The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-03-06
THE POTTER COMMITTEE.

HE IUlIEh CUWMlIIEEs
Synopsis of the Republican Minority Report
"A Keen and Caustic Review of the One
Sided Investigation Partisan Aim and
Scope Fully and Forcibly Set Forth-Scath-
ing Analysis of the Cipher Branch of the
Investigation.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 4.
The minority of the Potter Investigation
ommittee-Hisc0ck, Cox, and Reed-pre-
sented their report to the House yesterday. In
it they dissent from the views presented in the
report of the majority, both as to the peril
hence of the same to the investigation and to
the conclusions expressed upon the testimony
taken; but they take pleasure in testifying that
the rulings of the Chairman and his manner of
directing business were marked by the most
equitable and even generous spirit They
differed from the majority as to some resolu-
tons adopted by them limiting the scope of
the examination but this difference of judg-
ment did not diminish their sense of the per-
sonal courtesy shown them. They then
refer to the origin of the committee
pointing out that the original resolutions for
its appointment did not ask for a general inves-
tigation of all frauds connected with the last
Presidential election, but only what might be
found in the acts of officials and persons of one
political party in two of the States in which
fraudulent practices were charged. They took
this view in committee, and treated the investi-
cation as one wholly unnecessary, made with
out provocation, so far as the individuals named
were aimed at, and likely to add nothing of value
to public information on the general subject
They confined themselves, therefore, to the
task of trying to make the inquiries instituted
by the majority something more than
a Democratic investigation of Republicans,
SO that whatever was put before the world
might have some of the clements of an
examination of both Sides This would explain
why they did not move for original Inquiries
beyond those commenced by the majority, and
did not ask for new Investigations of frauds in
Oregon, South Carolina, Mississippi, and O her
States. When the Florida investigation was
begun, they offered resolution that alleged
frauds at the ot-box as we'll as those charged
upon the canvassers and returning officers
should be examined. This was voted down by
the majority, although it was matter of noto-
riety, ana was by them brought to the attention
of the majority, that both kinds of charges were
made. They understood 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 the interpretations thus given
But what surprises them, and what they de-
sire most emphatically to dissent from, was the
action of the ma ority 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.
THE CIPHER DISPATCHES
While their work was in progress publication
w m a Of he lharS
patches The startling character of the reve-
lations made the inaction of the minority ap-
pear 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.
report upon the frauds Of Florida with the
cipher dispatches omitted would be like the
play of Hamlet" with Hamlet LETT 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 upon the cipher in
vestigation-that publicity was necessary and
public judgment is just
minority report that they present their view
under the disadvantage OF not possessing any
indication of what the views Of the majority
will be- They would confne themselves to the
investigation they themselves had made, with
regard to which it might fairly be said that the
whole investigation rested upon whatthe enter
prise and wonderful skill of the translators
brought to light The original subject of their
investigation was the honesty or dishonesty of the
election in Louisiana and South Carolina For
two years prior to October 1878, Mr. Tilden and
his agents, in season and out of season. had tier
ated and reiterated the charges that the Canvass
ing Boards of the doubtfulStates had acted fraud
ulently and corruptly in the discharge of their
sworn duties. 1t these charges had been forti-
fed by any proof, the characters of those who
made the charges would be of no consequence
whatever But, in fact, the whole investigation,
with its 5000 pages of hearsay and falsehood,
had not afforded the slightest proof Of what was
asserted. No man had come forward to saw that
any bride was accepted or that any member of
any Canvassing Board indicated any desire to
betray his trust. Every intimation OF that kind
had been traced to some Democrat, and there
ends, and that Democrat had never been brought
before them.
Mr.. McLin, to whose testimony Mr. Tilden
referred, although goaded by sickness and inn
aginary wrongs, never for moment admitted
improper conduct at the time. He only thinks
from after knowledge that he may have been
mistaken E# f8
Gen. Barlow, whose conduct has received the
compliments of the majority, after full knowl-
edge of the workings of CoWgilrs mind, admits
his honesty of purpose, and that of all others.
AS to the South Carolina Board, the full. free
and uncontradicted testimony of Mr.. Dunn sat
isfied every man who heard it of the absence of
fraud in South Carolina.
These charges, then, Of fraud and corruption
with which Tilden and his agents had filled the
air were nothing but the unsupported assertions
of litigants against whom the courts have de-
clded, and tribunals in three States decided in
favor of the Hayes electors Straightway the
defeated party with his agents set up the asser-
ton of wrong doing. To bolster up that asser-
ton byproof was the object Of the original con-
sultation Of this committee. They toiled until
the LIST Of August, and found no evidence
In October the publication of the cipher dis
patches showed conclusively that the very men
who had been loudest in their denunciations of
the tribunals before whom they had failed had
themselves endeavored to corrupt with money
those very tribunals. At that moment the ac-
cusations ceased to be the assertions and opin-
ions of honest men, and became the SANDERS
| of foiled and beaten suborners of corruption