The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-27
GENERAL BUTLER DISSENTS
FROM THE VIEWS OF THE JU.
DICIARI COMMITTEE on
HAYES TITLE

Washington, June ls.-General Butler
as an individual member o! the Judiciary
committee to-day submitted 20 the house
o. Representatives his reasons f1r dissent
ing from the resolution and report OF the
majority in regard 10 tho inyiolAbility Of
Mr.. Hayes title, He argues a. grca;
length iha: the supsemescouvt has power
10 take cognizauee OF the alleged frauds.
He cri.icscs the proposition 20 refer the
matter 70 the supreme court, bu. says the
true starting poia, is in the sixth section Of
the electoral commission, &C. Of January,
ls77, which speaks Of procuring la the lI-
dicial courts OF the United States wiihou,
restricting possible inquiry TO the supreme
cour. ofthc pis,ric. Of Columbia, which
would have jurisdiction 20 Easr and tTy on
information in the nature OF quo warran-
to fled By the attorney general a, tho in
siigation ofany citizen conics,ing the title
Of any ofIlccholder in the District May
not such powers be conferred on any citi>
zen or court of the United States. As TO
the person of Mr.. Hayes General ButcC
SAYS. Whence comes this novel doctrine
tha: he Z. above the law Of the land. God
forbid that q President Of The United
States should ever commit common
crime but ifh he were 10 do 80 is he not
amenable 10 the law therefor? II he
usurps the possession of the property Of
another may he not be sued in the courts?
and yet according to the theory Of the com>
miitee he may commit the greatest posi-
bic act OF illcgality. usurpliion Of his Of
Zee without amenablcness 10 the judiciary
or any other power. DO most earnestly
protest against all such aggeraiions Of the
Office Of tho President. No man in the
United States, be he high or low, is above
the law and l depiore the actual condition
Of the presidency, to maintain which un
challenged wise and good men arc driven
10 such desperate resorts Of argument
General Butler sums up the situation
sbout as follows: Ii is claimed by n mas
iority Of the committee that if by force or
fraud, by forgery and perjury, by corrup-
tion and bribery, man may buy or de-
fraud congress into counting forged cleo,
.oral certificates of fraudulent votes and bo
allowed TO usurp thereby the office ofPres-
dcnt OF the United States there is no rem
ody against his exercise of the high duties
Of that Office and welding all It's great
powers for four years within the powers
Of the constitution. II will not admit that
our fathers made any such constitution or
frame Of government for tho welfare of the
people. / cannot admit that there Is no
remedy for SO great wrong known to
republican form of government guarded |
by constitutional checks and balances and |
legal and judicial remedies. If so, then |
lur republican form Of government Is
failure and will go out in right and dark |
ness to the extinction Of popular rights |
md be succeeded by a government in
which the army shall put up at auction for
he highest bidder tho right TO exercise su,
,reme executive power, as was done in the
Roman empire. Then indeed is no reno.
lv left us but revolution instead of the
,eaceablc one through the action OF the
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