Year: 1878

come within the scope OF the proposed lnVes-
tigation that can by any possibility enganger
any Democratic statesman. The Republicans
in the House having tsket. great pains to as
sist ia the previous investigations and to make
them thorough and complete, and having
found great comfort and satisfaction in the
discharge Of that duty, not unnaturally take
great interest in the new enterprise. us
this" they ask, ''to be an investigation OF
the circumstances attending the Presidential
election with view to discovering whether
frauds were practiced or attemptedg'' ''1n
that cvse," they say, ''let ms make the in
quiry, if not sweeping, at least general enough
to include the examination of certain docu-
mentary testimony"-which they set forth
and which is clearly pertinent. But our DEM
ocratic friends do not take kindly to these
offers Of assistance in the search. ''No, no, 3"
they say; 1--WE are not looking for the same
kind of fraud that you are, and we don't
want to get the investigation mixed" 80 they
stubbornly refuse to enlarge the inquiry. This
promiscuons sort of investigation they have
already had too much Of Glover has given
them more than bellyful, and they want no
more. They have ''corralled" some witnesses
IN Louisiana and Florida, whom they think
they can depend upon, and the sole purpose
of this investigation is to get their testimony
before Congress and the country. To enlarge
the inquiry, say, would take too much time
aud bring in irrelevant matter Were this an
honest effort TO get at the truth, to bring out
the facts concerning the election, the refusal
to broaden the inquiry would seem a little
strange. But we presume the truth is that
they have been rendered desperate by hard
luck. and do not mean to take any more risks
in investigations. go many Of their ''sure
things" have in politicians phrase, "gone
back on them," that they have determined
to make this enterprise dead sure beyond pos
sibility Of mishap.


But they will do well to remember that
there is only one thing more uncertain than a
sure thing, and that's a dead sure thing.
There's story told Of very smart person
sitting in a company Of friends, who after
leading the conversation up to discussion Of
the height of u table in the room, proposed to
bet that he could guess its exact height. The
bet was quietly taken by a gentleman in the
company, and the other made his guess. A
measuring rule was about to be sent for when
the offerer of the bet, with smirk of salts
faction, said: ''Oh, yeu needn't take that
trouble. measured it myself this morning"
He had a "sure thing" The laugh seemed to
be on the other fellow. But after it was
over the other fellow said: ''Yes; 1 saw you
measuring it, and sent and had man
come and saw an inch of each leg" And
then the laugh changed. This story illustrates
the dreadful uncertainty of ''sure things"
Our Democratic friends will be wise to heed
the moral of it. They have taken great and
unusual care to fix this investigation 80 as to
make it absolutely sure that no Democrat will
be hurt or hit by it. Human foresight could
not 60 further to make assurance doubly and
trebly sure. But, after all, with the luck
they've been having through the session,
they'd better not bet on it. Mr.. Potter may
be more prudent fisherman than Glover,
and he may cast his line with great skill in
the Florida pond, but he has got to be very
careful not to flirt that hook of his in the
neighborhood of Gramercy Park. 1t might
get caught in the trousers sest Of a statesman
who is now out Of politics.-[N. Y. Tribune.