Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-02-22
Stormy Scenes in the House.

tary Academy Appropriation bill being
under discussion in Committee of the
Whole, Hewitt IN. " severely criti
cized Southern members for their course
in regard to West Point, and had read
q passage from Aiken's Is. C.) speech,
a few days ago, proposing that West
Point should be put up on the auction
block. This aroused Aiken, who charged
that Hewitt had distorted his words,
which proved him to be, what House
(Tenn.) said he was, " demagogue,"
This produced decided sensation.
Aiken, warming up, denied that he was
opposed to West Point; he had meas
ured steel with its graduates, and knew
their bravery and worth; but, while thus
engaged, "I never met him there
shrieked Aiken, pointing toward Hewitt,
Aiken, continuing, said "West Point
had never produced an Esau, a Benedict
Arnold, or man who sold out the
Presidency" This remark created the
most intense excitement, and every eye
was directed to Hewitt as he rose
trembling and pale with passion to re-
ply. Abiding to Aiken's charge of
selling the Presidency, Hewitt said if it
was sold no Northern man sold it; but
it was sold by Southern men. The
proposition to buy the Presidency had
been made to him, but he had con-
temptuously refused it. This confession
startled the House, and produced even
greater excitement than had previously
existed. From all parts of the House
came excited demands for the name of
the party, and for several minutes moth
,,,r I,s, ,.1 L.,f
"Name him, name him." "If,n shout
ed Hewitt, "the House demands some
unwritten history it shall be told" This
added to the excitement and increased
the tumult Everybody was certain
that the secret history of the Wormley
Hotel meeting, the alleged bargain and
contract, was at last to be made known,
and all prepared for the startling revela-
tions that were promised. In the midst
of the excitement Hewitt crossed over
to the seat of Tucker (Va.) and
held few minutes earnest converse
ton with that gentleman, after which
he returned to his place and related the
story about the messenger, Pickett, who
was said to have come from Madison
Wells, at New Orleans, and offered to
give the vote of Louisiana for Tilden
for the sum of S500,O00. Everybody
was disappointed. The story told by
Hewitt had been told before by Pickett
himself. The House was not satisfied
and insisted on knowing more. Finally
Hewitt went on and related his inter-
view with Foster (Ohio) in connection
with the completion of this count. This
was the only new revelation made, and
it confirmed nothing. Hewitt knew
nothing of any bargain or negotiation,
but said that after Foster had called
upon the Louisiana delegation they
seemed to be satisfied and manifested a
desire for the completion of the count.
Finley (Ohio) said the gentleman
| from New York had stated that a prop
osition had been made to him by Mr.. j,
Madison Wells to sell out the Presiden-
cy. He (Finley) desired to add that
that hoary-headed rascal and his fellow
conspirators had been indicted in Louis
! lana, and that one of them had been
convicted; and yet to-day members of
! Congress, of the House and the Senate,
and members of the Cabinet were send
ing to this convicted criminal letters OF
coincidence. Not only that, but, if the
| >
serious discussion in the Cabinet over
the proposition of sending the army
| Townsend On. Y.)-They should not
have been taken away into Louisiana
to wrest from the hands of the law the
convicted criminal.
Foster (Ohio) said that it had not
been his good fortune to hear the open.
ing remarks of Mr.. Hewitt, but in the
remainder of his statement there was
really nothing which had not been pub.
lished to the world time and time again
unless ii was the statement that he had
reason to believe that some bargain had
been made with some Louisiana gentle
men. There had been no bar9 ain made
So far as he (Foster) was concerned he
never knew of any. For himself, he
confessed that he had felt great solici
tude at the condition of the country
He had desired peaceful solution o.
the Electoral Count bill. He had voted
for it against many of his party friends
because he believed it was immensely
more important to the country that thai
question should be settled in a peaceful
and orderly manner than that either
Hayes or Tilden should be President
When the fillibustering movement haC
commenced on the Democratic side, hC
had again become solicitous about the
happiness Of the people. The question
of peace or strife had been involved
He had thought then that he knew wha
Gov. Hayes feelings were on the ques
ton of local self-government. He haC
made public proclamation of that il
his place on the floor, and Gov. Have:
had thanked him for making it; anC
that was the letter to which so mucl
reference had been made. He did no
know that at the time the gentleman
from New York was playing any i'm
portant part in that case until after ht
had come to him (Foster) to inquire
something about it. At that time he
(HewitD was not great factor in the
problem. The other gentleman from
New York (Wood) was conducting the
Democratic notwithstanding move
ment. He (Foster) had labored simply
for the peaceful execution of the Elect
oral bill without eXacting any promises
without making any promises, except
stating what he had believed would be
the policy of President Hayes. No one
thing was done anywhere or in any
place-and he defed mortal man tC
bring evidence to that effect thai
obliged anybody to do anything in con
sideration of anything being done by
the other side.
Garfield (Ohio) said:
When the decision of the Electoral Tribuna
was announced there were between thirty anC
| forty honorable gentlemen on the other side
most of whom had been in arms against us
who believed on their honor that they wert
bound to stand by the result. They did so
and they resisted like patriots every effort u
break up this count and bring this country
into civil war; and will not believe that afte
they had declared their purpose to do so thel
stained their honor by doing what they wer'
doing as matter Of trade; and l do not be
lieve It, The men who resisted flibusterins
on that side did it on the high grounds of ma
tiOnal duty and their conscienees as men, anC
If there be mortal man in this world tina
saws they traded, / believe that that man lies
say it for them; and If there be man il
this world that says that any man on this sid
of the House, or the President, or any man 70
the President made trade hope he will ex
hibit the trade and let the scoundrel VIII,
made IL, or who authorized it, be lashed, naked
through the world But | believe that tn