The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-30
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THB LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToPIOs-CoMP1LED KvBRY
DAY FOR THE EVENING TELEGRAPH.
Government COrruptiOnS-The Power and
Responsibility Of Congress.

Resp6HSiDiiItg vi OOnSTesS'
From the NJ Y. Herald
To-day week the two houses of the
Fortieth Congress will reassemble at Washing
ton to consider the ways aud means for pro-
perly carrying on our National Government.
We expect that they will have much to do in
the way of Investigations into election frauds
and teJ roiism in the Southern States and else
where and on the universal and impartial
suffrage questions, and in cobblng up the cur
rency and the national debt and in wld-goose
chases for immediate specie payments; but we
do not expect much in the reformation of those
Government corruptions and abuses through
which the Treasury and the taxpayers have
been defrauded out of sum of money ex-
ceedipg one hundred millions year.
These Government corruptions, frauds, and
spoliations have become the crying evils of the
day. They have 10 a shocking extent demo-
rallied the whole body polite, national, State,
and municipal. ''They have increased, are
increasing" and if not soon diminished they
will surely eliminate in national bankruptcy
and the most disastrous financial revulsion in
all the annals of speculation and extravagant
and swindling financial adventures. We have,
for instance, numerous coalitions or gangs OF
Treasury robbers, in the shape of whisky
rings involving Government officials and out
side contederates; and we see that so far all the
efforts OF the President (such as they have
been) to get at the head or the tail or the body
of these whisky frauds have signally failed.
The parties detailed by him to ferret out these
frauds have themselves been indicted and
arrested for frauds and perjury by the parties
against whom Investigations were directed, or
by some process or other every attempt to get
into the mystery of these whisky frauds has
been checked or headed off.
The President, to be sure, has had and has
still the power of bringing this business to a
searching investigation by the Senate, in a
Af s,xNA tEato oI
accused or suspected of incempetency or dis
honesty, and it is not yet too late for him to
make up q batch of such officials for the con-
sideration of the Senate under the Tenure Of
Office law. But, after all, the poWe and the
responsibility in this matter belong to Con-
gress. The two houses in their war with
Andy Johnson came 80 near turning him
adrift for the offenses of the suspension and
removal of Stanton that Mr. Johnson has,
perhaps, thought it wisest, since his narrow
escape, TO avoid the trap set to catch him.
At all events as the President can do nothing
of positive character any longer, except with
the advice aud consent of the Senate, the duty
of correcting these atrocious abuses upon the
Treasury falls upon the Senate and the House
of Representatives.
The Government as it is differs very widely
from the Government as it was. The Execu-
tive was a positive power in the Government,
but he is now mere figurehead. The Govern
ment as it was consisted of three departments
the legislative, the executive, and the judi
oial. 1t has been practically reduced to one
the legislative. With two.thirds against
him in each house, even the veto power of the
Executive has beeo dead letter to Johnson.
General Grant will be better off in this re-
spect, but still the power and the duty of re
trencbment and reform belong to Congress.
The President may recommend, but the two
houses must do the work, or provide the
President the ways and means. For example,
President Grant may clear out all the present
revenue officers great and small, and put in
new set, and they may be confirmed by the
Senate; but under the laws as they are it may
be discovered after the lapse of a few month:
that he has only exchanged a swarm Of Trea
sury flies well gorged for swarm hal
famished and ravenous for this whisky
plunder.
What we want from Congress are the way!
and means for speedy trial and punishment
of official delinquents of all sorts through the
authority of the President, with such amend
ments in our laws of taxation and revenu,
collections as will do away with some if no
all, of the existing incentives to frauds an(
perjuries. We dare say too, that if this Con
gress and the Congress which succeeds it OF
the 4th of March shall fail in this bushes
there will be Congress, or at least House o
Representatives, elected two years henc
which will bring President Grant into direc
rapport with the Democratic party.