New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-01
HOW NOT TO INVESTIGATE.

In the course of one of his political speeches
on the French arms scandal, Senator Morton
made an interesting statement on the subject
of Senatorial investigations TO which at the
time we invited our readers attention. He
told us that when the resolution OF inquiry
into the New-York Custom-house abuses was
introduced, no and the honorable gentlemen
who act with him opposed reference to the
Committee first proposed, for the singular rea-
son that majority of the members of that
Committee were opposed to the denomination
of President Grant-or, as Mr. Morton ex-
pressed it, were hostile to the Administration
In other words, Mr.. Morton believed that when
questions of fraud and Encouragement were
to be investigated, fidelity to the party re-
quired that the Administration majority should
commit the inquiry to friends who could BIO
trusted TO find out nothing incOnvenient. THE
TRIBUNE last December charged the Admins
tration leaders with acting upon just this
principle in this very case, and John Thomas
swore at us for it with all the power of his
lungs and the elegance Of his vocabulary.
Now Mr.. Morton makes an open avOwal Of
the same thing, and does not even appreciate
the position in which it places him. Why
does not John Thomas swear at him. tool
Every day proof nccumuates that the pol
icy of sitting investigation was DELHI
erately adopted by the Presidents short
sighted advisers. Some of them certainly
endeavored to prevent the inquiry into the
sale of arms; we will not say tho majority
were of this mind, because, though we believe
them to be so, we have yet no positive evil
dence of it. But if the inquiry must go on,
the Senators who have been seventeen days
trying to talk it to death arc clearly deter
mined that it shall not go far. Mr.. Conkling,
always the leader in brutality and insOlence,
introduced an amendment directing the Com
mittee to inquire also into the conduct OF
Messrs. Sumner and Schurz with view to
their prosecution under the law of 100. It's
apparent purpose was to vex and punish the
Senators who had been most active in setting
this investigation on foot. But purpose not
less serious was to prevent either Sumner or
Schurz from serving on the Committee of
which, by parliamentary usage, ono of them
at least must otherwise have been member.
And when the attention of the Senators was
called to the glazing improperly of such a
trick, they refused to reconsider the amend
ment only five Republicans voting for de-
w
interpreted as declaration to the world
that there shall be no punishment Of fraud
inside of the Republican lines if the
gentlemen who have constituted themselves
the keepers of the Executive conscience can
by direct vote OF indirect device prevent it.
Shame upon the men who can stoOp from the
high dignity of Senators of the United States
to chicanery only worthy of Tombs lawyer! !
They are defending the Military Ring with
the tactics of the Court of Special Sessions.
Possibly the action of the House had some
thing to do with forcing the Senate into
appearing to do, at last what it should have
done long ago. 1t passed the resolution to
appoint a Committee of Investigation, first
tablng Mr.. Summers argumentative preamble.
And now will it give the inquiry fair COM
mittee Having cut OFF the movers
of the resolution by sharp par
liamentary trick, Senators ask us to be satis-
fed with the unwilling concession of just
such Committee as they choose to pack.
The farce of the General Order inquiry is to
be played over again, probably; and, as evil
dence may not be forced on the reluctant
Senators, as in that case, the tbiok-and-thin
Administration men will only show how easy
it Is not to investigate.