Year: 1878

Hon. ClarksOn n Potter has published let
ter, written in reply to certain interrogations
concerning the Presidential investigation pro-
pounded to him. He says that Alexander
Stephens was not "hOwled down" by Pot
ter's mob, when he attempted to check the
passage OF the investigating resolution. To
make his statement or motion, Mr.. Stephens
would have had to interrupt the regular order
of business. To this there was objection. That
is all; 1t was only in the newspapers that Mr.
Stephens was "hOwled down. The reason
the democrats would not allow the Hale
amendment to be attached to the resolution
says Mr.. Potter. into frauds accomplished
and which changed the electoral vote is proper
to prevent their repetition, but an inquiry in
nothing, is not: first, because we understood
it contained recital to which we could not as
sent, and which would have forced us to vote
against on our own resolution; second, be-
cause we offered Mr.. Hale every opportunity
to have his amendment adopted as separate
resolution; that it was not so offered shows it
was really not desired; third, because its in
had the effect of preventing any report upon
the resolution. AS it is, the committee will
have probably but one opportunity to report
in this Congress, and this amendment could.
if added to this resolution, be made to prevent
arepOrt at that time, and thus to deprive us
OF an opportunity to report at all. just as We
got ready to report we should be liable to be
stopped TO take further testimony in some of
the added States brought forward for the very
purpose of preventing report


Ihere IS no danger OF revolution, he says,
because this country is not Mexico, and be-
cause the people prefer determining questions
by legal methods, and if the legal methods
nave moi been provided, to invent legal meth
0dS OF determining them, and to submit to the
determination thus arrived at-that this coun
try cannot be MexicaniZed. Having accepted
the Electoral Commission, of course we were
bound to submit to the results: but we ought
at least to be allowed to show (if such was the
1act) tnat the returns upon which the commits
sion passed were procured by fraud" He
admits that the Presidency is not worth civil
war, and adds: There never was danger OF a
civil war. The whole thing was, as think. a
and the republicans bluffed US. Should fraud
connected with the electoral count appear so
gross and palpable that all honorable men
should denOunce it, Congress ought then take
taken following the investigation, the order
and prosperity OF the country will not
be disturbed thereby. He says the object
Of Of the the Investigation is to ascertain
petition OF such frauds may be prevented, and
ii not, to clear up the general belief through
out the country that there were such frauds.
capital is row afraid of the commune, and
Yet, In no country in the world is there less
danger from communism. But capitalists
STOOD suplnely by when the army was used to
protect returning boards in sitting the votes
OF states and frustrating the will of the people
The letter concludes as follows: Whatever
may result from the proposed investigation,
you may be sure that nothing. can result that
will disturb either your hocks or your bal
ances. The trouble to capital, property and
freedom will come, not perhaps i'm your time
or mine, but come at last from refusing to in
qulle into frauds. To confront the evil, if you
To shut your eyes to it supinely is to leopard
ize, and not to preserve the future peace
safety and prosperity of the country