The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-19
The BIunder in the Senaie..WhO Is
Responsible.


Our Republican exchanges arc almost
unanimous in condemniug as q blunder
the snperseryiceable zeal OF Messrs. CoNK-
LING, MORTON " Co, in defeating Mr'
TRUNBuLLs resolution for searching
oyerhauling OF the civil service in all
branches of the public service. The fol-
lowing is Mr.. TRuNBULI's resolution in
its original shape:
Rxs0ued-The House Of Representa-
tives concurring, That's joint select com
mittee on retrenchment, consisting OF louF
members OF the Senate and seven mem
bers OF the House, be appointed by inc
presiding officers Of the two houses, anu
that said committee be instructed 10
inquire into the expenditures IN u!
branches Of the service OF the United
States, and 70 report whether any and
what offices ought to be abolished; Wheth'
er any and what salaries or allowances
ought 10 be reduced; what are the meth
DDS OF procuring accountability in public
officers or agents in the care and disburse'
ment Of public moneys; whether moneys
have been paid out illegally; whether any
officers or agents or other persons have
been or are employed In the service with.
out authority oflaw, or unnecessarily; and
generally how and TO what extent the
expenses OF the service OF the country
may and ought TO be Curtailed; and also
10 consider the expediency Of so amend
ing the laws under which appointments 10
the public service are now made as to
provide for the selection OF subordinate
officers after due examination by proper
boards, their continuance in office during
specified terms, unless dismissed upon
charges preferred and sustained before
tribunals designated for that purpose, and
for Withdrawing the public service rom
being used as an instrument of political
or party patronage. That said committee
be authorized TO BIT during the recess Of
Congress, to send for persons and papers,
and 10 report by bill or otherwise, and
that said committee may appoint a clerk
for the term Of six months and no more.
But this was so emaSculated that, ae.
cording to well.informed correspondent,
as finally agreed TO by the caucus, 1t re-
uuires "the committee TO make in.
vestigations, but gives them no more
power TO ask questions, summon wit.
nesses or examine papers, than any news
paper man has, They cannot cit outside
of Washington, nor can they call wit.
nesscs before them and enforce their at.
tendance. They cannot travel without
paying their own expenses, nor have they,
indeed, any practical authority" " BE.
sides" adds the correspondent, there are
some members of the committee who had
better investigate themselves, as they arc
not entirely free from suspicion" This
Is certainly true az regards HARLAN, and
may be As TO one or two others. But If
the resolution itself as agreed to were Of
any account, the composition of the COM
miltee efEeCtually defeats 1t, for not one oil
them Is in favor Of m investigation, and
there ia not OH the committee single
one OF the Senators who favored Mr..
TRUMBULL's proposition, except BAYARD,
Democrat. This exclusion Of all the
friends of the measure is as extraordinary
in parliamentary usage as II Is evidence
Of an intention to stinc investigation alto
gethGr.
II will be remembered that the Re.
trenchment Committee began 10 overhaul
the New York Custom House last session,
and got just far enough TO show that they
ought tOhaVe gone farther. Mr.. PATTER.
BON, who was chairman Of that commit.
tee, stated tho other day in the Senate that
the committee discovered and reported
enormous andsystematiC robberles Of New
York merchants, yet 80 far as he was
aware, and although the Secretary Of the
Treasury had also called attention to those
corruptionS, they continued 10 be prac.
tlced. 1t was, doubtless, ono Of tho lead.
ing purposes Of those asking for this inves.
tigstion, TO let daylight into the rotten
places about the New York Custom House
and compel reformation there. But the
administration Republicans in resisting
this proper demand for rigid lnvestiga.
tion, have put themselves In the attitude
Of covering up corruption at New York
and extravaganza and maladministration
wherever else they exist, ift they do exist.
Some ofourexchanges seeing how great
a blunder this Is, seek to throw oil tho re.
sponsibilitY for II on the Senators and none
on the President. Because, they say, the
President In his message declared Tor
civil service reform, retrenChment and
publication. For ourselves We never
value very highly mere professions,
whether In party platforms or in the
rnanifestos fpublic men. They are cheap
and easily commanded. In didactlc
sense, President GRANTS views on these
points, as expressed In the message, were
very good. At the same time they were
very general. Everybody will ngree with
them. 1t Ia not, however, what PrOSi.
dent says, but what he does, that shows
whether he Is in favor Of purifying the
public service. President GRANT has
ample powers to clean out the New York
Custom House If he chose to exercise
them. He has only 10 put an honest man
at the head Of It and demand Of him that
he compel every man under him down to
the lowest mental to discharge the duties
honestly with sole reference to the
law and without reference to party