Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-11-23
THE IOWA VOTER.
KNOXVILLE, IOWA.
How Republican, Deal with
ROguey.

ruption goes on, not only in New
York City. but, we are glad tosee,
In nearly every department OF the
General Government. The spirit Of
| the contest here seems to have taken
deep hold upon the authorities at
Washington, and there probably has
not been time within the past ten
years when the energies ofevery De-
partment were bent with greater Wig
or, or have co-operated with greater
harmony in detecting crimeand pun
ishing criminals. The encouraging
spectacle is seen Of an Administers.
ton so strong in the confidence Of
the people that it can purify its own
ranks BY the unrelenting process of
the law, regardless Of the appeals Of
political influence within its own
circles. People may well take cour-
age for the future when they see the
members of the Government not
only animated by a desire to do their
simple duty in this respect, but
evincing unflagging public spirit,
and an unsparing determination
that the guilty shall be condemned,
let the consequences fall where they
may.
The results achieved within the
past few weeks afford abundant proof
Of the stern determination Of the
President and his Cabinet advisers
70 nproot and prosecute fraud and
crime wherever they are discovered.
The last notable case is the appre-
hension Of Congressman Stokes,
holding the Office Of Supervisor of
Internal Revenue; man not with
outstrongpolitical infuence--enough,
in the presence Of a weak Admins
tration, to have screened him from
arrest and punishment. But the
Departments Of War and Justice, in
their investigations, put their hands
not only on the tools who had carried
out the details Of the fraud, but upon
the man who conceived its frame
work, while occupying the honored
position of member Of Congress.
The moral effect of such examples
must be felt in every branch Of the
public service, and in great degree
among the people also. Within the
past month the calendar Of prosecu-
tons and convictions has been unu-
sually full. The War Department
has convicted and sentenced Hodges,
and put Stokes and his confederates
i'm the hands Of the Department OF
Justice. The Treasury Department
has, through the Department OF JUS
tice, prosecuted, convicted and SEN
to"ceu two Deputy collectors OF the
port Of Baltimore, both Republicans,
| and has Just convicted an Assistant
Assessor for attempting to bride q
juror. The Interior Department has
exposed to public shamea conspiracy
to rob both Indians and the Govern
ment, duplicating prominent Off
Ger Of the last Administration, and
is now engaged in two other inves.
legations promising similar results.
In Utah the Department Of Justice
is crushing out polygamy through
the machinery Of the civil law, after
1t has deiied the bayonets of the Gov
ernment for fifty years. The War
Department is also, at this moment,
engaged in important investigations
covering matters which have, like
| the Stokes frauds, even received the
sanction of Congress, and the results
will be shortly apparent.
Not the least important procedure
| in this direction has been the vigor,
the skill and the success with which
the Departments Of War and Of Jus.
tice, acting in entire accord, and un-
der the official direction of the Presi.
dent, have brought to light the dam.
ming secrets ofthe KukluX organiza
ton, arrested many Of its members
tried and convicted more than two
score, and broken its power forever.
IT the history Of the manner in which
the secrets of the organization were,
in the hands of bold, discreet agents
of the Government, turned into
means for the downfall of the Khan,
ever comes to be written, it will he a
fascinating and startling story. Well
may "the leading citizens" of South
Carolina, or any other State, leave
their homes in haste and their crops
in the field, when they learn tHt
for the last three months they could
not ride in one Of their midnight
raiGs without the presence, nor ex-
change the grip of the Order, with
ont trra9ninp the hand Of a United