New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-03
TIE PRESS IND ITS ASSISTANTS.


TIE PRESS And ITS ASSAILAN16
The unusual spectacle was presented, q
few weeks ago, of Mr.. Bingham ana MT
Butler acting together. Instead OF standing
apart and gnashng at each other az their GUS
tom il. they Joined hands and voices in donun-
citation of the press Of the country. Mr.. Butler
thanked God he was the creation OF inc
Almighty and not of the newspaper press-in
which congratulation tho press united most
heartily-and Mr.. Bingham thanked God he
WAS as free under the shield OF the Constltu-
ton as the representatives OF the press, ana
that he did not live by the breath OF their
mouths. Both denounced the press as
the instigator Of Investigations; both pro-
tested against it as an engine OF
iniouity and disseminator Of scandal and both
denied their accountability to it, while they
SCARED in serene majesty above 1T. The onense
of the newspaper press i'll the eyes Oh these
gentlemen is, as we understand It, that IL mas
brought prominently before the people the
facts in certain questionable transactions OF
the peoplcs representatives. 1t came out
through the press that Mr.. Cakes Ames dis
tribnted the Credit Mobilier stock under cir
least that his motives were corrupt. Inc
press demanded, perhaps compelled, Congress
to make inquiry into the facts and put on the
appearance of an attempt to vlndlcate lts own
honor. 1t was in the line of Mr.. Butler, as
attorney for Mr.. Ames, to attack the instl-
gator of the inquiry rather than establish the
innocence of his client. Mr. Bingham, being
one of the gentlemen who held this stock
under the Cakes Ames distribution, and under
circumstances that needed explanation, found
it easier to abuse tho press as the creator Oh
popular clamor than 10 treat 1t as the voice
of the people, and answer to his masters their
proper questions as to how he had discharged
his trust.
But we submit that all this hinging back OF
contemptuous rhetoric and scornful figures
of speech, this loud denunciation and abuse,
this indignant refusal to be called to account
by anybody for their conduct as legislators
was a very weak exhibition Of petty spite.
The press of the country did nothing more
or less than its duty. 1t brought to the
bar of public opinion and Of Congress in
ouiry, such as it was, the members OF Con-
eress who were reported to have held this
stock, and who confessed their ownership OF
1t to be disgraceful, in the haste with which
they denied all knowledge of it before the
trial began. That the press was not wrong In
imputing corrupt motives to the distributors OF
the stock and the receivers, is made sufficiently
clear by the conduct of the men themselves
in protesting that they knew nothing of the
business, or conveying to the people the I'M
preston of their innocence of any connection
sLot .bo RIGHT
demanding the investigation which Congress
entered upon in the most perfunctory and
half hearted manner, has been proved by
the results the same being the disclo-
sure of nearly every man attainted
by public rumor as guilty in greater or less
degree. Is there anything in this that should
excite the reprObation OF any honest man
Was it wrong to say these men were charged
with holding the stock Z The charge has been
abundantly proved. Was it wrong to say that
the transaction was Of suspicious character
No one who has read the testimony will deny
that from the point of Cakes Amess trustee
shin forward it wore the badge of fraud at
every step in its progress, and was crowned
Herewith in public sight by the eyasions and
denials of the accused. Was it wrong to drive
Congress to this Investigations The resolution
of censure, reported by the Committee but
voted down in the House, weak as even that
was, answers the question.
How ridiculous was it then for these men to
stand up in their places in Congress and hurl
epithets at the press of the country for setting
on foot an inquiry which, if it has not resulted
in the publication of Congress, has turned inside
out before the people the trickery and dishon-
esty of their servants and representatives.
Could anything be in worse taste than this
sort of fish-woman's rant against what in this
case was only the organ and voice of decent
public sentiment7 1t was cheap exhibition OF
the natural resentment of rogue toward a
policeman Messrs. Butler and Bingham thought
perhaps they could afford it, and it relieved
their minds to vent their spleen in public
manner; but the attention of the people who
have carefully watched all the proceedings of
Congress cannot be turned from the real queS-
ton by any such device. These gentlemen
and all the others implicated may find more
profitable employment defending themselves
than attacking the press.
-
TIFF CHURCH AND THE CONSTITUTION