National Republican., 1879-01-22


carrying out q bargain with Mr. Tlden. This he
emphatically denied and said he had no idea Of II
until notified by n committee Of the Democratic
cnucus that he had becn selected as chairman.
with allegations against him, for him to have
moved an investigation of the cipher dispatches
would have given color to these reports. and It
would have been said that he did It to whitew0sh
his friend, Mr. Tldcn, For these reasons he had
not moved IN the matter, and now presented the
resolution under Instructions from the committee.
In concluding, Mr. Potter went over the items of
the expense of the committee, showing the manner
In which the $4,000 had been disbursud
Mr.. BUTLER obtained the floor lie said have
sought the cnrOf the House for the purpose of put
ting before II the reasons that win influence my
vote on this resolutOn-let them avail as much or
as little as they will. / have in this matter neither
friends to reward nor enemies to punish. ! look
upon IT ns question of very considerable gravity
-ns iurnishing precedent hereafter The resolu-
tlol alleges that there are certain cipher dis
patches which are supposed TO show that there was
nn attempt by fraud or bribery to influence the
ELECTORAL vote Of Florida, Oregon. and South Caro-
INA The resolution does not ullege that there Is
any evidence expected to show that any vote was
influenced by those attacks. Then we have this
case before u.s. We are brought to investigate the
acts of private citizens, which were or which were
not crimes at the time they were done.
IL they were crimes, the law Will punish them.
II they were not crimes, we can make no cr post
ydcio law that will reach them. And whatever was
done reqqires no legislative remedy and no lcgis,
lntivc action We all know that bribery and fraud
i'm elections can be punished, and we need no set
oil inventions of any set OF men to frame a law for
that purpose. Therefore, there is absolutely no
Is proposed IL shall do. The only ground on which
the House can take jurisdiction Of private CORE
spohdence, whether by telegram or mail, IS that
the House requires the information in order to get
legislative action There can be no other ground
under Heaven. | submit to the lawyers of the
HOusc-yca, to the good sense of every member Of
the iiouse-whether we can found our right to put
our hands on the act OF any private the cor
lespondence OF any private man (and he is private
United States position). Now, without Jurisdiction,
Whag Is expected from these cipher dispatches?
IT Is expected that somebody would either be
yindicatod or be smutted one or the otheC; and II
Is absolutely none Of our business to do either, and
above all, not TO take the public money for that
purpose.
Never mind how high in party relations any
private citizen may stand; never mind how IL may
Affect any party or any man. this is absolutely be-
yond our reach, and ought to be beyond our reach
And above all, we should not take the public
money to crafty the prurient curiosity for scandal
oil anybody In the House or out of it; and that Is
what we propose to do. IL is proposed that part
OF these dispatches have been published. have
no doubt that supposed copies of them may have
been published; but of that have no knowledge
But Whatever they may be; whatever has been
published, better let II take It's place Uor the honor
OF the nationl among the emanations of the sensa
nut upon the public records of the Congress of the
| United states as disgrace to the nation.
natlon and its members should be like l1m-
ily-never, never investigate the private scandals
of family unless there is divorce sought for on
one side or the other llaugbterh and unless II Is
necessary for the purposes OF Justice. Andsowhere
gained except 10 exhibit TO the world the friction of
| the workings Of Republican institutions and 10
bring them Into contempt had we not better walk
backward with the cloak over our shoulder aud
throw the mantle over what ought not to be seen.
