Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-01-04
SENATOR BLAENE's COMMITTEES
AT WORK.

From the correspondence OF the New York
Herald.

From the correspondence OF the New Yori
r Herald.
I WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 1S78-Ths
special committee of the Senate ap
pointed under the resolution of Sen
atOr Blaine to investigate the alleged
frauds at the recent elections held
its first meeting to-day Immediately
after the adjournment of the Senate
in the room of the Committee on
Claims. Those present were Messrs
Teller (Chairman), Kirkwood and
Angus Cameron, Republicans, and
| Messrs. Bayard, Garland and Bal.
ley, Democrats. The absent mem
bers were Messrs. Hoar and McMil-
Ian, Republicans, end Wallace,
| Democrat. Those present found
/ themselves by the absence of the
two Republicans and one Democrat
evenly divided politically, which
caused q feeling of dissatisfaction on
the part of at least two of the Re
publicans, and there was but little
disposition manifested to begin the
business.
| A PROGRAMME NEEDED.
After a general conversation,
which lasted 4 quarter of an hour,
as to the scope of the work the com
mittee should endeav0r to carry on,
Senator Garland offered a resolution,
as starting point, that a committee
be appointed to draft programme
of action for the guidance of the
committee. This proposition elic-
tied an interesting discussion as to
the intent of the mover of the orig
inal resolution in the Senate, and
expressions were uttered which
were not complimentary to its
author. There was no disposition
shown by the Republicans to agree
to the resolution, and so ii was
withdrawn.
SEARCH FOR FACTS.
Senator Bayard thereupon offered
a resolution to the effect that the
President be waited upon by the
chairman of the committee, Mr..
Teller, and respectfully requested,
if not Incompatible with public in
terests, to furnish the committee
the evidence upon which he based
that portion of his annual message
relating to troubles and intimid:-
tion at the recent elections in the
South. This resolution was the
subject Of animated debate for three
quarters of an hour. The Demo-
cratic nembers-Messrs. Bayard,
Bailey and Garland-insisted that
the President must have the mate
rial which the committee needed to
facilitate its work, and if he was
not willing to furnish the committee
with it after the committee had
been organized TO carry into effect
the recommendation OF The Message
what was the committee to do ?
The Republican members, on the
other hand, opposed the adoption
of any such resolution as unneces-
sary. The committee had full
authority to gather evidence, and
there was no question about the
facts being at hand as fast as they
were required. The motion to
adop. was lost, Messrs. Teller, Kirk
wood and Cameron voting against
and Messrs. Bayard, Garland and
Bailey for the resolution.
SENATOR BLAINE ASKED TO AP-
PEAR.
After a few minutes intermission
Senator Bailey said he thought it
would be pertinent to allow Senator
Blaine an opportunity of appearing,
by documentary evidence at least,
inasmuch as, the committee would
not have the-benefit of his presence
on the con1nlttee, and he offered a
resolution to the effect that the
Senator, from Maine be requested to-
furnish the committee with the
facts upon which he based his resO-
luton. This proposition was de-
bated for some time, more, appa-
rently, to allow The Republican
members an opportunity of officially
expressing their mind, and was
finally adopted, only one member,
q Republican, voting against it.
The committee then adjourned until
tomorrow, when the first business
will be the discussion of resolution
which will come from Senator Bay
ard, to the effect that until further
orders the sessions Of the committee
be held in Washington with open
doors.
RANGE OF THE INVESTIGATION.
II Is uIiutFSttlOtt IIldl lIIS IheDuDli-
cans will endeavor to limit the in
quiry to the elections in Louisiana,
South Carolina and Virginia, while
the Democrats will insist that it is
the duty of the committee to invest
igate the whole field, including the
conduct of the Republicans at the
elections in Boston, New York,
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Gin
cinnati. Senator Wallace, it is said,
was the only Democratic Senator
who expressed desire to be on the
committee, and his object was to
bring to the attention of Congress
the long standing charge of official
corruption in the conduct of the
Federal elections in Philadelphia.
The Democratic members profess to
be a unit in the resolution to make
the investigation full and thorough,
while the Republican members al
ready appear to show a lack of en-
ergy in carrying out the plan of
Senator Blaine, who is charged
with devising the measure to show
only the effect of the Presidents
policy in South Carolina and Loui-
Siapa