, 1873-02-28


cuted during the summer months, than to hay
select committee take up this busines
where these old committees left of, and e1plo1
the whole thing to the bottom. Oakes Ame
Will no longer bo 8 member OF Congress, and II
no fear OF expulsion He can then be induced
to open the hitherto sealed pages Of his memo
randum-book, and tell us how many other pub
Lie men, Democrats and Republicans, be has re.
corded IS recipients Of his stock and dividends
He will then be able possibly to produce, from
his papers, tho receipts for dividends from the
several gentlemen to whom, as he confcsses, he
has been endeayoring to make things az easy ae
possible Then, too, the Committee may
be able to find Gen. Granville H.
Dodge, the gentleman who drew $4,000 yea1
salary as Chief Engineer Of the road while a
member Of Congress, and who claimed that be
could better earn his salary in the Houao than
out on the road Then, too, the Committee
viii be able to find out who received the $780,
600 said to havo been distributed, in 1864. to
have passed tho act OF Congress changing the
first mortgage Of the Government into second
mortgage. There is, in fact, an entire summers
work for An industrious committee 10 dig up the
past history Of the Union Pacific Railroad 1egis-
! 1ation, and expose to the country the many men
| ofpubhc life who have been dishonest aud cor
rupt, and who have been the stipendiaries OF tho
| thieves into whose hands those roads were con-
! mitted.
The House has passed Judgment upon those
OF its oTn members who have been guilty; but
that Judgment was based upon only partial
disclosure Of the facts. There are great many
men who were. perhaps, as guilty as Bingham
aud Ames, against whom not word has yet
been made public. Some Of these will be turn
ing up hereafter as candidates for Preaident or
Vice-President, or for places in tho Cabinet or
for seats in the two Houses Of Congress. Why
not have the whole story at once, and all who
were guilty punished alike?
The two Houses Of Congress have been inform
ed BY the President that, unless they act upon
tho Louisiana case, he will continue to employ
the Federal troops to maintain the greatest act
Of political villainy that has received official
recognition that he will continue TO place the
troops at the disposal Of Judge Durel whose
proceedings as Federal Judge have astounded
the whole country. The two Hou1es have also to
decide which, If either, set of Senators aud Rep
rasentatives are to be admitted from that State.
This business requires calm and careful de1iber-
alton 1t cannot be acted On in the last hours Of
an expiring session, aud Congress- should there
fore meet next week, and, unembar1assed by or
dinary legislation, ahonld dispose OF all these
questions.
We have no question that many men in Con-
gress and out Of it will breathe freer when tho
present session shall close, assuming that that
is the end OF all investigation But there
ought to be virtue enough in Congress- to pro-
vide the means for continuing these investiga
tions. They cannot be stopped. Congress will
have to choose between having them go On in
the summer, OF beginning them next winter.
The fact that Mr. Harlan will be out OF the Sen
ate is no reason why his conduct in receiving
terior, from the Pacific Railroad Company, should
not be investigated What one Secretary has
done another may do, and there should be some
legislation to punish tho repetition Of such Al
indecency not merely by impeachment but other
wise.
There is just at this time no party divisions in
Congress- nor out Of it. There is no Presidential
or other general election pending, and now is
the most auspicious and Convenient time for all
parties to hunt up their black sheep, aud get rid
Of them. Now is the time to unmask the cor
ruptionists who, under the cloak OF special
virtue, arc robbing the public. Now is the time
to explain why an honest man will pay $4,000
to be elected to an office the lawful emoIuments
Of which are barely sufficient to afford him q
living. It is time also to define by law what is
3 lawful and legitimate expense in procuring an
election to the United States Senate, and NOW
is the time to make it q crime to receive or to
pay money, directly or indirectly, for vote for
that Office.
Nomoro appropriate or convenient time for all
this 1egslation than in special session, begin
ming at tho close Of the present one and Con-
gress can hardly do better than to pass the |
Law at once.