Much has been said about these dispatches. Very
wrong imtimatiOns have been made against q com
| pany for which | have no particular love (thc
| Western Union Telegraph Company of something
wrong done on their part. il is but due to that
| company that | should furnish TO the House and
the country the origin and existence of those dis
patches outside of its oiice-as they now exist out
side OF its oihcc.
| When the Senate of the United States ordered an
investigation into some portions OF this matter in
the winter of lS16-'77 Il subpoena dHceS ttc,na was
served on that company; and 1iler the company
utive committee was called under subpoena TO
produce the cipher dispatches and other teegrams,
| they were delivered over TO u committee of tho
| Senate. That committee examined II portion OF
them and published the results of its examination
qdOdd Oregon, believe But before II finished,
the Senate adjourned, the chairman of the com
mttee died, the cipher dispatches were suffered to
lie around loose perhaps that would be the best
phrase, and everybody dealt with them apparently
as he chose to deal with them. The eompany,
having lost jurisdiction over them, did not and
probably could not resume it. Therefore, If youg
into the investigation of these cipher dispatches, II
viii be but Irogmcntary investigation.
| do not know what is in the bundle of dispatches
which found on my table at the beginning of the
sessions OF this committee, because they never have
been examined. And here allow me to say paren-
thetically, that no of them has been ever seen
or read or copied by mortal man since they came
into my hands for the purpose of public disclosure
or have been IN any way publicly disclosed. say
they are only lragmentary and You Will not get tho
dispatches of both sides or all the dispatches of ono
side
was not present when the investigation Of these
| dispatches was promoted In the committee; but 1
| am told by the newspapers that the Republican
gentlemen OH the committee did not demand or
| desire or take action upon IT, and that it was the
action of the majority Of our friends the other
side. Therefore II Is not promoted, understand,
in the interests of the Republican party. cannot
ola t,,fE.
uctlon in that party desires TO destroy Presden-
tal candidate? Loud laughter.
The great result to be gained Is to stir up some.
Thing which had better not be seen, felt or smelled
Laughter That is all. That is all that we are
going TO gain, and for which we are going to spend
| the public money. If you want to spend II, give
| that $4,000 to the families of some poor working
men. Laughter and applause.l
| Now let me say word .lrthcr upon this matter,
and but word, for have given the reasons which
viii influence my vote. shall vote against II as
Il precedent, and have simply desired this oppor-
tunity to put ON record my protest, so that here
aller If anybody shall read about this matter he
shall say, Wen, at least there was one man in
position TO deal with the question as LAWYER as Il
such position OS not Ia be Influenced by any party
prejudice or party leaning, one way or the other
| General laughter.
Aud now let me say to you, Mr.. Speaker, and
| Members of the House we have got only thirty
odd working days before us, with the business of
the country dsordered It's commerce on the seas
visGd, and its system Of internal improvements not
cared for. And do you not think that we have
grandCr and nOblcr objects TO contemplate in the
remaining hours of our official life than stirring
up private scandal or private wrong of private in.
diViduals which did not succeed? fthe frauds
attempted had succeeded In putting any man into
the chair of the Presidency, that, think, would
have been proper matter to investigate. But us
they did not succeed, whoever attempted II took
his labor for his pains and has taken nothing by
MS notion ana we have no business with that
nothing which he took.
Mr. HALE reminded the House Of his effort last
session to have an inquiry into the very same sub,
ieCt matter now proposed to be inquired into ana
how that effort had been resisted 10y the other side
of the House. lie had said then representing hi,
party friunds) that the inquiry must be mudcunple
and broad The committee, hc said entered on rs
duties and took up one tale alter another whether
presented 10 II by responsible or by irresponsible
persons. II went TO one state and another in search
of information. II urrHlgued after the most seriou,
fashion distinguished citizen OF the Republic
the Secretary of the Treasury followed that
clue until 1t ended (aa everybody admits) in oN'
pOsure,
At last, after certain cipher dispatches that had
been construed by Il key mdubitnbly correct had
been put on the public market by II leading aud
culerprlsing newspaper of New York, this commit
Tee ttlt itself confronted with the very question
which IL had declined - act upon, and, after two
months time, have passed, at the demand Of public
sentiment, ANA not being willing q assume) TO re-
main longer In the position Of refusing iuYestiga
ton 1t hn, at last through It's chairman, presented
the proposition that the investigation shan be made
broad and large.
Mr. HALE said have some little sympathy also
tsatlrlealyl for that mpe.hcartcd old man of New
York, who, by unfortunate friends was taken from
liu ma nd fllIug Il1t