Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-25

1 IL was also Irue Indt the assertion VI the cir
cuar was that Of man who declared
what was untrue and was unsustained by anv
word or act of the men who were there to
represent the Democratic party.
Mr.. Blaine thought there was an Immense
exhibition here of virture after the fact. If
anything was In the air at the time of the
appointment OF the Potter committee, ii was
| q conviction that it was organized to fish fo-
testimony on which to proceed against the
title of the President.
Senator Kernan-My recollection is that
cotemporaneouslv with the organization of
that committee the house passed resolution
that there was no intent to Question the
title of the President.
Senator Blaine-Some weeks after there
came up from the country cry OF indignant
protest, alter the business communities every
| where denounced such action, then the house,
on motion of Republican, did adopt ouch
| res button.
Senator Eaton reiterated his assertion that
the charge contained in the circular was
| baseless.
Senator Blaine said there were still echoing
in his ears the words of the senator from Con-
necticut EatonI himself, denouncing the title
| of the President to his office.
Senator Eaton-I say SO now.
| Senator Blalne-Then is not the senator
denouDcing the Republican party, that Is re-
| sponsible for the situationY
| Senator Eatou-I DO: but great many of
| the Republicans feel as l do about it. The
| best of them agree with me that the man at
| the White House has no legal title to his
| place as President of the United States.
| Senator Blalne-I will answer the gentle
man with my view of the case. 1t is, that
the President of the United States holds the
| Office to which he was elected by as lair aud
| honest vote as George Washington did,
i but that it took a singular departUe from
| the constitutional modes to make that vote
| good, and that he was not only entitled to
| the votes of the three southern States which
he got, but to three more southern States, of
| which he was deprived by bulldozing Demo
Gratis. Applause.
The Chair-The sergeant alarms will see
that the doorkeepers take into custody any
persons in the galleries violating the rules.
Senator Eaton said he could make no ar
gument upon the belief of his friend from
| Name Blainel. His own belief was that
three hundred thousand majority of the pep
pie were defrauded out of the result of an
honest election for President. The gentle
man states that the Potter committee was
organized to hunt for evidence OF that fraud.
Dare he say that if such evidence was found
Hayes ought not to be removed?
Senator Blaine-The senator awhile ago
alleged that the President held his seat by
fraud. Now. he does not know whether
the committee could find any evidence of
fraud.
Senator Eaton-I have evidence sufficient
for me.
Senator Blaine then remarked that the de-
cislon of the electoral commission was final
and conclusive, and was so accepted by the
people, and that 1t was an unpatriotic course
on the part of the Democrats to seek to
destroy that settlement They had agreed
upon the tribunal which decided against
them, and it was, in his view, dishonorable
to refuse compliance with the terms of that
settlement.
Senator Hill IGa. said there was an issue
OF fact raised here between the senators who
had spoken, and a very material one, affect
ing not the Democratic party alone, but the
character of our institutions. 1t was lmpor-
tant that the truth be stated upon this ques-
ton. The charge of revolutionary gur-
pose made against the Democracy by the
circular which had been read was
denounced by the senator from Connecticut
[Eatonl as false. Whereupon the
senator from Maine BlaInel came
to the rescue of the document, and charged
that there was such a revolutionary intent,
and to sanction his general charge he speci-
fes the Potter resolution as having that ute
rlor meaning. Senator Hill claimed that the
senator from Maine was as incorrect in his
statement as was the secretary of the senate
In his, and that he could produce enough
facts to bear out his charge. No portion of
the Democratic party ever intended, under
any contingency, a revolutionary movement
the electoral commission bill was passed, 1t
contained provision as follows: Section 6,
That nothing in this act shall be held to i'm
pair or affect any right now existing under
the constitution and laws to question, by
proceedings In the judicial courts of the
United States, the right or title of the person
who shall be declared elected, or who shall
claim to be President or Vlce-Prefident, if
any such claim exist" This is a provsit n
of the act OF congress establishing the cleo
toral commission. 1t was embodied
there in view of an apprehension that the
commission would, as they 10 fact did, refuse
to. look into and investigate the alleged frauds
in Louisiana ana Florida, and that the result
of their labors would be the declaration of
one of the claimants as President, without an
examination into the testimony regarding the
merits OF the case. 1t was adopted that the
doors might be lett open IN such case to a
proper judicial investigation, which should
bring out the facts; that there was ground
tor this belief that the courts of the country
would have jurisdiction Is manifest from the
fact that learned gentlemen and distinguished
| statesmen on both SIDES OF both cham
| bers incorporated the provision in the
electoral commi. sion bill, reservlng all right
| to reopen this question aud have 1t investi-
gated before the judicial tribunals CT the
country. Some Of the most able lawyers be-
! iieve that by proper proceeding, the supreme
| court can get jurisdiction to investigate this
| question. 1t was on that principal that the
| Legislature of Maryland passed memorial
to congress demanding that proceedings Of
| this nature should be lnaugurAted. Some OF
| the most distinguished Republican lawyers of
the country hold that it would be perfectly
| roper, In a competent proceeding,
| for the supreme court to re-
! open and determine this case upon
its merits. Every gentleman of his lHill'sl
| acquaintance, every prominent Democrat OF
the United States who desires to investigate
this question at all. desires to 90 so in courts
| and under encouragement and authority of
| the electoral law. Was this revolutionary
| Whether that proceeding before cont should
| be inaugurated or not would depend on re-
| liable evidence that should be obtained in
| the case. Therefore, all sections of the Dem.
| ocratic party were willing to have an Inves-
| tigation to obtain the real facts. There were
| Republicans as we'll as Democrats in tia
country who, if the factts sLouid thoroughly
establish the illegality of the title of the
Presidential incumbent to the Presidency,
and If it should appear that the Supreme
| court had authority to investigate the sub.
| ject, we've in favor of such investigation.
Senator bill denied that the D mocratic
party had ever announced revolutionary
purpose looking to the expulsion of the
President. It had never been announced in
the Legislatures, conventions or in congress.
To tell the candid fact, he had always be-
| neVeu InaI Tue RcnLleAldh LdlsSu INC ctJ VI
revolution to prevent Investigation.
Senator Blaine, in reply 10 a portion of
Senator Hills remarks, read from the deeis-
ion of the speaker of the house at the time
the Potter resolution was introduced to show
that the Investigation involved the occupancy
of the Presidential char,
Senator Hull inquired whether any Law had
been passed subsequent to the electoral COM
mission law which gave parties the right to
legally test the question of the PresidencyP
Senator Blaine replied that the entire Pot
ter resolution, from its beginning to its con-
clusion, did not mention it,
Senator Hill said the Potter resolution was
simply to obtain testimony in relation to the
subject. Would the senator say that the APP
pointment of committee for that purpose
was a revolutionary proceeding?
Senator Blaine-The speaker stated that it
involved the rightful occupancy of the Presi-
dental chair. Did you want evidence to be
obtained by the Potter committee tn be used
by the supreme court?
Senator Hill-l said no such thing.
Senator Blaine-How does the senator con-
meet the Potter committee proceedings with
the electoral bill? l maintain that, being
entirely outside of the electoral commission
resolution, it was grossly and blatantly revo-
I ltrkTn G-o,. L..