Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-01-22

quiry leading independent journal ol
the country declared that l dill so in
pursuance Of a bargain between Gov.
, Tilden and myself, in which / was TO
have his support. There are gentlemen
in this chamber now who know that
when was called on the evening prev
iouS To the introduction of the res
( olution to wait upon the joint com
mittee ia the Democratic caucus,
, WAS absolutely ignorant. j
had been selected for that work and
had no more reason 10 suspect that j
! would be connected with 1t than any
other gentleman i'll the House. The
truth is, not only did | have no bargain
! with GOV. Tilden, but | had none with
( anybOdy else. served on that COM
! mittre simply because Mas invited TO
serve bY the Joint Committee of the
/ Democratic caucus, and because in 1871,
! as a member oil the committee OF this
/ House, had visited Louisiana and had
/ very profound convictions alike Of the
/ danger and wrongs of tho Returning
Boards action. | served, there
! fore, on these accounts, and on
| these alone, AMI not only
had no understanding ar bargain with
I anv one on the face of the earth, but |
sought Tor no promise or assistance, and
| had none. And yet, MIR. Speaker,
/ that conjecture has gone all over the
| United States, and nine-tenths OF the
people who have any opinion at all on
the subject, believe | am member Of
the Committee of Investigation a.
a cuuiidant and an agent UI
Governor Tilden. Beyond that,
although ma endeavOred TO conduct
the investigation with absolute Impair
tiality and fairness, 80 much 81 that Il"
not believe any body familiar with the
record will rise to claim that such has
not been the TACT, and though during
all time have observed the most abSo-
Lutte reticence in respect to the objects
and purposes ut the Committee, yet
there has been no unworthy and paru-
san speech that has not been falsely put
into ms mouth, and no mean
or outrageous suggestion in the conduct
of the committee that has not been
attributed To me. Under such cirCum-
stances, for me to volunteer an invest-
CATION into these cipher dispatches was
To have il said that was doing So i'll the
interest of, and for the purpose Oi pro-
testing and whitewashing those whom
il might affect. And beyond that, sir,
there are ia my own State some persons
Who believe that |, or my friends, have
CAUSE OF grievance against Alr. Tilbn,
ami who, ii volunteered any
movement oi any kind, would ascribe
my action to personal dislike and spite.
Ii the gentlemen would look at the New
York Trjh,ns of Saturday week, they
see it declared that the probable cause
II this resolution is the object "f per
,onally injuring Mr.. Tlden. For those
reasons sir, | dill not feel called upon To-
volunteer any action un this subject. !
have not volunteered it, and | intro
duca the resolution which | dc because,
without any wish or request "I NINE, |
have been instructed t. do So, and do
il lur NO other reason.
Mr.. Butler oppnscd the resolution on
the ground that Congress had no lurl--
dirtion over the private correspondence
Of ANYBODY, and he was a private man
who held no public position; besides
Congress should not take part in the
SANDER ul any public man to satisfy the
curiosity uf anybody IN the House or
out Of it, The result uf apprupriating
money Iur the Investigation would br
Ia stir up something which had better
not he seen, or ielt or smelt
IL would be lar better To give
$1,000 tO the poor wOrkingman's fam
ilv. lie had spoken against the resolu-
ton in order that il may he said here
after that at least one man, actlng ~
iudgr and a, member oi Congress, un-
biased by party prejudice laughter
had been adverse TO stirring up the
private affairs of private persons.
Mr.. Hale followed, in support OF the
resolution. lie said, now that the
marhine had been started and set IN
motion, let it roll, and make investigd'
tium into both sides OF the question.
He had some sympathy lor that simple
hearted old gentleman in New York,
who had been taken irom hls privacy
and thrust upon the country as the
Presidential candidate who had become
an apostle uf reform, and who had re-
NAMED in his closet awaiting the yer
diet OF the people, taking no hand or
part i'm the notable campaign, that he
had been surrounded by Cunledcratcs
and copartners, and nephews Laugh
ters who had attempted I" purchase
the Electoral College, and the simple
hearted old man should have an oppor-
tunitv to come before Congress and pro-
tect his character from men close around
him who had attempted to besmirtch II.
Mr. Hewitt, of New York, snP-
ported the resolution. lie called the
attention of Mr.. Butler Ia the TACT that
there were occasions in life when there
was something higher than Judge or
"A Member al Congress. Ii Wa, when
scnse oi manhood struck into the hu-
man heart. Tie stood here in that spirit
ni manhood 10 invite the fullest lnyCs-
tigltiuu ul the trlegraus, those which
hal been published, and those which
hal not. Justice la Samuel j. Tldcn
demanded that an investigation should
hr made. Justice tn the great Demo
cratic party demanded it. Justice I"
the American people, who had elected
him Ia the highest office in their gilt,
demanded IL. Let TIlden have All OPP
pnrtunitv to confront hts acCusers and
tralurcrS, and show tu the world that at
least one oi the candidates az the late
Presidential election was not miserable
trickster, willing to bargain for the high
c>t office in the gilt uf thc people.
Whether the cipher dispatches pub
lishci in the Tribune arr genuine or not
| have no means ui knowing. | never
received one uf them. | was never
cuguizant ui their existence till they
were publishei by the Tribune. Neither
du know whether the alleged transla
IiunS are true or false. But this
| IA know that MT one nj them
containing reference 10 the Use oi
money and influence of returning
l0anis ur electoral votes, was sddn-ss,'d
or rceiyed hy any officer oi the Ma
tional Democratic Committee. am
awarr that the newspapers have
credited one IT those persons
To whom the telegrams were ad-
dressed with having been an officer
ui the Democratic committee, but | say
to this House and tu the country that
that i an error. lie never held any