Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1874-05-19
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The Virginia Enterprise is endeayor-
ing to excuse its defense of the Sanborn
infamy, but makes very lame out of it.
1t has severa, offenses of this kind to
condone. and We expect will make an
equally poor showing in all OF them.
The truth is. if for party's sake journal
undertakes to whitewash every rascal
and defend every pilferer simply because
the offender is a member of the political
organization that the paper espouses,
then the latter is very little better, il any,
than the original criminal This is be-
coming generally and widely understood,
and therefore journals that pretend TO
have any character say that no matter in
which ranks the offender affilistes, or
whoever he may be, if he is guilty let
him be punished. Further, in order
that the guilty may be properly dealt
with and the innocent vindicated, such
journals desire that Investigations OF the
most searching character shall be had in
all suspected cases. If there is nothing
to hide, nothing will be found, even by
the most inquisitiye Paul Pry. But if
there is-ah. there's the rub" Then
investigations are declared TO be libelous,
impairment, unnecessary, expensive and
what not beside. That is what the
Washington Chronicle said, and the En-
terprse re-echoed it, about the Sanborn
investigation, the District of Columbus
inquiry, etc, but why did these journals
oppose the scrutiny? Because there was
something to hide. For that reason the
San Francisco Alta is abusing Luttrell
for probing the mail contract iniquity,
The Sacramento Record is sneering al
the same man for asking a scrutiny into
the proceedings OF the Central Pacific
Contract and Finance Company. II
there were nothing in these matters but
what would bear inspection, they would
throw open their doors and the books
and say, "come and see," and imme
diately make political capital by assum.
ing the role of injured innocence. They,
we all know better. There is something
which can not to be defended, that is il.
legal, that is wrong, which amounts to
swindling the people, and that is the rea.
son that the threatened inquiry puts the
culprits into an agony of mingled rage
and fear. Now, this being a fair and
temperate statement Of notorious facts
why We ask, does the Enterprise assist
these people to elude or defeat inquiry
rather than adding the weight of its in
fuence i'll the promotion of justice and
the rigorous application of the ordinary
principles of right and wrong, in judging
offenders who steal from the public, a,
we'll as to those who might enter it
Office and help themselves to the con
tents Of the till. There is not q check
guerilla, or a sneak thief that intests Nir
ginia City that is not on par with sucl
men as Sauborn, Jayne, the Washington
ring, these postal swindlers and score
and scores of others, that under tn
gamor of party clanishness are excused
their offenses palliated, or else bold,
denied. Is this right? Are offences 0
this character mitigated because one i
committed by houseless, vagrant out
cast, and the other by man clothed il
fine linen and purple, who, pharisee like
prays in public places and thanks Go
that be is not as other people are. Ar
not these crimes the same in principle
while the balance of turpitude is largel,
against the opulent transgressor. Their
can only be one reply to such interroga
tories. Why, therefore, we ask, do tn
journals we have named allow the magi
cal spell of party to incite them to defen
practices, that if committed by home
less beggar, would consgn him to
pententiary. Why is there one law fc
the rich and influential, and another 70
the poor and helpless?