Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-12-20
having got beyond the experimental stage
even in the United State.
The Senate on Investigating Corrap-
fI0U

and civil service reform is worth considering,
as indicating the course which those who may
be called the Grant Republicans intend to
pursue in the matter of investigation Of
abuses in the civil service, and as to the civil
service reform
Senator Trumbun, very early in this ses-
sion, proposed to revive the old joint com
mittce on retrenchmcnt This committee
was raised early in MIR. Johnson's admins
tration, and had been continued from session
to session until the end of the last Congress.
1t had been, from the outset. vested with
somewhat unusual powers, being authorized
to send for persons and papers, TO sit during
the recesses OF Congress, and to investigate
any department or branch OF the public ser
wee, at it, own op. ion, without any special
matter Of investigation being referred to it.
The last subject which the committee took
IN hand, IN the last Congress, was the New
York custom mouse and Is soon rs this in
vestigatiou started hints began to be thrown
out that the committee had outiiyed its use
lulne=s. Senator Conkling. whose particu-
lar friends were in possession Of tine custom
house, complained that the evil behavior of
his friends was magnifeJ, and the commit
tee was trying to damage him and that
pure patriot, and incorruptible Republican,
Thomas Murphy collector OF the port of
Nea York, was likely to be brought into
disreputc by the disclosures Of committee
which was unable to see any great difference
F.1--4tffN- %
johnson, and q dishonest appointee Of Grant.
While the committee confined itself to the
rascalities og johnson and his friends, it was
useiul-in party sense if in no other-but
when it began to pry into the practices Of
Republican oiHcc-holders iJ was clearly going
beyond its jurisl lotion To be sure the
committee found, and 50 reported, that great
Tascalities were being perpetrated by officials
in the New York custom house; that mer-
chants were swindlcd and brides taken with
scarcely an attempt at cJncealmeat that q
gigantic system of population was carried
on through what is called the general order
system; that Secretary 3 5utwell had at
tempted TO correct the abuse, but without
success, that the man who had the control
of the general order business had been IN
Gen Grants staff during sac war. and
claimed that Gen Horace Porter. one 81 the
Presidents private secretaries. would take
care Of him. and tht, there wa 30 other
respects great deal Of r9ttenn.-~ iu that
particular custom house. The only notice
able effect, however, Of this action of the
committee was that the Grant Republicans
in the Senate concluded. at the beginning of
this Congress last spring, nor 20 revive The
committee (Tha same ~east7r- also re-
moved Mr.. Sumner from the n,.d & the
Committee on Foreign Relations ana put
Mr. Cameron 10 the place.
Senator TrumbelFs efforts Z. revive the
committee have mey with . signal failure
Eleven Republican, only voted f,r IL and
these eleven are likely to Sc read out 1t the
party .y such pure ANA honest and upright
men a- Senator Chandler and Nyc Tie
Grant Republicans, however. did NOT quite
rec 5nesr way clear a. refuse squarely t. raise
a committee on rc5rc1chmcnt ana civii SER
vice reform. Is sneb action might 3 Sc in
appearance ol am attempt 70 smother invcs-
ti-ation. They knew trick worth two OF
that they have created the committee but
have refused t. give it any Of the special
powers asked and To make it quite sure
that no iniudicious Investigations or regela-
tious shall be made, they have carefully cx-
cluded from the committee every Republican
who voted for Mr. TrumbulI' proposition.
To US, we confess. this action of those
who may be called the Grant, or admins
tration senator's. i something worse than O.
farce If Democrats in New York bad done
such a thing every Republican would have
denounced it as an effort t. cover up rather
shan TO expose rascaIity in Office. But it
seems that no faithful Republican must in-
innate that there is any corruption in the
Republican party; and If he has the rash
ness 20 suggest the possibility Of such state
OF affairs and to ask an Investigation, all She
satisfaction he sets Is i committee with i'm
tied powers, and composed, with the ezcep-
ton Of a single Democrat. Of men who have
opposed the investigation and expressed the
opinion in advance that there is no corrup-
ton existing. or. to use the language of Sen
ator Morton. that our civil service is the
best in the world
We are reminded, however, that it IS hui
man nature to desire not to be measured by
the same standard Of strict honesty which
We apply to our political adversarie-. The
tenure-ofofiice law, passed by Republican
Congress to prevent Mr.. johnson from re
moving Republican Oficc-holders was ali
right. indeed, it was regarded as SO neccs-
sary to the safety Of the republic to prevent
Mr.. johnson from using the patronage o.
his Office to make his measures popular, that
articles Of impeachment were preferred
against him for trying 70 make cabinet
conform to his political views. When, a
few months later, the same law began to ope-
rate on a Republican president, the very Re
publiean= who had voted for iJ, and voted 10
impeach johnson FOR disregardin. it. So lar
modified il as u practically repeal II 81 tae
bidding of Gen. Grant. We remember, also,
that Mr.. johnson was denounced as making
a corrupt use Of the executive patronage to
I influence members Of Congress and others in
favor Of his measures but. many. At least
Of those foremost ia this derunciation saw
nothing whatever to condemn in Gen. Grant
when he used the whole power Of his Office
TO coerce votes 10 favor Of San Domingo
We do rot forget that an attempt was made
to inpeach Mr.. johnson for an effort to re
move Secretary Stanton from mis- cabinet--be
cause the Secretary was hostile 10 Mr.. John
sons political views and PERSONAL,
Objectionable to MIN and many OF the sea
ators most active in that impeachment. onl,