Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-01-04
NO CASE.


4 The onslaught of Mr.. Bltine upon |
he electoral rights of the South |
seems to be breaking down at every |
oint. His committee, first of ali,
gas very slow in getting organized
through the reluctance of Repuhli- /
an Senators to serve on it. Then,
.aving attained its proposed num-
,er of five Republican and Tour
Democratic Senators the next thing
vas to get sitting. When finally
.hree of each party were got to-
,ether, the question arose what
we're they to investigate? Natural
", as the Presidents Message was
The starting point in the movement
.for investigation, the Democratic
members proposed aIlessage to the
President to enquire what were the
Irregularities i'm Southern elections
to which he desired the attention
of Congress. Strange to say, every
Republican member of the CONF
mittee voted against such a mes
sage! Surely, if they thought that
the President had had any facts at
all to ground his Message upon,
those were the facts which this COM
mittee was specially called upon to
investigate, especially as it was gem
orally known that that portion of
the address had been inserted at
the instance of that section of the
Republican party which was in ia
vor of a renewal of Federal inter-
vention in Southern State affairs /;
which was she same section as called
for this Investigation. But mol
they did not desire to know how
much or how little of fact the Presi-
dent had for his allegations. They
must have shrewdiy anticipated
that draft ON the Executive would
come back with the fatal endorse
ment "no returns"
The Eext proposition (by our own
Senator, Col. Bailey,) was that Mr..
Blaine, the author of the committee,
should be interviewed. AS he had
refused to serve upon his own COM
mittee he would surely furnish
them some material To work upon.
This was agreed to, and Mr.. Blaine
will probably respond with file oil
newspapers, as he avowedly made
newspaper statements the basis OF
his speech.
II being by this time clear that
the Republican Commissioners did
not intend to originate anything,
the Democrats have originated a
little business on their own account
and have delegated a sub-com.
mittee consisting of Me5srs. Hart
ridge, Lynde and Frye to go to New
York and enquire into the proceed
ings there of Mr.. John Davenport
the Federal Supervisor of Elections
there. 1t has been already men
toned in this paper that this gentle
man signalized himself at the las
election by depriving of their voting
papers and imprisoning severa
thousand voters in New York OF
pretense of their naturalization be
ing illegal, those papers having
since been pronounced by Fedora
Court As strictly legal. If the in
structions to the committee are t,
be regarded, the investigation @
Davenport is eminently prOpe
subject for its action, as these in
structions were TO enquire whethe
any one has been guilty of ''illegal
unjust and oppressive exercise o
pretended authority in causing tn
arrest and imprisonment of citizen
innocent of offence, by which h
deprived them of their right t
vote, and subjected them to indig
mites, insults and intimidation
without warrant of law or justifica
tiOn."
So far then the Blaine cOmmitte
as an attack on Southern suffrage
a manifest failure, but the pres
will be derelict in duty if it fails t
point out the indecency of an attacl
on the elective rights of great SET
ton of the country initiated by
Presidents Message and based upol
allegations into the truth of whicl
the very party which instigate'
them does net venture to enquire
This transaction signalized the re
Cancellation of the administrator
with the extreme members of tn
faction, and neither of the parties t
1t seem to have gained in eithe
credit or influence.