The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-05
MEN AND MEASURES AT WASHINGTON.
m Our Own Correspondent.

punishment should be Inflicted upon the news
paper correspondents here, who were for the
most part responsible for these rumors. Gov
eminent officials, especially those who are In
high positions of honor and trust, should, like
Casar's wife, be above suspicion. But the
honorable Senator could hardly have forgotten
that there have been instances OF official dis
honesty, OF which even the Senate was obliged
to take notice. While q member OF the House,
he had himself exposed the misconduct of an
official In such q manner az to secure not only
his removal but the abolition of his office.
Dishonest Politicians.
There ia a vague idea among the masses of
the people that politicians, taken as class, are
neither the most reliable nor the most con-
scientious of men. Some, indeed, 20 so far as
to suspect their honesty; but these, let us hope,
constitute but small number who have had a
bitter experience. 1t is better that the people
repose confidence in their public servants,
even though that confidence be occasionally
abused, than that general feeling OF distrust
should exist. Still, whoever has been
a close observer of men and things
here for any length of time caunot ignore the
fsot that there is an inviting field of missionary
effort for any one who considers himself pro.
fioient in impressing upon men the import
ance OF q close adherence to the eighth and
the tenth precepts OF the Decalogue. OF course
do not allude to the common forms OF dis
honesty in politicians, such as infdelity to
party and what is vulgarly termed ''going
back upon" ones personal friends. These are
of such ordinary occurrence that people have
come to regard them very much as they do
changes in the weather. When men. however,
attempt to use their official positions for per-
sonal pi oft and Rggrandizement, IL is due to
the public interest that they be mercilessly
exposed
A Case i'm Point,
A few month hs ago an extensive "ring" was
organized here to make raid upon the Pacific
Railroad, for what purpose your readers can
Judge. The idea was to get the President
to withhold the bonds voted as subsidy to the
road by Congress, and thus bring the work to a
halt until its officers should "come down" with
something handAome. story was framed to
the effect that the road was not properly con-
structed, and that it was being built hastily, so
that the officers might obtain the Government
bonds and put their own upon the market.
The Secretary of the Interior made himself
extra officious in bringing the matter to the at.
tenton of the President. That official, with his
well-known disposition for Furnishing frauds
upon the Government. at once appointed a
special commission, consisting of General G.
X. Warren, j. Blickensdorter, and James
Barnes, to examine and report upon the con.
struction OF the road.
AnimUs of the Movement.
In the appointment of this com mission,
named by the President, it is said, at the in
stance of the Secretary of the Interior some-
thing of the animus of the proceeding was
made manifest. Not one of the three are prac-
tical railroad men. General Warren Is an
officer who gained some distinction in the En-
gineer Corps of the army during the war. The
other two are civil engineers of very ordinary
professional ability. Blickensdorfer was for
aarlx ~ 4 k,aD aoiH
pany, but was discharged for incompetency. 1t
1s.suspected that he was the person who first
gave currency to the story that the road was
Improperly constructed. The report itself
shows that he has been the moving spirit in
the whole matter. Very much of it is taken
up with an argument to show that the COM
pany did not select proper route for their
road. Now 10 happens that upon this Very
subject Blickensdorfer disagreed with the COM
pany while in their employ.
Suspicious Conduct of Secretary Brown 4.
ing.
These special commissioners presented their
report to the Secretary of the Interior some
days ago. After 1t came into ais possession it
was sedulously kept from public view. In the
meantime a certain newspaper correspondent
here. holding an official position in the Presi
dents household, commenced systematic
attack upon the road, intimating in his des
patches That the report OF the special commits
sioners would show that the stories heretofore
circulated about the imperfect construction
of the road were fully sustained
The Presidents "organr here, which
Is Brownings as well, opened iti
batteries upon the officers OF the road, and
strongly hinted that they were little better than
common swindlers. Still there were no signs
of anybody coming down" with the "needfuI.' -
The officers of the company had heard about
the appointment OF the special com mission;
they had heard through the newspapers that a
report had been made, and that Its statements
were damaging to the road. But they knew
nothing of its character. A few days ago
Thomss Q. Durant, Esq, Vice President Il the
road. with TWO or three OF its officers arrived
here, to request copy OF the report from the
President Mr.. Johnson frankly informed them
that he had not seen the report.
Browning WithhOlds the Report.
1t appears that Secretary Browning had
locked mp the report of the special commission
In his office. Instead OF laying 10 before the
President, as he should have done, he, with the
rest of the "ring," went around circulating all
sorts OF stories prejudicial TO the road The
special correspondent" of the party took the
trouble to telegraph his papers lone of them In
your city, believe) that ON Tuesday last the
matter was laid before the Cabinet by Brown
ing, and that all the members thereof had con-
CURED in advising the President 10 withhold
the remaining bonds due the road Tnis was
pure fabrication, put out, II would seem, as
FINAL effort to frighten the officers OF the road
into 'coming down" handsomely. Attorney.
General Evarts, who is about the honestes
man in the Cabinet, informed Mr.. Durant thai