Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-05-30
Ell CHRONICLE.
ST. cLAIRsvILLE. OHIO.
rHURsDAY.M 80. 1878.
Mr. Poifer's Heavy Contract.

ocratic leaders regard the present po
litical situation and the attitude in
which their party has been placed by
the action OF Congr 50 is Well found
ed. They are quite Fight in the ohser'
vktioh that The Investigation just set
on foot will prove a fatal blunder un-
less its mowers do much more than I'LL
tie measure Of the programme they
have announced. For they have es-
tablished their own conditions, fixed
their own limits TO the scope OF the in
quiry. appointed their own tribunal.
and at every step in the preliminary
proceedings made sure of having their
own way and allowing no Interference.
So far as they can foresee they have Ia
ken no risks nor chances. The main
object has been from the outset TO max e
dead sure thing" of 1t. II there
was ever q court organized to convict
it is the high court Of inquiry which
Speaker Randall has selected to prose-
cute this investigation. And the whole
business has been managed In such a
blundering way, with such pig headed
stbbornness and unreasoning stupidity,
as to disclose not only the basehess Of
the motive but the deliberate Unfair
ness of the methods and patent pur-.
pose to pervert truth and justice to par
tisan ends. The public. az these con-
spirators may rest assured, is not impo-
sed upon in the least by any Of the
professions or pretences upon which
this business has been brought forward.
To go back upon their own agreement
TO abide by the decision of the Eieeto-
raj Commission, was In the first place
such violation Of truth and honor as
could hardly be excused or p.lliated,
even by the discovery OF unquestioned
frauds invalidating the election be-
yOnd dispute. But they have done
much more than this. They have la.
ken the responsibility of repudiatiug
their ewn promises and of setting on
foot revolutionary proceedings upon no
better pretext than that they have
procured sfidavits from election Off
Gers who swear that they have perjured
themselves; they have refused to en-
large the inquiry sufficiently to in.
clude other facts than those they have
prepared; and they have so constituted
their court of inquiry as TO give the
least possible chance to bring out any
thing except the testimony that has
been made up for the case.
The public now waits to see what
they have to produce In the way of
fraud, that can furnish sny warrant for
these unusual and revolutionary pro-
ceedings. With all the conditions in
their favor-everything 'set up" for
them, so to speak-it becomes incum-
bent upon them to prove something
much more conclusive than anything
that has yet been intimated. They
have taken the responsibility of dis
turbing or attempting to disturb, the
peace of the country. and they will be
held to strict account for it unless they
can show some adequate cause for it.
The people will not excuse them for
trying revolutionary experiments with
nothing but &c pGrte and untrustwOrthy
testimony or foolish conjecture to base
them on. Nothing indeed will excuse
thfo 70 ha .,nnr,l..
the discovery Of facts that will warrant
what these conspirators Insist they do
not expect or desire-a revelation.
Anything short of that will seem like
reckless trifling. And yet they must
know that the scope of the inquiry as
they have limited it, and the constitu-
tion of the committee as they have ap-
pointed and organized it, are such, and
SD we'll known to the public, that q
popular revolution cannot be expected
TO result from the movement. This Is
the sort OF thing that must end either
in tragedy or broad farce. And it
must be confessed that this Democratic
party blunders about as readily Into
the one as the other. They make such
wretched work with whatever they
undertake that it is no wonder that
poor Mr.. Wstterson. who would really
like to have his party behave with
some dignity and show some signs of
intellis and discretion, exclaims.
as he casts his eye over its dismal
record, 1--WE have had surfeit of
blunderingP' Indeed they have;
something more than surfeit, with
not one solitary CLEAN of common
sense or exhibition of tact or prudence
to relieve the record. And the Potter
resolution seems to cap the climax.
These gentlemen were dissatisfied
with the result of the Presidential
election rs first officially declared.
They clamored that they would have
none of 1t. They would have an Elec-
toral Commission decide 1t, or they
would make trouble. They had their
! Electoral Commission, and it decided
against them. They were still dissat.
isfed, and solemnly resolved that they
had been cheated. A month ago, &C.
cording to interviews published in The
Herald, and uncontradieted, the Dem.
] ocrats in Congress, almost without ex-
ception, said they were opposed to re.
! opening the Presidential question.
Last week they voted, nevertheless,
almost unanimously, for the Potter
resolution, which does substantially re-
/ open 1t. They seem to recognize no
obligations; to be bound by nothing.
They do not submit to the laws; they
/ repudiste their own express promise
and agreement; they pay no regard In