New-York tribune., 1879-01-29
THE INTESTIGATION.

IHE iNIESIIGA1ION.
Al the beginning of October a series of ci-
pher telegrdms were published and trans
lated which appeared TO prove that after the
election in 1876 plot was formed by GER
tam Democratic chicitalnS to purchase the
Presidency which they had failed to WIN AT
thc poNs. Either q startling forgery had
been palmcd upon the world, or a stuprndOus
scheme Of political corruption had been
brought home, we will not say to the private
cabinet OF tie head of the Democratic party
but certainly to his very doorstep. There
was a general demand, all over the United
States, that Congress should take notice OF
this extraordinary scandal, and ascertain ol-
fcially whether the raScality lay III HE
TRIBUNE Office or in Democratic committee
rooms. The plain duty of the House of Rep
resentatives was shrked until only little
more than thirty days Of the life OF this
Congress remained; and then Mr. Po;tcr'S
reluctant Committee dragged Itself with hcsi-
tating feet to the task which it ought to
have begun at the opening Of December.
The questions to he investigated were many
hut they were simple. If thcy were attacked
promptly, there was just chance that by haid
work the inquiry might be finished before the
end of the session. And every consideration
of public duty and party eXpcdicncy pressed
upm the Committee the absolute ne" SitJ OF
pushing forward the long-deIaye0 inquest
with industry and resolution. Respect for the
dignity OF Congress- for the decent name Of
the Democratic party, for the reputation OF
the Democratic leaders, for an angry and diS-
eIistcd public, required that THIS Committee
should waste not an hour, and should refuse
10 touch any side issues until the truth or
falsity of the charges submitted for trial had
been completely established. What do we
find the Committee doing? 1t is week sincc
Mr. Potter applied to the House for authority
to go to work, and when at last the work
begins it proves to be directed toward
subject with which the cipher telegrams have
only the remOtest and most lliuSOTy connec-
ton. If Republicans have been guilty of
bribery, let them be exposed and pun
ishcd. No respectable Republican Will shield
them. But your business now, gentlemen
of the Potter Committee, is not 70 find
ont what this or that man remembers
about non-existcnt telcgIamS which he read
two years ago, and did not understand; nor is
it to anUse your partisan1 with c0njectuTts
about what might. could would, or should
perhaps be found in supposed dispatches
which. if they ever had an existence, are con-
feSSedly not extant nOw YOur task lies right
under y0ur noses. There are the suspicious
or incliminating ciphers on your table. There
are the assumed writers and receivers of them
within call. Put an innocent Interpretation
upon those messages if You can. Call those
men to the stand if you dare. Follow the
clews which have been placed in your hands.
Trace the "mOney payments which are
"darklv visible to yOn. When you have
done this WORK for which you were called to-
getlcr. then come back if you wish, and in
Vpstigate the other side.
1t is useless for Democrats in Congress or
/ Democrats in the press to fry to bcfOg this
matter with apologies and false cries. The
discovery which they pretend to have made
| in Indiana is q ridiculous blunder the inter
pretati0n which they put upOn 1t is a palpable
absurdity. But the Republican party will re-
! fuse to be drawn away from the present
! great issue to try little one which has no
| connection with it. If it were true-in point
of fact it is not true. but if it wc,e-that
Messrs. Chandler and Tyner raised campaign
! funds by improper methods in October how
does that affect the question whether Tilden,
Marble, WOolley, PeltOn, and others were
concerned in the plot to buy electoral votes
in December The Potter COpmittee will be
held vigorously to its duty. That duty is 10
investigate the cipher dispatches of Moses,
Fox, Denmark, and Weed. If it wastes in out
side inquiries the few days of life that re-
main to it, only one Interpretation can be put
upon its shameful delay. The world will say
that it purposey postpones the real inquiry
becausc it hopes to conceal the truth.