New-York tribune., 1878-05-29
MIR. STErUENS.S REPLY.
HE DENIrs THAT HE HAS BEEN ACHING IN CONCERT
WITH REPUBLICANs OR FROM ANYTHING En-


low:
NATIONAL HOTEL, May 2s.
notice in the issue Of your paper this morning let
ter from the Hon. CldrkSon y. Potter Of tie House in
response inquiries Of of his orrespOndens III rca-
ton to the passage Of his resolution regard to the
appointment Of "A committee 10 investigate the frauds
in the late Presidential election etc. which
not only jus;ifcs but requires some public
notice by me. far as the letter reairS
TO me aud my acis in connection thc,T"dm. n i d,,
respect Mr.. Potter since for lin personal enter
@ r a wbb % wi f 6cS E icpy | "a cdntancd in tie
following words expressed by him TO his correspondents
You ask me Why Mr. Stevens was "howlGd down
pending order OF business 10y motion or state
mcut requires unanimcus consent, and every member
has the absolute night 10 object to the Interruption THIS
objection j. expressed by the words, Object or de
Viii prevent the infrrrIipou sometimes the dcs ire to
prevent 1t Is general and then the cry of regular
order " Will be from many persons. 1t so happened
Slcpcus lie had suggested that we should receive and
adopt The Hale amendment II was reported that he las
given the Republicans a list Of twenty names Who
wonld follow Inn in any motion OF his 70 urcNcn ihNcsu-
CATION. About this hc Was grossly mistaken. ana has
made our side especially INV Hing 10 hear him. But
you VIII observe tha when rose To make proposition
IL Nh Hale and The Rrpubican outcrl prevented NY
being heard, II was announced ~ the pres, that ME.
Pottu's Enquiry Was interrupted whie VI. aiephrni
was hcad-lncd as The venerable statesman ho"'1
down by Fptters mob
My comments upon this extract from his letter are
follows:
IUSlI mere was dEN gross lIl-ldL' III tIN I''''''
y M Potter, and not 10y me- 30 far as ms state
mca; IS calculated 10 convey the idea or impress
sion 'aat | had given the Republicans a
list G any names who would follow me
in amy notion prevent investigation, 1t is entirely
without foundation. IS matter OF truth il has not tHc
shade of the shadow OF fact 10 rest upon. had Eot
conferred dWccty tr indirectly With Mr.. Hale Mr Car
Held or any other Republican, upon the subject, lad
no, spoken directly or r.ctly with Mr. Hale
within the last two weeks before, u'on gny
Garfield upon this matter except what were made some
weeks before when objected 70 the r,ccpt'u oi ir
Ma,H"Ed mTWeI@', "a, M',h 'r & H., . i,,.' ,l m
Of the Sta'" 70 10 the COMMITTEE on ia, JN",.,
oGic,img all question:. attaching to The Presidential
til. any epcrcI upon that occasion and my tI"h l'
ur any conference. with tho President, as have seen
alleged m some pa"r' nI9n ms .H.l'ci' ,.., ,,.
offered, / had appeared IN the House solely
witI view Of fcltns a s',pgn'''m ~. 'I "II
hc bill OF The Committcc on Coinage ITo'idinE for t'r
rctuemmt OF me tTGe a4 ,rncnl ...ygr Il', @ .,n
fender when they are presented aIuouut- Of twenty
dollars and upward AMI have them rcd cmcd WHOM II'-
sonted IN the Treasury IN ib" amount ms DiI "T'h
ten rot cayc of al los ee week on account of
my health; with pair WIN hr HMrl. OF M,--'-
cu-ctl.. I told ihat hai hardly g%nc GA. 81 no,
Capitol when th, cyclone bust upon the House. A'
no animation OF ihc'oie.
PROTESTS ~ Mr. srrrnr>s.
On rcach,n: my room l confined 70 Inv
bed and IL WAS not until the next day t'1i
knew Of what had occurred in tie House
after / left. Mr. Potter himself was on" oi
tic first whom conferred with on the subject ga Wed
uc,day the 9Th after the House had concton dra"ch
From -lca-room addressed 10 Nj Potter tic fo.'"-
ing note. of which General Knott furnished me copy
to-ilv Il Is IN these words:
H4uo>AL HoTfL. wAsHNoIoS, = CO.
