The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-28
Government Corruptions-The Power nm,
Responsibility of Congress.

Government Corruptions-The Power and
Responsibility of Congress.
On Monday week the two houses Of the
Fortieth Congress will reassemble at Washing
ton to consider the ways and 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 terrorism in the Southern States and else
where, and ON the universal and impartial
suffrage questions, and in cobbling up the cur
rency and the national debt, and in wild 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
ing one hundred millions year.
These government corruptions, frauds and
spoliations have become the crying evils Of the
day They have to shocking extent demor-
allied the whole body polite, national, State
and municipal. s'They have increased, are
increasing, and if not soon diminished they
will surely eliminate in national bankruptcy
aud 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 whiskey
rings, involving government officials and out
side confederates and we see that 30 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 whiskey 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 whiskey frauds has
been checked or headed of.
The President, to be sure, has had and has
still the power Of bringing this business to q
searching Investigation by the Senate, in q
suspension Of every internal revenue official
accused or suspected of incompetency or dis
honesty, and it is not yet too late for him to
make up batch of such officials for the con-
sideration Of the Senate under the Tenure of
Office law. But, after all, the power and the
responsibility in this matter belong to Con-
prcss. The two houses In their war with
Andy johnson came so near turning him
adrift for the offences 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 and 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 IL was. The Execu-
tive was positive power in the government,
but he is mere fgurehead. The government
as twas consisted OF three departments-the
legislative, the executive and the judicial 1t
has been practically reduced to one-ths legis-
lative. With two-thirds against him in each
house even the veto power of the Executive
has been dead letter to Johnson. General
Grant will be better of in this respect, but
still the power and the duty Of retrenchmsnt
and reform belong to Congress. The Presi-
dent may recommend, but the two houses must
! do the work. or provide the President he