The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-04-04
THE PRESS.
THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL 4, 1872.
A New "VisibIe Admixture" Act.

!
New ssVisibIe Admixture" Act.
The Arqus as well as other Democratic
and anti-admnistration journals, criticises I'M
fayorably the finding of scores of indictments
against the members Of the old New York
Whisky Ring. 1t happens that the culprits
who have gone SO long unwhipped of justice,
their ofenses having been committed during
Johnson's administration, are mostly anti
Grant Republicans. Accordingly their pros
ecution is regarded by their political friends
as an act of pure malignity. But it is hardly
practicable to limit the sway OF justice so as
to have its punishments fall only on the backs
ofGrant Republicans 1t is asking too much
of the officers of the law to require them to
determine the exact shade of an offenders
politics before instituting proceedings against
him. 1t is a more absurd requirement than
that of the famous "visible admixture" act
passed by the last Democratic Legislature of
Ohio, whereby election officers were directed
to receive or reject votes on determining by
ocular inspection whether the persons offer
ing them had or had not ''visible admix-
ture'' of African blood. The labors of the
grand jury would be interminable, if the de-
mands of the friends of the accused should be
adjudged reasonable; for nothing less than a
board for the collection of historical informa-
ton and another of experts in mental anat-
omy would be sufficient to enable them to
proceed intelligently. For no mere glance of
the intelligent juryman's eye would be suff-
Gent to detect the delicate standings of the
mind, the epithet ''Black'' Republican being,
we suppose, so strictly metaphorical as to af
ford not even hint for his guidance.
In fact the whole scheme of administering
justice in such a way as to avoid interference
with persons who have anti-Grant proclivi-
ties seems beset with difficulties AND compli-
cations in every direction. A question would
first arise as to the degree of political hetero-
doxy that disaffected Republican ought to
be allowed to plead in bar of criminal pros
ecution. Is it only active, malignant and ag-
gressive hostility, like that of Schurz or
open revolt, like that of Greeley, which
shall give impunity to fraud? Or is a
state of yet indefinite disaffection, complicat-
ed with anticipatory longings for Cen
eral Grants place, like that of Trumbull.
sufficient? If Dawes or Garfield should be
indicted, no hypothesis is too extravaganza
for this absurd theme, could they show in
defense that they had been falsely accused of
wavering? The case of gentlemen who are in
transition state presents another interest
ing difficulty. Would evidence that the mind
n f1ad
of San Domingo-or that he had once spoken
disrespecttully of the Presidents father-in-
law-or had disputed the time claimed for
the Presidents fayorite mare--or criticised
one OF the Presidents speeches-or said that
Hancock is handsomer man. or that Grant
Smokes too much"-be received? Undoubt-
eddy the moral streng tn of the position taken
by hundreds of astute persons who are in
condition of statesmanlike uncertainty, and
who, "by the lord Harry are ''bound to see
how this thing is going to turn out" before
they commit themselves either way, would
extort the most indulgent treatment from a
judicial body possessing any sort of proper
feeling. And there are other dear cases.
The men and brothers who rallied at the
polls in Clinton the other day, and elected
complete anti-Grant Republican board of town
officers, except the first two selectmen, and
'they only succeeded by scratch" might,
under the proposed new criminal code, go in
to the counterfeiting, smu ggling or distiling
business with perfect inpunity
But until the new regulations are formally
adopted by the proper authorities, the people
will be glad to see the business of unearthing
frauds go briskly on, even if some enemies of
the President are unhappily caught. 1t will
be especially gratifying where the thieves are
alleged to have stolen, like the anti-Grant Re-
publicans of New York, between one and two
hundred millions. So long time had elapsed
since the commission of these frauds on the
revenue that the perpetrators imagined they
would escape as easily under Grant as they
did under johnson, but great diligence seems
TO have been used in securing evidence
against them and they are at length, where
they should long since have been, on the road
to the penitentiary. Except the rapid pay
ment of the debt through the honest collec-
ton Of the revenue, the pacifcation Of the
Indians and the wise and successful foreign
policy of the government, nothing in Grants
administration has been more creditable than
the vigor and absolute impartiality with
which frauds have been prosecuted and pun
ished. Postmasters, collectors, pension agents
and other officials of the orthodox Republican
sect have been repeatedly arraigned before
the courts and sentenced. Everybody has
expressed great satisfaction. Why not re-
joice now, also, when the most daring and
successful criminals have at length been
caught, even though their faces are turned
toward Cincinnati rather than Philadelphia?