Year: 1876

mere ldea OF connecting the FrtSloent OF tnt


United States with any questionable transac-
tion.


l remember another committee of this
House that brought a certain witness here to
testify against the President of the United
States in regard to the breaking up of the
marital relations of that witness by the Presi
dent. He came before that committee with
out one corroborating circumstance, without
a single fact to support the testimony he was
about to give. Yet, in the hope that the pub
lie character and reputation of the President
might be blasted or smirched forever, it might
be his family relations broken up, a commit
mittee of this Congress felt called upon to
bring them this witness and examine him
upon the subject, until they found he was a
lunatic


have in my mind at this time committee
of this House that by the process of an officer
of this House has gone to the Office of one of
the telegraph companies of the country and
seized do not know how many hundred
pounds of telegraphic messages, ndiscriminate,
from citizens of all classes, in relation to pri-
vate and public affairs alike, to be moused
through and searched over by committee of
the House of Representatives.


| ask is it wonderful that such conduct,
such operations as these, should beget an oc-
casional Harney in the way perhaps of retalia-
ton? l believe the man was corrupt, that he
was bad, and l say from my heart that l be-
liev such men as he are the worst class of
men that can be found in our country.


l am happy to say, after going through all
this testimony, after hearing the clear state
ment of Mr.. Kerr, after he gave to the COM
mittee his satisfactory explanation of the ap-
pointment of Greene, that he had no appli-
cants from his own district, that he offered it
to two personal friends who declined, that the
time for the appointment was drawing to
close, that he made the appointment he did
upon the application of his colleagues upon
the floor of this House-I am happy to say
that we all think the testimony is clear and
conclusive as to the entire innocence and in
tegrity of Mr.. Kerr in this matter


There is another thing, however, that
weighs in my mind more than all these cir
cumstances; that is, a good name, name that
he has borne in this Congress without re-
proach for many sessions. Has it come to
this, that mans good name shall count for
nothing in this country? Our strength as a
people, the perpetuity of our institutions de-
pend upon the character of the good men that
we have produced. l should be loath to be-
lieve that any man occupying the high posi-
tion that MIR. Kerr occupies to-day before the
country could be found guilty of any transac-
tion like the one charged in this case e..


hope that the vote in favor of this report
will be the unanimous vote of this House,
without one dissentient voice, that every gen
tleman upon this floor who knows the Speaker
of this House as we.all know him will join in
wiping out this attempted stain upon his char
acter and reputation. l trust that by our ac
tion here to-day we will enter our protest
against this wholesale SANDER of public mer,
and enable Mr.. Kerr to present to his country
men, to this House, that has elevated him to
the third highest position in our Government,
a character that will enable him to say to
every one hereafter 'My fame is as white as
it was before the breath of this scandal touch
ed it." 1t is our duty to him, as just and
upright man, to adopt this report without
single dissenting voice, so tnat he may be
hereafter, as he has been in the past. an honor
to his country, tower of strength to his col
leagues upon this floor, and a comfort and con-
ISOLATION and pride to his wife and children.
Mr.. Speaker, l now ask the adoption of this
report.