Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-05-14

ought to have been counted for TIldep, then
I shall be prepared to answer as to an
| amendment of that sort. But the gentleman
from Maine will not venture to declare any
thing of that kind.
Mr.. Hale-In other words, you mean to
say that any frauds that apply on one side
frauds committed by the gentleman's own
party are to be excluded. Is that it? Zap
plause on the Republican side.
MIR. Potter-Ob, no. The world Of wrong
is very wide. If the gentleman wisl "a to in
quire into matters of moral delinqut " out
side of Florida and Louisiana, do not OBJ
ject. Let him introduce his resolution for
that purpose, have himself put at the head
of the committee, and go into that investIga-
ton. Applause on the Democratic side.
seek nothing of the kind. 1 am not aiming
at persons. / desire to ascertain if fraud in
the electoral vote of these States was really
perpetrated, and If SO, how it was perpe-
trated, in order that such frauds may be pre-
vented hereafter
Mr.. Hale-And the gentleman denies any
attempt at investigation where there are
clearly shown frauds, the oldest In American
a dozen other States. He refuses to let that
Investigation go to his committee.
Mr.. Potter-I will vote for any kind of in
vestigation you seek but the amendment you
propose rs not german to this resolution, and
| is intended to prevent effectual investigation.
Mr.. Hale-But the gentleman will not let
it go to the committee, of which he is head.
do not ask for the appointment of commit
tee with a majority from this side of the
house, but l ask that the inquiry which the
gentleman's resolution proposes be as sweep
| ing as the country desires it to be.
Mr.. Potter-Well, let the gentleman from
Name sweep the dirt for himself. Laughter
on the Democratic side.
| Mr.. Hals-The gentleman from New York
evidently does not mean to sweep. Laughter
on the Republican side.
| Mr.. Potter-No, not with the inefficient
broom you would like to have used.
| Mr.. Garfield took the floor, but was met
with calls to order on the Democratic side.
Mr.. Potter said: 81 yield to any one of the
visiting statesmen" [Laughter.l
Mr.. Garfield understood the gentleman
from New York to say, when he was first up,
| Presidential title, but to investigate the
| question of fraud in the Presidential election.
Now, if that be so. l can only say that the
| gentleman last position, that he will not
| investigate any alleged fraud in any State
unless the vote Of that State was necessary
to put the President in the Presidential chair,
is in conflict with that idea. 1t seems to me
my friend utterly changed his position now to
the one of seeking to get at the Presidential
title. If he is seeking to get at the question
Of fraud in the Presidential election, then he
will get, l believe, the unanimous vote of
this side OF the house to pass his resolution,
provided he will enlarge it to take in all other
cases where there is real, bona tide allega-
ton and belief by large body of people
of fraud fully as great as anything he be-
lieves to have existed in Florida and Lou
isiana. If he will enlarge his own resolution
in that way, it will have my vote and the
vote of every man on this side of the house
several epubicans-every man. But if
he elects a certain narrow limit of alleged
fraud which, in case it Is true, can only re-
vert to the political advantage of one political
party and not to the general advantage of
truth in the republic, he will occupy the posi-
ton which all honorable men give to mar
row, partisan. partial, unjust investigation
Applause on the Republican sidel, and there !
fore | ask him to let the amendment be Of
fered.
Mr.. Potter-The gentleman from Ohio says
| have changed my ground and that | want |
to attack the Presidential title. Not at all. |
Whatever may happen as to the Presidential |
title as a result of this inquiry does not con-
Germ me now. | have said, and repeat, that |
l have no purpose of disturbing it. He says !
if only want to investigate election frauds |
the other side of the house would be glad to |
go into a general and sweeping investigation; |
that is, one so general that it would never |
eventuatc In any examination at all. But |
there is between these two extremes very |
obvious distinction. seek to investigate, not |
with the view of disturbing the President, |
or with any other view to the disturbance OF |
settled results. l seek to investigate frauds |
which became operative, which were success |
fully carried out, which were effective, and |
which were brought to our notice by the me- |
mortal of sovereign State of the Union. |
These are just exactly in two States and no |
more; therefore, an investigation looking be- !
You'd these two States would not be germane |
to the resolution and would be of no practi- |
cal effect.
Mr.. Conger took the floor, but was met by
loud shouts of "order! order!" from the
Democratic side. He, however, succeeded in
saying that if the other side would not per-
NIT his side to take any part in framing this
resolution of inquiry, the Democratic side
might pass its resolution if it could. APP
plause on the Republican side.l
Mr.. Potter-The gentleman from Michi-
gan is kind. We can do that without his
permission; but if he will offer a resolution
to investigate any frauds that he may allege,
we will be more liberal than he proposes, and
it will receive the votes of this side of the
house alto.
Mr.. Hale-I made my proposition in good
faith. The gentlemen on the other side had
declined 1T. Now let them 90 on by them
selves.
Mr.. Butler-Will the gentleman from New
York Mr.. Potterl allow me to add to his
resolution the words ''South Carolina p
Mr.. Garield-Mlssissippi also.
Mr.. Potter-No, Mr.. Speaker, for the SIM
pie reason that no frauds in South Carolina
or Mississippi became operative. The dis
tinction is obvious. l must now insist on the
previous question.
The Republican side of the house hereupon
resorted to the parliamentary expedient of
withholding their votes, so that when the
question came to be tested by the tellers there
were only 116 ayes to l no; no quorum
voting.
Mr.. Potter moved call of the house, which
was made, and all the Republicans answered
to their names, so that no further proceedings
under the call could be taken.
Mr.. Potter then asked the speaker whether,
if the house adjourned now. this question
would come up as unfinished business.
The speaker informed HIM that it would
remain before the house until disposed of.
Mr.. Conger and other Republicans called
upon the Democratic side not to show signs
of weakness SO early. The taunt was an
swered just as defantly, and it was intimated
house until there was enough of Democrats
present to constitute quorum without the
aid of Republican votes. This will require
the presence of at least thirty Democrats
more than were in the house to-day.
Mr. Potter moved that the house adjourn,
and the vote was taken by yeas and nays. |
Pending the announcement of the vote, Mr..
Hewitt, from the committee on approprla-
tons, reported the army appropriation bill,
and 1t was referred to the committee of the |
whole.
Mr.. Stephens, chairman of the committee
on coinage, weights and measures, reported |
bill prohibiting the further coinage of three |
and 6ve-cent silver pieces, and declaring the |
subsidiary silver coin legal tender In
amounts not exceeding twenty dollars. |
Passed.
The Speaker-Prior to announcing the re-
suit OF the vote, the chair announces with
sorrow the death of Joseph Henry, an Amer |
ican whose scientific attainments are world |
wide, and who devoted lifetime to the in
terests of science, regardless of personal COM
fort or emolument.
The vote was then announced: Yeas, 118;
nays, ITO.
Adjourned.
In the senate.
Sannknr Ial..nk... i u 1