Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-02-28
The OUTRAGE MILL
e,irdinS Away on the Danville Affair
with But Little Grist.

c.irding Away on the Danville Affair
with But Little Grist.
-he p4rvi.le investigation in progress on
80 Senate side Of the Capitol has ceased to
,r-sct much attention except when testi-
-crv Of some public character, such as
Corgrsssr,sa Wise is looked for. The
,,mni,tse occupies one Of the large com-
r-;t,se rooms on the gallery floor Of the
Senate directly opening into the hall lead
ing TO the cCrrespOn tents gallery, bat the
| newspaper men IS a rule leave its proceed
iDrs to be reported by the Associated Press,
ana DO not spend much time listening to
the testimony. Senator Sherman sits at
.5e head O. the table and asks most Of the
questions addressed to witnesses, Lsphsu
0: New York, occasionally taking hand in
the direct examinations. Vance, Of North
Carolina. LOOKS after the Democratic inter
e,,s and cross examines witnesses with
roct deal Of shrewdness. He is joyisl
looking old fellow and ordinarily smisble,
hut grows pugnsCiOus when crowded and
cane near hsyingS collision with Congress
nan Wise day or tive since, when the lat
ne course OF the examination of q witness.
Congressman Wise.
Wise, who ;s coming into prominence on
account Of his proneness for personalities,
ssrsady talker and took occasion Of his
is.tii, ing to make ! set speech against the
Virginia Democracy. His smooth face and
pflsnd iupudeucs make him seem
Younger than he really is, and his bout
With Vance suggested the efforts of q
s2rightly terrier TO worry q venerable mas.
ill., He has his fathers causticity OF
speech, but very little of the paternal eau
ton and will probably be blows out Of
water by some of the heavier guns in the
House before the end Of the session, al
though thus far he has held his own re-
Esyksbly well.
The Witnesses.
The balance Of the witnesses before the
s.mmittee have generally been partici-
PANTS in the shooting on one side or the
cher, and they swear against each other
point blank in giving in their testimony,
the directness OF their opposition making
sny correct idea Of the Danyille situation
difficult. The negroes profess, in many in
stsnces, to be afraid to give full statements
On the ground that they will be held TO
sccount when they return to DanVille,
hut they mansge, nevertheless, to give very
!urid accounts of ths trouble there at the
last election. Most Of the white witnesses,
CO the other hand, affirm that no disposl'
ion to bother the negroes existed in their
community and that the colored people,
led On by Mshone's liutenants, preclpita:ed
Ire difficulty for political effect.
What the Investigation shows.
The whole investigation thus far shows
the folly Of undertaking TO examine al
louge range the causes Of q political dis.
surbance and the results that followed. II
the committee had gone direct to Dlnville
instead of setting at Washington it might
nave had the testimony Of people who do
Lot care enough about politics to color
their statements in favor OF one side or
the other. Here the committee only has
the benefit Of stories told by those sent up
10 testify by party managers or each side
Of the question. The Copiah Committee
tas done the same thing, sitting down at
New Orleans, instead of going up to the
counties in which the Mississippi troubles
Iegsn and the consequence will be that
TIE evidence gathered by both committees
will be Of sn inferior character compared
With that which might have been secured.