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Stopping Investigation

Stopping Investigation image
Parent Issue
Day
12
Month
May
Year
1876
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Senate, the administration, and ;he ring courts at Washington have all jonibined to thwart and to deieat fur;her investigation into tho frauda and eorruption which have thus far astound3d the country. The Republican leadjrs pereieve that if the exposures continue to be made as they have begun, lefeat at the Presidential election is cerain. They know how much is yet consealed, and they dread the consequences that must f ollow new proofs of an organized system of robbery and rascality, auch as has already been found in almost every brauch of the public service. It would be impolitic, and, in the present temper of the public mimi, perLiaps dangerous to oppose investigation openly, as that would be nearly equal to a, confession of guilt. Henee the leaders have proceeded insidiously to effect their object and to tie the hands of the people's representativos by artful expedienta. They have caucused and sought to do by indirect means what they would not dare to attempt directly. Af ter the flight of Marsh to Canada, it becamo evident that, unless witnesses were properly protected, investigation would be checked, and, in fact, be made dependent upon voluntary tostimony. A bilí was therefore passed by the House to extend immunity for the purposo of obtaining evidence of frauds on the Government, and exposing the corrupt complicity of officials. The Senate has stifled that bill and thus given its protection to rings and robbers. Under the power of the House to cali for persons and papers, no question has been heretofore raised about producing origináis frora the departmentel nies in aid of investigation. In many cases they are indispensable for that object, since copies would furnish no clue to a variety of frauds that have been perpetrated. Recent experience has shown that inany of the large claims passed through the treasury and the pension office were supported by forged papers. The President has now issued au order forbidding origináis to be delivered to the House. This is bis method of obstructing inquiry and shielding forgers and conspirators from detection and pnnishment. The House of Representatives ordcred Hallett Kilbourn. one of the most notorious of the ring jobbers at Washington, into custody for refusing to answer questions which would exposé the real-estato pool in and out of Congress ; and now the ring court has released him, in defiance of the authority of the Hou1 to restrain a witness in oontempt. anti the ring courts conspire together to conceal the viilainies of Grantism, and to prevent the House of Representatives from uncovering the iniquities which are hidden in the books and records of the public departments. It reinains to be seen how far the House will submit to these assaults. The contest is between the people seeking honest government and an account of their money derived from grinding taxation, and a corrupt adminintration and its tools and oonfederates, striving to throttlo inquiry and to hold on to their plunder. - New York lun. The Preteuse of Kejmblican Reform. Mr. Sandford was President of the Massachusetts Republican convention and is commended as the chief of reformers in that body. He made a speech of which this sentence is a type : ' Au to the f all of Mr. Bclknap, he would not eritioiso tho spirit and motive that have turned a Democratie majority into a grand jurr of inquest with the mauifest purpose of going before the country not upon ita own well doing, but upou its succeus in soiling Eepublican vostmente." And this we are asked to believe in a spirit of honest, unpartisan civil-servico reform. For whatever of possibility any Republican s in Massachusetts, New York or elsewhero have to break the Republican " machine," thoy are indebted to the Democratie House. Ur to tho time its committees begon to work, the "machine" was absoluto, deapotic and triumphant. Eflbrts to purify the intornal-revenue officials, and the convictions of McDonald and Avery, produced no visible effect. Babcock was acquitted and welcomed in triumph to the White-house. Bristow liad not a rcforming element in the party whicli would justify his resignation, and he meokly endured the slings and arrows of the " machine." The Ilepublican roforiners could not even connt on the defoat oL Grant's third nomination, and they wero as much under the heel of the military "machine" at Washington which banished Sherman and Meigs, and sent Sumnor in sorrow to Jiis grave, as they had been f or five years. The ring around the President was intact and indelible as against all Eepublicau efforts. Ent when Democratie committees exposed Bellinap, compelled the resignation of him and Schenck, unroofed the housos of the oxecutive departnients wherever Kepublioan corruption festered, and f rom whieh the " machine" drew ita strength and dernonstrated how the "machine" misustjd public funds to elect its creatures - tlien there carne a change. Then the reforming KejDublican jacks sprang from tho boxes whoso covers the " machine" had kept - 1 - - - securely fastened, nd glibly prattled óí cml"serice reform. And now that the prisoii-cleoíü of theso reformers have beöü .nnlockod by a Democratie House, they impüclötly turn on thoae who gave thom life aud Uberty, and either charge, as does the Timen, that Democratie investigators havs étotie nofcbing, or, as does Mr. Sandford, tÏJrtt thfijr have done something good, but he fiiötive tras only to soil "Republican vestmonta.' Tnece Republiean reformers pretend in New York and Maesachusetts that their great end n4 purpose is to destroy the Bepublican ''machine." as they cali it. But with what ultöriöf otJTe? Did Curtís draw back from soiling the garments of Conkling ? Or did Sandfofd protest that he would throw no mud on Boutwell or Butler ? - Do Curtís and Sandford go before the country on their own wolldoing? Pray what have they done but make speeches ? In what pössible particular can these self-asserting, Kopub'idan " maahine "-breakers claim superiority over their fellow Republicans, and the Democratie tíouíe not, in the same particular, claim unquestioned superiority over both? - New York World.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus