The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-13

MIR. Hayes Honor Clear.
1t is but justice to President Hayes that
public attention be called to the fact that
the Potter investigation has as yet brought
nothing home to him. There is nothing in
any part of the testimony which has thus
far been taken by the Potter committee
which can raise even distant suspicion
that Mr.. Hayes had any knowledge OF,
much less any completely with, fraudulent
election transactions. There is not only no
evidence duplicating him. but the whole
tenor Of the testimony taken by the commit
tee up to this time excludes the idea that
Mr. Hayes had any guilty knowledge or
even the remotest suspicion OF fraudulent
transactions to make him President While
il is too clear that there were such transac-
tons it is perfectly evident that Mr.. Hayes
knew nothing OF them, and that he acted i'll
all points upon the theory that he had not
only been legally installed but honestly
elected. IF others had doubts or mis-
eivings the President did not share
them.
The Potter investigation was set on foot
Anderson and the ENHANCEMENT of Mat
thews would bring the Louisiana frauds
dangerously near to. the door Of the
President. That aim has been COM
pletely foiled. The fact that Matthews
was an intimate and familiar Of the Presi-
dent only strengthens the presumption
that he was in no way implicated either in
the frauds or in any knowledge of them.
The Matthews letters. which are very dam
aging to Matthews, are at the same time
perfect vindication of the President. For
the greater port of a year Matthews was
writing urgent letters to get Anderson APP
pointed to some Office which would satisfy
him, and the only success which attended
those persistent efforts consisted in at
last procuring for Anderson the petty
consulship at Funchal. When this
minor appointment had been procured
somebody in Washington who knew Ander-
son wrote letter to- the President describ-
ing him as unworthy, and thcreupon Mr..
Hayes directed his private secretary to
write note to Mr.. Evarts asking him to
withhold the commission which had been
made out for Anderson. The inability Of
Matthews, after so great an expenditure of
effort to procure for Anderson anything
better than that paltry consulship and the
decisive promptness with which the COM
mission was revoked as soon MS Anderson
was represented to the President as an un-
worthy man, are conclusive demonstra-
ton that the President did not think
he had anything to fear from secrets
in the possession of that man which his dis
appointment might cause him to divulge.
The fact that Matthews SO long urged the
claims Of Anderson in vain shows how weak
his influence was with the administration,
and the prompt revocation OF the appoint
ment within two days after it was made
shows how ignorant the President was Of
Anderson's pretended secrets, or at least
how little he feared them. The Pre- sdent was
alike Indifferent to Anderson's forbearance
and his enmity, m indifference which
he was not likely to have mani
tested if he had been acting in
collision with Matthews to shut Ander-
sons mouth and put him at safe distance
from prying politicians. The whole course
Of the President proves that Matthews had
little influence at the White House, and
that Anderson was regarded MS of no nc
count. Such treatment is irreconclable
with the theory that Mr.. Hayes was privy
to the Returning Board frauds. The inves-
tigation has proved that Anderson is an in
triguing scamp and Matthews timorous
fool; and it proves even more conclusively
that the President has not soiled even the
tip Of his fingers by any contact with the
alleged frauds.