C.
ton would undoubtedly be taken
as the gravity of the complaint
would demand. Dennis then told
me that he would soon 20 to Flor
Ida to perfect these proofs. The
next heard of it, and all 1 have
heard further, is what 1 have
learned through the newspapers.
Mr.. Dennis desired me to treat the
matter confidentially, and 1 have
done so. He has chosen 20 go into
the newspapers, and suppose that
releases me from any obligations
of secrecy. He has also given me
some directions as to where l can
obtain Information Of an improper
use Of funds in Louisiana by the
MacVeagh Commission, and have
caused some investigation to be
made, the results of which, for the
present, hold confidential. That
10 all / have to say.
Gan- Rutler has no reserve in