The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-02-25
NEWS AND GOSSIP By MAIL.

The Corruption OF congress-What the
Whittemore n vestig n I'll o N h q
Already Elicited-A Radical Rem edy,
A Washington letter Of Tuesday, in the Bal
timore Gazette, says:
The report yesterday afternoon ofthe House
Military Committee In the case OF Whittemore,
struck the mass of the members with the force
and suddenness of q thunderbolt The design
of the committee to bring the matter before
the House thus carly was known to but very
few, the culprit himself being totally ignorant
of the movement until within short hour be-
fore General Logan rose to submit the evil
dence, together with the resolution OF eXpul-
sion.
have heard to-day numerous spcculations
as to the nnal result of this business 1t is
known 10 all men that the honest portion Of
the members of the House are in miserable
minority. The rogucs so far outnumber them
that II would be the grossest folly in the faith
full few to attempt to purge the House Of bribe-
~ and corruption. The questions are gravely
at this instant asked all round. and in the halls
of Congress, where this business OF serious in
vestigation and punishment, if now commenc..
ed, is to end? Is 1t to be carried beyond
''cadetshps in Congress?" Is it to bc pushed
into the departments And, beyond all, is the
great :sglft enterprise" to be ventilated ? Can
we stop, if we once begin in earnest?
True it Is that the case OF WhittemOre Is one
of unmitigated rascality. His appointments"
in blank were shown to have been hawked
about the country and offered for sale in
market overt to the highest bidder for cash;
true also, that he meanly and causelessly lied
to every honest applicant; but he has power
at his back no less potent than the general
body of representatives Of his stripe. True
it is that his plea, in excuse, would cost
lawyer his position before any reputable
court in Christendom, were ne to inter
Just think of a thief, under indictment for
the larceny or money, pleading that the sto-
len leash" was intended to be distributed to
nameless 'spoor people" and for general educa-
tional and political purposes But II the guam
dam shad merchant, itinerant preacher, chap
lain and teacher Of little negroes (and now the
Massachusetts, carpet-bagger from South Caro-,
lima shall be expelled, Is it to be supposed
that he will not seek to mitigate his disgrace
by dragging down to his level hosts OF others
every whit as culpabe as himself? Already
one of the very witnesses, yesterday, In his
case. published card this morning, In his de-
fence, in which he states as follows:
"There was number of men in the For
lieth, as there is every Congress, who could be
bought like sheep at so much head.
bought them as fast as could, until the num-
Der was finally exhausted, and was compelled
to apply to another class who required deli
cate manipulations, and among them was Mr.
Whittemore. When first approached him on
the subject, found him to be quite ignorant Of
the character of his appointment at West
Point"
Here it is avowed land by one who knows)
that whole class Of men in Congress can ''be
bought like sheep at so much head;" that he
, ..bo1ght them as fast as chez could, until
this class of prime villains was FINALLY ex-
haustcd;" that he was then compelled to ap-
Div to another class who required delicate
manipulations, and among them WAS Mr.. Whit
temore." With the evidence before your read
ers of the doings Of this specimen of the second
class, who Is "innocent" and Ignorant" and
who requires dedicate manipIlations.' what
Is the country to think of the first class of
scoundrels who had become FINALLY exhaust
ed'' in the matter of selling cadetships'
| like the suggestion Of a Radical organ here
which this morning urges system Of sales by
auction of all government Offices. big and little,
civil and military, as preferable to the present
clandestine plan. The Republican shows the
ECONOMY" of the scheme, and instances the
low price which cadetsfip is disposed Of.
Mr.. Whittemore got only sl50O for position
which, to make it good. must cost the people