The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-08-22
THE CAMPAIGN.
Speech of Gen. Ben Harrison, at Rich
mOnd, Ind


FELLow-C1TIzENs This campaign is to set
tie one very comprehensive and important
question whether the Democratic party shall
come into full control of the Legislative De.
partment Of our National Government. Hith.
erto they have had but one end of the national
Capitol. [ believe their full control would
work wide mischief and be productive of dan.
ger. The history of the Democratic party is 8
story of false theories of government and bad
practices in administration. It staked its life
for the perpetuation of slavery, and counted
the nations life as dung if it might win the
favor and vote Of the slave-master. 1t did not
as party relent or feel pity when brave men
were dying and brave women were sitting in
sackcloth and ashes. It felt no throb OF
gladness, but CRASHED It's teeth with rage,
when the martyred President, by his i'm
mortal proclamation, brought to the birth
100000 freemen. 1t made factious opposi-
ton to the amendments which have set in the
constitution the war-given liberty of the slave,
and dignifed it with the freemen's ballot
When the war was ended it allied itself with
the obstructionists in the South, and protract-
ed and embarrassed the work of RECONSTRUCT
ton. It became the inventor in the South and
the apologist in the North of the I" Mississippi
Plan" This catalogue is very incomplete, but
it will justify the verdict that the Democratic
party has a stronger instinct for the wrong side
of every question than any other political or
ganzation the world ever saw. I do not Won
der when Senator Morton, in the presence of
it's ablest leaders, challenged them to name one
great public measure the party had ever
brought forth that the answer came: "We
have appointed Investigating committees. !"
And even that business was found to be full of
peril-the spade of the Investigator too often
turning up Democrat.
The Potter Investigation Committee was put
upon the boards as tragedy-it has been since
played as a farce, with Mrs. jerks and Ben
Butler in the principal parts. But if the Demo-
cratic party shall control both houses of the
next Congress, if they shall have a majority in
the House to vote articles of impeachment and
a majority in the Senate to try these articles, I
believe that before the play ends the maskers
will drop their masks, and the play will have it's
serious ending. The bill organizing the Elec-
toral Commission was supported in the Senate
by every Democrat but one. In the House 157 Of
the 19l affirmative votes were Democratic. 1t
is clear, then, that that party was under the
highest obligation to carry out the terms of the
law in good faith. To them it was both law
and compact. Yet the records show that the
most facUious opposition and unnecessary de-
lays were interposed by the House to the prog
ress of the count Frivolous objections were
made to the counting Of the votes of come of
the electors of Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wis
consin and other States-so frivolous that in
some instances every Democratic Senator voted
to override them. By such factious and dila-
tory measures the completion of the vote,
which began Feb. l, was attempted to be de-
feated. It was not completed till q. M of
March 2. A ma ority of the Democratic Rep
resentatives were in favor of repudiating their
compact and annulling the Electoral Commits
sion law, which had been passed by their own
votes.
The success of the scheme would have
plunged the country again into war. From
this result we were saved, not because ma or
ity of the Democratic representatives were
law-abiaing, but because majority from the
South saw more promise for their constituent
cies in the pacific policy of Mr.. Hayes than in
anything Mr.. Tilden could do for them. The
motives of these gentlemen have since been
openly impugned by their political associates.
A bargain with MIR. Hayes has been charged,
and the question much discussed in Democratic
circles as to who the coward was who sounded
the retreat when the ''bor6er State militia -
were already harnessed for this second Demo-
cratic war.
On March 8, 1877, the next day after the
completion Of the electoral count, the follow
ing resolution was passed by an affirmative vote
of 146, all Democrats, and no Democrat voting
against it:
" Resolved, That it is the duty of the House
to declare, and this House does hereby solemn
ly DECLARE that Samuel J. Tilden of the State
of New York, received 1856 electoral votes for
the Office of President of the United States,
and that, Samuel J.Tilden having thus received
the votes of majority of the electors appoint
ed as aforesaid, he was thereby duly elected
President of the United States of America for
the term of four years, commencing on the 4th
day of March, A. D. 1871"
A similar declaration was made on behalf of
Mr.. Hendricks as Vice President. But Mr..
Hayes was inaugurated and is Presi-
dent. He withdrew the troops from South
Carolina and Louisiana, and the Democratic
State Governments have established them
selves. Now, let us put these facts together.
and we are prepared to understand the revolu-
tionary scheme which was cloaked under the
Potter investigation and the bill for the reduc-
ton of the army. The Potter investigation
had it's origin in a resolution passed by the
General Assembly of the State of Maryland,
which contemplated a direct attack upon the
title of President Hayes. This resolution is re-
ferred to, but not copied, in the preamble of
toward characterizing the latter. The Pot
ter resolutions were passed by an affirm
alive vote of 146, all Democrats, only
two Democrats voting in the negative.
The terms of the resolutions carefully
excluded any presentation of evidence Of
Democratic frauds in the election and the
amendment offered by Mr.. Hale, widening the
investigation, so as to make it fair and full.
was not allowed. This was notice in advance
that the committee was constituted to accom-
plish predetermined purpose, which was to
be pursued at tine expense Of all decency and
fairness. The failure of the House to come to
a vote upon and pass the resolution introduced
by MIR. Harrison, of Chicago, few days after
the passage of the original resolutions, declar-
ing that the investigation was not intended to
affect the title of President Hayes, and the re-
fusal Of the Democratic National Committee,
though urged by several conservative mem
bers to pass a similar resolution a
short time after, furnish the strongest posi-
BILE evidence that the original purpose in the
Potter investigation was revolutionary. It was
intended to furnish in the predetermined re-
port of the committee the basis of action for
the ejectlnent of Mr.. Hayes from his office
when the Senate should have a Democratic
majority. The purpose was openly and imme-
diately charged. It was known that public
confidence was much disturbed, and that the
business of the country would seriously suffer.
Ii, then, no such purpose was entertained,