Democratic Investigations

The Republican leaders at first tolerated, ïf they did not encourage, Democratie investigations. They professed to emulflte the example of Democratie leaders in New York who pushed inquiries into the Tweed frauds with such romorseless activity that the chief participants are in exile in foreign lands, and the property of the central persons is in easy clutch of the law. But now that matters becoine serious for the whole Republican party, the tone and temper of the Kepublican managers begin to change. They affeeted to ridicule the investigation by cominents on what they called the inexperience and rawness of the Democratie investigators, and their ignorai.ee of executive methods in the several departments. Then the; endeavored to stigmatize the House as "the Confedérate House." Next the; proteated against the néglect of important pub) ie business which the iuvestigatóons made necessary; they complained of the tremendous ex pense ; they demandod that executive officers should be treated with more dei erence; and, ftnally, they proclaimed in dividual liberty, and the executiv archives in danger. But the so-callec "Confedérate" House plodded on in its own way - awkwardly, it may be - bu yet it went honestly on. No doubt many of the new Democratie members wer straugers to the routine of public busi noss in the departments, as were the new Kepublican members in 1861, but the; worked away, till now we doubt if au; House has ever had a more complete anc thorough knowledge of the right and had all summer skirmished with th whisky ring, and, finally, by the efforts of soinebody (no one knows by whos efforte), Baboock was indioted, but his trial was a fiasco, and Bristow remained in the Government. Acquittec by the jury, he and Luckey returnec in triumph to Washington, cheerec by the congratulations of Bliss, Shep herd, and others, and reoccupied their chairs of conñdence and control in th White-house. To signify and empha size his confidence in the socretary Bristow has assailed, Babcock was earl; sent to the Senate by the President wit an executive message. But, meanwhile those Democratie greenhorns, as Republicans cali them, were diligent, and ou carne tho post-trader abuses and the en forced resignation of Belknap. Nex came the expulsión of Babcock from th White house, although Gen. Humphrey being in a sort of comatose condition forbears t relieve him from militar; iluty in Washington; af ter this the telegraphic summons to Meigs to re turn home, and the removal of In galls; then the recall of Sherman from ÍSt. Louis, and, in the end, a fatal blow to the Babcock-Porter military ring by the appointment of Taft. All this Mr Clymer's committee accomplished 1 At about the same time the Foreign Affiiirs Committee, by taking up th Emina Mine scandal, enforced the resig nation of Schenck. Not long af ter came the exposure respecting the Pierrepont letter abou witneRses and its mysterious appropria tion by Babcock. In a few weeks we have the terrific explosión of the safe-burglary conspiracy and the indictment of Babcock for a crime which, in its enormity, cruelt; and meanness, has nothing worse in the annals of civüized governments. And, a littlc later, is the perversión by tho President of the will of Congress, in order to reimburse tho Union League Club, or its mSmbers, for partisan ex penditures in promotion of the election of Republican candidatos, and especiall; in the Presidential electiou of 1872. This is but an outline of what the Democratie investigators have accom plished. The general influence of these inquines on the executive departments is everywhere feit. Every heao of de partment now seos that he has a super visor in the House, and cach one is more careful to caver his responsibility Members oi the Cabinet pause now be fore action, in order to reÜect how wha they do will appear bufore an investi gating committee. In the beg'iming the Republican party affeeted to be un concerned by tne Democratie investi gations, but tho toughest nerves of iron will finally givo way under repeatec pounding and constant irritation, anc now that party discovers that it canno endure the ceaseless thud of executiv inisdemeanors following cach othor in sueh rapid and steady succession. The blows of the perpetual Democratie trip hammers begin to teil. Morton ani Blaine attempted the countor-irritaut o tho bloody-shirt and Democratie dis loyalty, but tho trip-hammers of inveeti catión went on all the same. And th end is not y et !-