The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-02-27
oUR WAsaiNaToN LETrER.
WAsH1yGToN. Feb. 2I. 1873.


National capital To write about. IB-
vestigators and investigated are SO
numerous that at times there is barely
a working quorum in either house of
Congress. Everybody is engrossed
in the Investigations, and the Con-
gressional machine wor?s with so lit
tie energy that there is danger that
some necessary legislation will not be
accomplished before March 4. So
great has this danger seemed, that, tt
President who Is constitutioually OPP
posed to a called session, found it
necessary, recently, to make person =
al visit toitlIe Capitol and urge the
Senators and Representatives to be ex-
peditious- Ipi order to add force. to
this request, he hinted that if an ex-
ira session should be necessary he
probably should not call it before
June. III,
What sad commentary upon the
degeneracy of the times it is. to re-
member that, among the fathers, pub
lie pilferers when discovered wonld
fly the country. Now, they falldto
lying with the most remarkable ceIer-
ity and brazen effrontery. 1t is Curl
GUS to observe that among thesrecent
political wrecks are found nearly all
of those who have been subjected TO
such fulsome praise on the score of
their wonderful piety and temperance.
The Christian pabHc which has so Of
ten depfored tire fewness Of God-fear-
ing men in Congress, has never failed
to return thanks for such shining
lights as ,Colfax, Wilson, Pomeroy,
Harlan and Patterson. Those who
have been able to view these men at
short range, have. known, them for
ihypOcritical demagogues who have
played the pious role because it paid !;
but the country generally, and espe-
cialiy the Christian public, @onld not
have been aroused from their pleasant
haliucination, but for tfleseI fortunate
investigations. ~,
7 No man has made bisd desfrnction so
sudden and over W Irefming as Schuy.
lerGColfax EVen- thezRepublican
Journals no longer defend him. He
Segaa Bullying ana eeuldnt stop un-'
til he was forced to admit that he had
received $4,000 from Government
"a gconaparatiye gstranger)
ihI1S6s. mo one who is mot blinded,
BY prejudice, could, after hearing re4l
cent evidence, believe word of his
fabulous storyEabeutr the one thousand
dollar bank note. It will be remems
bered that Colfax has for years
been especially active in deliver
ing temperance and moral lectures.
He once wrote a series of articles for
the Independe,at, discussing the nice.
casuistic !, question, whether there
might not be danger in using wine at,
the Lords Supper, in view of the pos
sibility that certain quondam tipplers
might have their alcoholic appetites
renewed thereby. A great many re.
ligious communities have been led to,
suppose that questions of infant bap-
tism and wine at communion were
constantly running in the good Schuy-
ler's head. But when it is seen that
heTswears falsely and takes bribes, Of
course his fate is sealed, 3 j.
Pomeroy was another of the elect.
He was not only eminently and ins
tensely Good Templar, but good
Christian as well, and took a written
statement to that effect from Messrs.
Harlan aud Howard to aid in his re-
election. Fearing that this certificate
might not do the business he conclur
ded to supplement itwith few thou
sand dollars in ready cash. But the
glorious son of York has consigned
old I'onanae de terre, the patron saint,
of the Northwest, to his normal con-
dition, underground, where his rot
tenness will no longer stink in the
nostrils of his countrymen.
But let us look at Pomeroy's endor-
sers. Gen. Howard escaped the. ili-'
vestieation appointed to look into his.
affairs only by the "skin of his teeth,
and Harlan is caught with bribe-
money in his pocket. Last spring,
Harlan realizing that his congression-
oil term was nearly ended, concluded
to do a nice thing for the Administra-
ton and get a big office to pay for it.
So he secured the editorship of the
Chroatcle and hammered away. in his
narrow, partisan fashion all through
the campaign. But now, just as he
has caught a glimpse of the eelemos-
mary institution whittier he would
fain retire in honor and profit. one of
his old sins is fished up before the
eominitte; and now, public sentiment
wouldn't justify his appointment to
any, place. Another '.shinin' light
blowed out forever! i
Henry Wilson tried to get out of
the Credit Mobilier by Sinking be-
hind his dead wlfe. He testified con-
cerning the investment: "My wife
was present and consented to the
Abroad, Henry seems
to be regarded as a giant, but among
his associates he is known TO be hyp-
ocri.ical pigmy. Ever. in conversa-
ton, he pirates from force sof habit, T
about having been "born in great OBJ
worked with '.these hands"
always been a temperance man,
shave endeavored to lead life of
moral rectitood," etc. If one-third OF
the scandalous stories told about him,
in which persons are ready to give
names, dates and circumstances. are
true, there is not worse debauchee in
Congress, and that is saying a good |