Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-25
THE rEnsossEL OF THE COMMITTEES.
HOlC tho investigators Act and LOok-Pottpy
Introducing the Alarming Precedent of
GentleTanllzu Conduct.

| 'Gentlenannzy Conduct.
washington Correspondence Chicago Times. |
The committee has thus far developed two
Ter is talented bully, but Reed has not this
excuse. Reed has been subdued by chair
man Potter, but the devil himself could not
teach Butler manners, when he has on the
insulting mood. Yesterday he SO insulted
and badgered small telegraph operator,
that many felt like throwing something at
his ugly head. He has been written up by
rural correspondence as such terrible being
that he terrifes some credulous people with
his iron-clad manners. But it is hard to
find where he has secured his great reputa-
ton even for talent He is nearly always
| upon the wrong side of every question, and
has made worse blunders during this session
| than would have ruined any other member.
His powers have evidently failed him. bat
his meddlesome disposition and vanity of
notoriety remains. He effects to dispise the
! press, yet this is q sham. His every remark
| in the committee-room is directed to the
| correspondents. At every attempt at
witicism or bullying his eyes would travel
first from the witness to the press gang.
| Indeed, few of the committee men forget
| that they are in the presence of some forty
men who are fastened to one end of tele-
| graphic wire running into all the newspaper
Offices of the country. A joke here, a pc
cular grinnace. an onnninous shake of the
| head, the brandishing of document, all
this is instantly photographed and sent out
to the eager forty millions of people. Chair
man Potter is introducing some alarming
presidents. He is a gentleman through and
! through. You must confess this whether
you like his peculiarities or not. If an
| Episcopal bishop in full clerical dress were
presiding there would not be better order.
This figure is suggested because Potter is
the son of q bishop. He believes in gentle
means where they serve as we'll. He is so
uniformly polite, SO considerate of what is
due his political opponents. that he has thus
far kept the committee thoroughly harmoni-
! GUS. There is an absence of that usual
pickering and political clapper-clawing that
enlivens the average committee meeting.
He asks but few questions, and appears to
believe that his position as chairman re-
quires him to act more as an umpire than
examiner in chief.
Mr.. McMahon, the Bourbon leader in the
examination Of witnesses, is decidedly wasp
h. He is fond of ying sharp things, but
III quiet way. He always treats a witness
respectfully, and by his very m Illness sue
ceeds better than Butter with his bullying.
McMahon has charge of all of the documents
that have been gathered up during the long
year preceding this hunt for history.
Col. Morrison, who sits at the left of Mr..
Potter, hardly ever asks question. He
lounges over the table, leans upon his right
hand, and then upon his left, rubs his fore
head, scratches his beard, yawns, and runs
bis hand through his hair, as if he were
somewhat bored at times and nervous Yet
through it all it is very evident that he fol-
lows every word of the testimony, and omits
nothing. Sitting the right Of Potter,
Stenger, of Pennsylvania, appears as the as
sociate counsel of Mcmahon. He reads all
of McMahon's documents, follows him close
ly in his examinations, and suggests from
time to time points, although he never asks
a question. Reed has practically given up
the examination of witnesses and left the
matter to Cox. Cox always makes good
impression. He appears to be fair minded,
and hardly ever creates the impression of
trying to take any advantages of the wisness,
or Of the evidence. He is very clear and pre-
else, and in several instances has been too
much for the mad impetuousity of the Essex
bully