Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-05
Sustained in Taking by the Evidence
Adduced, which went OverWhelm-
Ingly to Prove that by Fraud
and Corruption the
Presidency was
Stolen

the Potter investigating committee, HIscock,
Cox and Reed, presented their report this
afternoon. In It they dissent from the views
presented in the report of the ajorIty, both
as to the pertinence OF the same to the IN
vestigation and to the conclusions expressed
upon the testimony taken; but they take
pleasure IN testlfying that the rulings OF the
chairman and his manner OF directing the
business, were marked by the most equltaple
and even generous spirit. They dItfer5d lrOL
the majority as to some resolutions adopted
by them limiting toe scope Of the eXamIna-
Lion, but this difference OF Judgment did not
diminish their sense OF the personal courtesy
shown them. They then refer to the origin
of the committee, pointing out that the Orlgl-
nal resolutions for Its appointment did not
ask Tor a general investigation of all the
frauds connected with the last Presidential
alactio4, but only what might be found IL
the acts Of the officials and persons of ore
political party in two Of the States In which
fraudulent practices were charged. They
took this view in committee and treated the
investigation as one wholly unnecessary and
made without probable cause so far rs the
individuals named were aimed at, and likely
to add nothing of value to public Information
on the general subject. They confined them
selves, therefore, to the task OF trying to
make the inquiries instituted by the majority
something more than Democratic lnYestiga-
ton Of Republicans so that Whatever facts
bO pun yClOt Z the NOLiu LlI5ill nave SOLlS tll
the elements of an examination of both sides.
This would explain why they did not move
for original inquiries beyond those COM
menced by the majority, and did not ask for
new Investigations Of frauds IN Oregon,
South Carolina, Mississippi and other States
When the Florida investigation was begun
they offered a resolution that the alleged
frauds at the ballot-bOx, as well as those
charged upon canvassers and returning Off
GERS, should be examined. This was voted
down by the majority, although 1t was
matter OF 1OtOrety and was by them brought
to the attention OF the majority that both
kinds of charges were made. They under
stood the majority to base their action upon
the limitations they thought were put to the
investigation by the original resolutions, and
did not quarrel with their Judgment, though
this would show the original resolutions to
be unfair and partisan IN their character.
They have conducted the examination on in
corporations thus given. But what sur
prises them, and what they desire most en-
phatically to dissent from, was the action of
the majority IN affecting to report for whom
the vote of Florida was actually given after
they had thus refused to examine both sides
of that very question. While their work was
IN progress publication was made IN
leading journals of cipher dispatches.
The startling character of the revelations
made in the action of the minority appear
singular In this case, but they quietly waited
to see what course the majority would feel it
necessary to take. They had learned that
the majority treated these dispatches as a
separate matter of investigation and report.
They could not so regard it. A report upon
the frauds OF Florida, with the cipher dis
patches omitted, would be like the play of
Hamlet with Hamlet left out. The facts were
too notorious to be left out, and, therefore,
they dissented from the method OF making
up the report suggested by the other side.
The majority report that they would have
preferred to sit with closed doors, but yielded
to the wish of the minority. This was true,
and they saw no reason to regret this course.
They thought the same also, of the cipher in
veshRadon-that publicity was necessity.
and that public Judgment Is just. Upon the
cipher dispatch investigation, the minority
report that they present their views under
the disadvantage of not possessing any indi-
cation of what the views of the majority will
be; they would con6ne themselves to the IN
vesGgation they themselves had made, WITH
regard to which it might fairly be said
that the whole investigation rested upon
what the enterprise and wonderful skill
of the translatOrs brought to light. The
original subject of their investigation was the
honesty Or dishonesty of the election in Flor
ida, Louisiana and South Carolina. For two
years prior to October, 1873, Mr.. Tilden and
his agents, IN season and out of season, had
iterated and reiterated the charges that can
wasting boards of the doubtful States had
acted traudulently and cOrruptly in the dis
charge Of their sworn duties. II the charges
had been fortified by any proof, the cnardc-
tiers of those who made the charges would be
of no consequence whatever. But, in fact,
the whole investigation, with its three thou
sand pages of hearsay and falsehood, had not
afforded the slightest proof of what was as
serted. No man had come forward TO say
that any brIbe was accepted or that any mem
Der of any canvassing board indicated any
desire to betray his trust. Every intimatIon
OF that kind had been traced to some Demo-
erat and their friends, and that the Demo-
Gratis had never been brought before them.
Mr. NJ Lin, to whose testimony Mr.. Iilden
although goaded by sickness and
wrongs, never for a moment ad-
mitted any improper conduct at the time; he
only thinks from after knowledge that he may
have been mistaken. General Barlow, whose
conduct has received the condiments of q
majority, after full knowledge of the work
ings OF Cowgill's mind, admits his honesty of
purpose and that or all others. As to South |
Carolina, the full, free and uncontradlcted
testimony of Mr.. Dunn satisfied every man
who heard it Of the absence of fraud in that |
State. These charges, then, of fraud and !
corruption, with which Tilden and his agents |
had filled the air, were nothing but unsup- |
ported assertions of litIgants against whom |
the courts have decided. The tribunals in |
electors, and straightway the defeated party, |
with his agents, set up the assertion of |
wrong doing. To bolster up that assertion |
by proof was the object of the original coz |
sultaton Of this committee. They toiled IN |
til the first OF August and found no evidence.
In October the publication of the cipher dis |
patches showed cOncluslvely that the yerv
men VINO had been loudest. in their denunci- |
atoms Of the tribunals before whom they had |
failed had themselves endeaVored to corruot /
with money those very tribunals. At that |
very moment the accusations ceased to be the |
and opinions of honest men, and |
became the ISLANDERS of fOiled and beaten |
suborners OF corruption. The country, which |
had been deceived by the apparent earnest |
ness and honesty Of Iiden and his agents,
began to realize the intense hypocrisy of ali |
that Marble had written and PeIton circu-
lated. This fabric Of alleged fraud. thus
fallen, was what the report of the majority is
to build up again, and upon the
Did foundations. No wonder, then, that they
preferred to make separate report on the |
2iphers. When the parties TO the attempted |
orlberies were put upon the stand they were
forced to admit the receipt and transmission |
If eliminating dispatches, and all OF them.
Colonel PetOn, whose appearance before the
committee was really pItiable, seemed to have |
0een selected to bear the largest share of the
burden. Mr.. Manton Marble occupied a diff
r. I
1878, taken a conspicuously high-toned posi-
ion. He had written the Ark and Sheki-
lah" letter, and had otherwise conducted
himself loftily before mankind. He could
lot, therefore, avoid an attempt to save him
elf. 1t was not for him to take the bold Do
lton of Mr.. Smith Weed, that it was right
o use stolen goods taken from robbers. Such !
IN ark OF refuge would have wrecked him
ong before reaching Ararat. Neverthe-
ess, the committee had two propOsitiOns /
o buy the Florida returning board, in his
own handwriting, two replies of Peton and
lis own rejOlnder These he was obliged to /
'dmlt, and also to admit the substantial ac-
'uracy OF the TRANSACTIONS His explanation /
II two discriminating dispatches. which the
committee had, and a possible third one
Vhicn the committee did not have, was that |
le sent them as danger-signals. The burst
audience greeted this explanation Mr. Mara (
Die will probably never forget. They did not {
intend, however, to comment upon the testi- I