The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-05-18
THE"HIGHEsT PRIVILEGE =
The Radical Congressional Commit
tee Offer an Excuse for their Efforts
10 SIife Investigation into the
Presidential Frauds.

Presidential Frauds.
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE Repub-
licsn Congressional Copmlttee hss issued
the following address:
To the Voters of the United States:
The Democratic House of Representa-
tives has to-day, by party vote, adopted
resolution, which, under the pretence
OF an investigation, is to lay the founds-
tion for g revolutionary expulsion OF the
President from his office. This is the
elimination of plot which has been on
foot from the day that Hayes and
Wheeler were constitutienslly declared
elected. 1t made its first public appear
suce in q resolution of the last
Democratic House adopted st the close
OF the session, declaring that TIlden
and Hendricks were elected. Tllden
and Hendricks subsequently made simi.
lar public declarations themselves. a
few timid members have long held back,
and some of them, after being coerced 10
fna. vote, still pretend that they will
halt as soon as their partial and one-sided
investigation shall be ended. In other
words they intend, after hearing the
subOrned evidence, 20 bring in a verdict
that Hayes is q usurper and that he
shall not remain in office. These men
have now the control in the Democratic
party. They dared not even follow
Alexander Ii. Stephens in unit against
the caucus dictatIon, TO the extent of
showing some semblsnce of fair play.
They will be as impotent in the
future as they have been in the past
Moreover, it is hard to believe in their
sincerity, IN view Of the public avowsl Of
their party that its purpose is, If possible,
to displace the President. 1t is q matter
of history that the resolution Just adopted
was framed to express this object. The
Speaker Of the House was consulted in
advance as to whether he would rule that
it was a privileged question. The party
managers were anxious TO conceal their
purposes, if possible. In this they were
defeated by the Speaker, who would not
rule question of privilege asssiling the
title OF the President. The resolution
being offered, he read carefully pre-
pared opinion, deciding it to be a ques-
tion of the highest privilege, because
it included the question OF the validity Of
Hayes title. Here are his very words:
"a higher privilege thsnthe one here in
volved and broadly and directly pre-
sented rs 10 tho rightui occupancy of
the chief executive chair OF the govern
ment and the connection OF high govern
ment officials with the frauds alleged, the
Chair is unable TO conceive. The Chair
finds enumerated among the questions of
privilege set down IN the manus the fol-
lowing: The election of President. The
Chair therefore rules that the pre-
amble and resolution embrace
question OF privilege Of the highest
character, and recognizes the right OF
the gentleman from New York TO offer
the same" Upon this, the Republicans
commenced to struggle against the revo-
lutionary scheme, which, after five days,
terminated in the success Of the conspirs-
tors. The Republicans offered TO favor the
fullest investigation INTO sll the alleged
frauds which by the other party IS
charged TO have been committed, but
the Democracy pursued its course shame.
lessly and relentlessly, and stuffed sIl in
quiry into attempts at bribery in
Oregon, South Carolina and Louisiana,
and the murder and violence in several
Of the States. Neither amendment nor
debate was allowed. The inexorsble pre-
vious question was applied and enforced.
This scheme, il pursued, and it
is now fully insugurated, can only have
the effect of further psrslyzing business
of all kinds, preventing the restoration OF
confidence which seemed promising, cast
ing gloom over every household and
bringing our nation into reprosch before
the civilized world. The peace of the
country is the first consideration Of pa
triots. This new effort OF the Democrats
to inaugurata anarchy and MeIIcanize
the government by throwing doubts upon
the legitimacy of the title Of the Presi-
dent, IS in keeping with the records OF
that party, one wing of which rebelled
against tbs Government, while the other
wing gave aid and comfort. We call,
therefore, upon sl who opposed the re-
belion of 1861, without distinction Of
party, to rally again TO the support OF
law, order and stable government, and
10 Overwhem with defeat the reckless
sgitaLors who, TO gain political power,
would add to the present distresses OF
the country by shaking the foundations
of the Government they failed in a four
years war 10 destroy.
By unanimous order of the committee. |
EUGENE HALE, Chairman.
GEO. &. GoRHAH. SecrstdIy