Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-06-01
THE PRESIDENTIAL TITLE.
Refusal of the House Republicans
to Declare Hayes Title UnassaiI-

n
Refusal of the House Republicans
TO Declare Hayes Title UnassaiI-
able.
Washington Special to New York Herald.
The Republicans, under the lead
of Mr.. Hale, lifted their hands
against the Presidential title, this
afternoon. The Potter resolution
was put through last Friday as
matter of party discipline, but
against the judgment of many Dem
Ocrats. who are dissatisfied that it
does not explicitly deny the inten-
ton to attack the Presidential title.
This dissatisfaction made itself pub
lie to-day in resolutions introduced
by Mr.. Carter Harrison, of Illinois,
in these words:
Whereas, a select committee of
this House has been appointed to
inquire into certain frauds alleged
to have been committed in Florida
and Louisiana in November, 1875,
in connection with returns of votes
for Electors for President and Vice
President; and,
Whereas, 1t is charged that frauds
of a like character were committed
at the Same time in the States of
Oregon and South Carolina there
fore, be 1t
Resolved, That said committee
be and it is hereby empowered to
inquire into the same, if, in its opin-
ion, testimony thereon Of substan-
tial character shall be presented to
it; and, be it further
Resolved, That the Senate and
House of Representatives of the
Forty-fourth Congress, having
counted the electoral votes for Pres
ident and Vice-President, and it
having been declared that r. B.
Hayes had received the highest
number of votes for President, and
William A. Wheeler the highest
number of votes for Vice-President,
it is not now in the power of Con-
greSs, nor is it the purpose Of this
House, through said investigation,
to annul or attempt to annul the ac-
ton of the FOrty-fourth Congress in
the premises.
Mr.. Harrison asked their conside-
ration as a privileged question to
WIllCis Vi GOuLoCs tAICy "G1C OllltlCd
as germane to the Potter resolution,
and the Republicans, who have
made such an ado about the Potter
resolution signifyinga revolutionary
attack on the Presidential title, had
now the opportunity, if they were
sincere, to vote for Mr.. HarrisOn'S
amendment, and thus definitely
settle this matter. The Republican
leaders anXiously consulted for
awhile, and then told their people
not to vote, and the result of this
was that, though ten Republicans
| did vote, there was once more no
quorum, and Mr.. HarrisOn's sensi-
| Bile resolution was denied admission
and was thus defeated by the Re
publicans. This at any rate closes
/ their mouths. If some Democrats
mediate an attack on the Presiden-
! tial title, the mass of the Republican
side have clearly announced that
! they freely consent to this design
! Their own act to-day shows a far
more revolutionary intent than
anything the Democrats have SC
far done.
The vote was very significant.
In the first place, of the Potter COM
mittee, only one member, Mr..
| Blackburn, voted against Mr.. Har
rison's resolutions. All the others,
/ except three absent, voted for Mr..
Harrison, and consequently voted
that it is not now in the power OF
Congress, nor is it the purpose OF
this House, through said inVestiga-
ton, to annul or attempt to annul
the action of the FOrty-fOurth Con
gress in settling the Presidency.
Seventy-One Democrats voted in
favor of Mr.. HarriSOn'S resolution
and therefore against reOpening the
Presidential question, and only fifty
voted against Mr.. Harrison and
presumably in favor of reOpening
the Presidency, though Mr.. Mills
of Texas, who voted "nay" to-day
was understood the other day tC
stand with Mr.. Harrison. OF the
fifty who, by this record, appear tC
favor an attack ON the Presidential
title, eleven Democrats and two
Republicans are from Northern
| States, the remaining thirty-nint
are Southern men, and six are from
henlucky, lWOlToHl 1enueSSe6, GWC
from Texas, two from Missouri
three from Mississippi, one eacf
from West Virginia, Florida, SOutl
Carolina and Louisiana, three from
Arkansas, seven from Alabama anC
six from Georgia.
OF the seventy-One who voted
with Mr.. Harrison, and therefore
against reOpening the Presidential
title, only ten are Republicans. O
the siXty-One Democrats twenty
four are Northern and thirty-sever
Southern men; of the Northern
men five are from New York, five
from Illinois, three each from Penn
sylvania and Ohio, the remaindel
being scattering; of the Southern
men, there were four from each o
the States of Tennessee, Virginia
Maryland and Missouri, seven from
North Carolina, three from Texas
one each from Louisiana, Alabama
Mississippi and West Virginia, two
from Kentucky. The House wa
by no means full, only one membe
f from Louisiana voting at all, anC
other delegations being thinly rep
resented.