Year: 1878

but Disgrace.


Special Dispatch to the Cincinnati Gazett.
WASHINGTON, May 90.


Republican members of the Potter
committee were admitted to he de-
liberation to-day. For two or three
days past the Democratic members
have been in informal consultation in.
regard to the course to be pursued, and
this afternoon Potter summoned full
meeting of the committee. The meet
ing to day, so far as it went, was simply
for the purpose of recording the de-
cisiOn which the Democrats have
reached in regard to several subjects.
From all that can be gathered among
Democrats, il appears that, upon ex'
amining the essential testimony which.
in detached portions, has been nsed
from time to time throughout the
session for the purpose of forcing an
investigation of Electoral matters. It
has been found to fall far short of what
the public will deem proper basis for
as gravea proceeding as this investipa.
ton involves. 1t Is known that some
members of the Democratic side regard
the evidence, which they we're
promised should prove of character
to startle the country, little less than
worthless, for two reasons-first, its
and second, the utter
" unreliable character of the men upon
W hose testimony the statements rest.
A prominent Democrat to-day char,
acterized the mass Of this material as a
collection of statements of low priced
detectives, and that the danger to
Democrats was that no one of them
could be depended upon to swear to
the statements they had already made.
and all of them, il their character
should become known, would disgust
the public; and their known want of
character would react severely upon
the Democracy. 1t is also true that
the very men who have been promi.
nent in forcing this investigation, are
now equally active in compelI-
ing the Democratic members to con-
duct the Investigation In secret. and
their main anxiety appears to be
to conceal their lack OF solid evil
dence, upon which to base such an in
vestigation IA has been ordered. Upon
meeting to day, the strictest lniunc-
tion OF secrecy Was placed upon all the
proceedings, and the Republican MEM
bers seemed to have acquiesced in this.
Application for counsel in behalf of
Secretary Sherman was the subject of
heated discussion, and the request is
understood to have been refused.
Democrats who appear to be in the
confidence OF the committee are su-
thority for the statement that it was
also virtually decided to hold the in.
vestigatiOn in secret. The purpose of
this is very well understood to be
conviction on the part OF the mana.
gers that to expose their witnesses to
the knowledge of tie press, or the
character of their testimony. would
utterly destroy the proceedings in the
mind of the public, since most of the
witnesses are men who have bereto'
fore been thoroughly discredited, eli.
ther by the Democratic committees Of
Investigation which sat in Louisiana
and Florida, or by the previous testi.
mOny of the witnesses themselves,
which Is exactly the contrary of what
they are now expected to swear to.
Even the Chairman of the committee
himself is understood to hold that the
Investigation could not stand the free
criticism OF the Republican press, and
that this was understood to be the
chief objection among the the Demo-
Gratis to holding open sessions.


II is understood that 1t was further
decided to-day to send a sub committee
to Louisiana, of which Mcmahon, of
Ohio, unless he shall refuse to 90, will
be Chairman, and to send committee
to Florida, of which Potter himself
may be Chairman. In case Potter
should 60 TO Florida, Morrison, OF ILL.,,
would probably remain as Chairman
Of the small portion of the COMMITTEES
left here; and 1t is not now expected
that any general investigation will
take place for the present in Washing
ton. The intention appears to be TO
have these sub committees sit with
closed doors In the South, and it is the
hope OF the Democrats that in this way
they could be enabled to keep from
the public the character of their wit
nesses, and Guy back their perjurers,
furgers, and manufactured Democrats
to Washington, where it would be i'm
possible for the press to ascertain and
expose their real character until they
have created their first impression upon
the country.


Every indication which can be OBJ
tanned points to the committee pursu'
ing the same highhanded measures
which were adopted in forcing the res
olutiOn for Investigation upon the
House. 1t is understood that the Pot
ter letter was written for the purpose
of attempting to quiet the general ap'
prehensIOn Of the country, and was
submitted to the Democratic members
of his committee before being publish
ed, and received their approval as a
prudential document. In spite, how
ever, of this declaration, every move
ment on the part of his committee con-
tradicts the position which he assum'
ed, and points to a most unfair inveSti'
CATION, and one in which no means
will be considered improper to use
which tend to bring about the result
aimed at, which il to collect lot of
manufactured testimony with which to
assail the title of the President.