New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-22
THE CLAYTON BRECKENRIDGE INQUIRY.
A HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE TO 60 TO ARKANSAS
10 TAKE TESTIMONY.

Washington April 81 ,>p,cial.-lt IL expected mat
the sub committee Of the House Committee on hi''
ton, viii leave Washington tomorrow 10 mVe'"
.a- the contested election ca,c Of Clayton against
irccAimiidg- Of the I'd District Of Arkansas. IN"
course ha- been made most people know.
by the fact that CLAYTON wa, murdered bv co"aidv
nesa-,us while engaged, in accordance with the laws
~ the United states, M taking testimony I" cstap"'"
hi. title 10 the seat occupied by the son oil 'ho
late Wee President ~ the -pchEcd southern tom
icdciaoy. OF cour-c 10 person who knows 'lit"h
H. Ircchinildrc - be- appear to be- and /, IN Wash
nston could for a moment believe that he was an ac-
Cosby either before after the fact t. the a,sa,na'
ton If CLAYTON. who. hc assert. wa his personal
friend. although hi, political opponent Ana yet
clifton Il. Eicchiurdsc has some queer idca,. For
example. he think. That the first dniv OF the SUD
committee and one which should be performed before
1t leave, here for Arkan-as, /, 10 examine every ho
pnbcan Representative in Congress ~ho IN debate III
the House has made remarks I'm regard to the sudden
AID uniimcN taking on OF Colonel Clayton ana II
B, understood that Mr.. EIcchinridec ha' informed
Major Lacey. of Iowa. who j, chairman Of the sub
committee that he desired 70 have these Representa-
iivc- summoned and their testimony taken 'hil"h H.
lfcckinrdsc doe not proc,. to be lawyer. and II Is
barrel, possible that he did not know how Impairment
i'm lcral SENSE If in no ohcr-wa, such request or
demand If he had studied the Constitution OF
The United states. most southern Democrats seem
10 have except, perhaps, the last two Amend
mcnt,-Mr rrcchinridgc Woud have known that IL"
member Of the House can bc ucsioncd elsewhere on
woid- spoken IN debate" Iiirt, of course
Mr. Irccuridgc ha, studied the tOnstitrf, and he
knew that the demand which lac Is asserted 10 nave
made was not only impcrtncnt and unconstitutional
mi that IT savOrcd of impudcncc-at least In political
sense.
OF course no Republican Representative present
when tine foul murder committed. or he would
not now be alive and therefore no Republican Repre-
sentative could testify that Colonel CLAYTON muir
dcrcd The general conviction. however. IS that
coloncI CLAYTON was as-a,sinatcd; that he was a.
fascinated because he engaged in collecting teStl
mony 10 shes that SIR. Brccknrdges friends and sup
porter, had stolen and burned ballot box containing
the ballots cast at precinct where there was largo
majority for Clayton I;rccnridgc that he would
not have a,,assnated If he had not rashly under
taken to show that his opponent was the beneficiary OF
fraud That be it repeated is the solemn con
vction Of great many men majority OF men OF
both parties. pcrapsin Washington and it would be
wiser probably for Clifton Il. Breckenridge at'once to
recognize that he and his supporters ON trial be
fr. a people which does believe In couiftcnancc
political assassination. Even the worst Democrats
In the North cannot afford TO countcnancc, much less
defend. deliberate murder for partisan advantage.
chiffon X. Breckenridge might A. well UNDERSTAND no"
later that ne is defendant IN the election hcst
Colonel Clay has been murdered but the election
contest survives. and its merits viii be thoroughly
Investigated and determined not according to the eN
ordinary rule laid down by the ArAansa, Lcgsla
lure saturday but according 10 TIA" rules OF cVl
dcucc which prevail In civilized communities ana IN
Congress. Moreover. the sub committee VIII nv la
ascertain WHY Clayton murdered that l., whether
any other than partisan aud political motive III
spr.d the assassination. OF course II thc cNluci'c
should show private motive strong enough L" "IiNo
u 10 murder him and show that The man VINO
was imp'llcd by that motive did murder 'olonc Gay
ton. Clifton H. Iircckinrldgc and his friends "ouiu ne
relieved TO that extent. II seems 10 be gcneraiN
conceded all sides that Colonel CLAYTON ala not
commit suicide. -.
Mr.. Brcrkinridge Will accompany the Subcommittee
to Little Rock. II IS said that the Democrats nave
agreed on programme which includes mol oniy con
ccitcd effort To infimdac Witnesses and prevent hch
from giving full testimony, but also the scheme Oh
dilaory cross ANIMATION which has been found so
cifcctual In ihwarng the efforts Of Republican con
cstanis for seats in Congress 10 complete inc tafs
Of testimony within the time prescribed by law. Inc
Sub committee however, H. composed Of lawyers, none
Of whom Will DO likely To tolerate questions WHICH ~"