The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-06-06

= VestigatiOn. About this he was gross
ly mistaken, and has made our sid
especially unwilling TO hear him, bu
. you Will observe that when | rose I
make a proposition to Mr.. Hale ant
. the Republicans, OuIcry prevente
my being heard. It was announce
by the press that Mr.. POtter's inquirl
was interrupted, while Mr.. Stephens
was headlined as "The venerable
statesman hOwled down by Potter
: mob"
: My comments upon this extrac
} from his letter are as follows:
/. II there was any gross mistake
+ in this matter, il was by Mr.. Potter
, and not by me. So far as his state
ment is calculated tO convey the idei
OF impression that | had given thu
I Republicans list OF any who would
follow me In any motion to preven
the investigation, it is entirely with
out foundation. As matter OF truth
it has not shade of a shadow OF &
fact to rest upon. had not conferred
directly or Indirectly with Mr.. Hale
Mr.. Garfield or any other Republican
upon the subject. l had not spoken
directly or Indirectly with Mr.. Hale
within the last two weeks before upon
any subject, nor had | any words with
Mr.. Garfield upon this matter, except
what were made some weeks before
when he objected to the Maryland
memorial, at which time / urged him
in the House to Withdraw his Objcc.
tiOn and let this memorial of the
State go to the Committee on the
Judiclsry and be reported upon, with
a view OF quieting all questions at
taehiROfO the Presidential title.
My speech upon that occasion and
my appeal to him was duly reported
in the Record. Nor had / at any
time any conference with the Presi.
dent, as have seen alleged in some
papers, upon this subject. On the
Monday that Mr.. POtter's resolutions
were offered had appeared in the
House solely with view or getting
q suspension of the rules for the pur-
pose of having passed the bill Of the
Committee on COlnsge providing for
retirement OF three and five cent
pieces, and having them recOined in
other denominations. This bill, upon
being read, was almost unanimously
Ado8tsdr vg kRfp s8GGtU lfffffEY6sI 81 If yfieaItb
with q pair with Mr.. Harris, OF Massa-
ehusetts. / was told that had hard.
Iy gone out OF the Capitol when this
cycloue burst upon the House. I had
no intimatiOn of il before. On reach.
my room was confined to my bed,
and It was not until the next day that
l knew what had occurred In the House
after they left. Mr.. Potter himself
was one Of the first whom l conferred
with on the subject. Wednesday, the
18th, sitter the House had come to 8
deadlock, from sick room address
ed to Mr.. Potter the following note, oi
which General Knott furnished me 8
copy to-day. 1t is in these words:
WASHINGTON, May, Is, 1878.
The Hon. GARRISON N. Potter, HOUSE
Of Representatives.:
| MY DEAR SIR am still confined
to my room in this city, and greatly
regret / cannot go and see you in per.
son. Let me say to you in this way
that think it will be q great mistake
/ il our friends in the House shall pass
your resolution under the previous
question, thus cutting off Mr.. Hale ol
other amendments looking to an en-
larged Investigation, Do not insist
on the previous question. l couldn't
vote for It il were present, aud were
not paired as | am, nor could / vote
for the resolution under the previous
question without allowing amend.
ments. 1t would only divide the
Democrats, and unite the Republi-
cans. NY opinion is that mischief,
Il f,,Eoa1 - o,CoH mill anna Of -
vestigatiOn by the passage Of your
resolution as it is under the previous
question. Please excuse this note
feel 1t my duty, feeble as l am, tC
send to you. Very respectfully and
truly yours, &c,
ALEX. II. STEPHENS.
After the note had been dispatched
to him l sent the following note tC
Mr.. Gambler, my colleague in the
House
WASHINGTON, D. e., May IS, 1873.
| Hon. Million Il. CCuldieT, House o.
| Representatives:
MY DEAR SIR.-I am sorry I car
not be In the House to-day. 1 am
still confined to my room. think II
is important that our friends shall moi
vote for the previous question on Mr.
Potter's resolution. Amendments
such as Mr.. Hale wishes to offer
ought to be allowed. We ought not
to have a One-sided investigation.
The Committee will not be satisfied
with that sort Of inquiry. The peo,
pie want fair play, right and justice
and will be satisfied with nothing
short of this. II Mr.. POtter's resOlu
ton is passed without allowing an
amendment looking to On investigs
ton OF other alleged frauds, mischief
and not good, will come Of 1t. 1t vii
divide our side and unite the other.
should, IL there and not paired as
am, vote against the previous ques
ton, and then against the resolution
il the amendments were denied
Yours truly,
ALEX. II. STEPHENS.
After this / sent 3 similar note Il
my colleague, Mr.. Harris, and re
quested him to announce my pair IL 9
vote was taken. From these notes Il
will clearly appear with whom I haC
conferred and the opinion l entertain
ed OF the effect OF the proceedings
then going on in the House upon the
Democratic party, as well as on the
country. l looked upon them as un'
wise and untimely, and fraught with
mischief. It clearly appears from
| these notes that l was not in favor o.
the motion to defeat the Investigation
| Of fraud OF any kind. l was only
against 8 One-sided investigation.
was also, as 1 have been since the
Presidential contest, cOnstitutiOnAlly
decided against any investigation
with view to impeach or Sssail the
title OF the present Incumbent OF the
Executive chair. The Democracy OF
the school in which | was reared was
placed upon the principle Of law and
order, upon abiding by the law a:
eOnstitutiOnRlly expOunded.
This was the state OF things when
made my appearance in the HOusi
Thursday, 10th inst. l had not hesrC
from Mr.. Potter. | had not consulted
directly or indirectly, with any Re
publican In the House or out of tht
House, made an appeal to Mr.. Pot
ter to withdraw his call for the previ
Gus question to allow me two minute
only. My object was to get him 4
Withdraw the call for the previous
question or, II he would not, to sppea
to the House, TO patriots on bOtf
sides, to vote down the previous ques
ton and allow Mr.. Hale or any Re
publican 10 offer just such amend
ments for the enlargement Of the in
Vestigstion as they might see fit.
was then that Mr.. Potter declined 4
withdraw the call or allow me tire
minutes. He said it was from no Ills
respect to me, but that he cOull no