The Hou. CIArE-os y roTIlEWouse et ReIo'""t't,,S:
\
cty greatly regret that cannot 20 ana sc YOU ln
IIaii i' nimIE IL vii b. a great mistake II our
friends in the Hon-e shall pass your Irs. ulgi n''i
oIhcr amcndrncut- looking 10 enlarged Investigation.
DO not INSIST on the previous ou"ru"n. ,"ad i't
vote for It If were rIc-cui, ana were h" I",'a '-
| am; nor could | vote Tor "a" resolution
under the previous qnc'uon without nIo"ihs Tu'rhn
Iuents II would only divide the Drm""I"r' an! uI.',
rc Rrpubcau- Ny opinion Is that mischief Instead "f
your resolution ~ II j." under l"e p',li'"1 E'"''i
Please c1c,r this note. feel II NV duiy, i',h" ar
am to send It to YOU Ney re,2rctiIIF nGl I|
yours, etc, A'i'' - IN '''.'0'
After this note had been Dispatched 10 HIM sent iho
following note 10 Mr Canlcr. my colleague. ID the
House. This note "a Of similar ru-ort 70 The
ore above 70 Mr.. PottcrI After this sent
a, similar uoio to my colleague, Nj Ha.rl-,
and Icqucstcd him to secure Inc pair If
yrfc WAS taken From thc-" votes IT VIII cariy APP
pear win whom irst conferred ana the opinion en-
eraiurd of The effect OF proceedings thcn c"hl on 10
the House upon t"c Dcmoc'huc patty "~ wen - ih'
coanly. Io"hcd nr2n ln'in a. uI".,s .,,a,',
pears from THESE notes that was not IN iaNoI "l
motion defeat III" investigation oi irani Of a"y KIND
was aso a. have been since the Presidential con
test was constitutionaiy docdcd against any Inyo'i
tie title of tho present incan6cnt OF The EH-
ecuIIyc char. Iho democracy OF ohr Z1,noH Z VI
aw and oder ana upon standing BY them as con-'itn-
tlonaly pIopouuded
TIE TIGHT IL TIE HOUSE.
TIL, was the state Of thing, wncn made NY appear
tl.o JItu.e N ltl
heard from Mr. Potter from any one had not con
suited directly OF indirectly with Republican in the
IIgG,c or cur OF the House / made appeal 10 Mr.
Withdraw his case for The prJylcu, question
allow me three minutes only. My object wa, io Sc lm
10 ,' tn arucaI 10 tnc IIousc-to patriots on
both sides TO vote down h- previous question ana allow
Mr. Hale any Eepub 'rau 10 Ohor Just thrh amend
urn5 for the cnlarE cement Z" the InHc-ealloh as hy
ni.L see NJ f. was then mat Mi Potter declined 10
UibdrW the call OF allow no the hftc minutes ne HdG
tt il yya. from no G,respcc 10 but tnft nc could
no, do IL ~ acting uddcr Instructions whether
Mr. Potter had communicated to Others lhr PuPoii" 81
ny vote and the caucus h"d dclcImlhru 'ndt
should not be heard upon the tGlJccl J a. hol
know but certainly had not suggested ~ mat mote mat
the Democrats should do anything else man receive a"
amendments additional propositions Tor investigation
that might be offered frouI any quarter -
SccDtd-Mr Potter seems 10 coniouhd ms dates ne
speaks of what occurred when he rose to naca rop9a
ton to Mr, Hale as # done upon the same Ti day
In This he Is ms;4ko Ills proposition to MI laIG was
ou the next day FRIDAY and lad no connection whti-
ever wrh the proceedings on "hich was denied"
WHY STEPHENS WAS HOwLED DOwN.
Ihird-Mr. Pottcr's reasons for refusing Mr. Iales
amendment appear to me TO be singular and most nn-
tcnable He says il not grrinane. Why
IL was not germane | cannot see. All frauds
it would seem to me OF kindred character They
arc AL the anne class of crimes; belong tO
the same family, ana differ only III char"c-
ter and degree. If fraudulent Electoral
count in Florida gcrnanG to like fraudulent count
in Louisiana, why not like fraudulent count III
oregon ANY other state equally gcrmane TO the pro-
vision TO investigate fraude
TOurih-Mr Potter justiics his in refusing an
Investigation into the frauds alleged in Mr.. Iales