New-York tribune., 1878-12-17

placed the power in the hands of Senator.
"Surely, he added, there is no danger that the
Senate of the United States will send as member
of committee to investigate matters OF such
magnitude any Senator who can use the powers
entrusted to him for malicious ends"
Senator Hoar replied TO Mr.. Kernan, making the
point that it has been the universal custom IN all
similar Investigations held by the Senate TO leave
the matter of open or secret sessions to the dscre
ton of the committee itself; and that even In the
courts it is customary and is necessary in order that
the ends of Justice may be attained that preliminary
Investigations shall he held in secret.
Senator Howe, who made an argument IN reply 10
both Senator Herman and Senator Eustis, said,
quoting the words of the former, that If it could
not be expected that Senator of the United States
could be guilty of exercising a right to open the
doors of the committee-rOOm for mischlevous
purposes, surely it could not be expected
that majority of the committee would
ever voc to close the doors for mischievous
purposes. Referring TO the assertion made by Sen
aor Ensts that there has always been perfect safety
for Republican witnesses In Louisiana to testify,
and that many of them have even testified on
both sides in former political investigations.
Mr.. Howe told with effect his own ez-
pcrience while a member of Senatorial
investigating committee when he had been brought
in contact with white Louisianians, both native
and carpet-baggcrs, who had told HIM of condi-
tiun of affairs in their neghborhoods which made
it impossible for them to go upon the witness
stand except az the risk of their lives
The longest speech of the session was that made
by Senator Ransom of North Carolina. Early in
the afternoon Senator Blaine had asserted that
free election in the sense in which the term woud
be understood in Vermont or Connecticut had
never been held in any Southern state.
Much to the surprise of the auditors
no serious attempt was made to meet
this broad statement; hut Senator Ransom had
evidently been grieved by it, and gathered himself
for reply He said he had sat in silence during
seven years while ISLANDERS had been heaped
upon his people, who as poor as
the sand of the and as homeless as
the winds of heaven, and that in his
heart he wished be could remain silent. He was
determined, however, not TO he drawn into any
angry words by the Senator from Maine. He made
some sweeping general denials of the charge that
free elections were impossible, and then
entered upon q general argument in favor
of open Investigations He SAID that the result would
bear out the testimony of gentlemen on his side
of the Senate that the allegations of crime by the
Senator from Name against Southern people are not
true. He asserted in general terms that no spirit Of
unfalrness exists in the South against any
race, and that all the South wants IN
such an investigation is that 1t may take
place in the full sunlight OF Heaven, so that
all the world may know the peacefulness OF
her disposition and the purity of her motives: Hls
speech was vague and pointleSs, but hls gcstcnla-
lation and delivery were intended to be Impressive
Senator Blaine's reply a complies extiu-
gusher 70 Mr.. Ransom. He produced "A copy OF q
Democratic paper printed IN Ralelgh, n. u, ana
asked permission of the gentleman TO read por-
ton Of its leading editorial, commenting upon the
speech which Mr.. Blaine had made last week. This
he proceeded to do Hs follows:
Tn South will resist the bitter end. This is
questionably whire mans government; and white
men Will unquCsiiUuably Tule II hut for all that W" DO
sht hSi n'SpI Of suffice f o 1t matters not II he exercises
right. We little now the negro votes or
neiheT yd%h win pS be DsmScrac With or Without his
his right 10 vote must maintained for that right
titles Nort Caroline three and the South To thirty
five Represent tivcs. Our Northern brethren toOK
stick to 1 Us with. but II passed into cur hands
ana we take infinite pleasure in breaking their heads
81 his is not question" added Mr.. Blame, " be-
tween white men and black men; it is not merely
q question between Republicans and Democrats;
it is question in the South between the Demo
cratic party and any form of opposition that
chooses TO resist it,"
The vote upon the resolution of Senator Davis
was lost by a party vote of % TO 20.
IL is probable that the matter viii be finally dis
posed OF tomorrow. BY universal practice OF the
Senate, Senator Blaine will be the chairman OF the
special committee to conduct the investigation
under his resolution.
UNJUST JURIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SOME TRIALS AT CHARLESTON WHICH POSSIBLY
HAVE Sor CAUGHT SENATOR BUILER's AT
TENTIoN.
!BY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUSE.l
WASHINGTON. Dec. l6.-Ihe United States Cir
cult Court at Columbia, S. c., Judge Bond presid
ing, adjourned last Thursday, and the election
fraud cases were all continued to the April term
when Chief Justice Waite Will sit with Judges
Bond and Bryan at Charleston.
Soon after the last term OF the court opened at
Columbia, the United States Attorney sent to the
Grand Jury several OF the strongest cases against
officers OF the late election, but that body, beng
almost entirely of Democrats, failed to find true
bills in each instance
The Grand Jury was then discharged, and three
cases were tIicd on information. The first of these
was a proceeding against two OF the managers of
election, and their clerk, at the Court House Pre-
cnct in Sumter. These men. Mr.. Delorne. Nor
wood Fleming and w. b. Pebbles, were accused OF
stufing oil tissue-paper ballots into the box at
their precinct and fasifying the poll-lst IN order
to make it agree with the number of votes found IN
the box. The principal witnesses for the prOsacu-
ton were Judge Samuel Lee, one Of the United
States Supervisors at the precinct, and cOlOTed
Democrat, who one OF the election managers
and became witness for the Government. Judge
Lee testified that his clerk kept correct pol-list
aud that it showed that $50 men had voted.
He detected the clerk of the managers in
the act of placing three sheets contain
ing the names of 211 fictitious persons
among the sheets of the real list He called atten
ton to the fraud and wrote his name on each
of them. Those three sheets are now missing and
the managers assert that they taken from the
pocket of their clerk. When the box opened
SG5 ballots found in il. being four more than
the Democratic managers had names on their list
when those on the three fraudulent sheets were
counted and the number of tissue ballots found