National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-06
THE, DISTRICT INVESTIGATION:

Il @ C4C1 "xO L 4At NSA " - = . Wv
The investigation into the affairs of the
District of Columbia was fairly begun yes
terday. In other columns this morning
I we prin. perbatins report of the proceed
ings, SO that friend and foe alike mny know
\ exactly what was said and what was done.
Inprevious investigations the fact that the
Washington Republican press did not print
ataH report of what took place was pointed
to by the slanderers upon Newspaper Row,
by the enemies of the National Administra-
ton and by the outside opposition Journals
as proof positive that it was influenced by
sinister motives; in plain language. that it
was in what is called "the Ring" that it
was subsidized. and 60 bought and dare
not express its real sentiments.
Z We answer these assertions this morning
by printing the rAob record, and shall con-
tiuue to- do 50 from day to day, even If it
shall be necessary to double the present
size of TIE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,. We
3 mean to give the whole record to the coun-.
try; to show our enemies and the I'M
patriotic gang of malcontents, who are act
ing with them that there is nothing which
they can adduce of which either the Dis
trict government or the local press is
ashamed or afraid; nothing that the venom
Gus reptiles who have been sent here to
traduce and defame us-to injure our city
and retard our legitimate Advancement
can. without sheer lying and Justification,
use against the District and those interested
in its progress.
The NATIONAL REPUBLICAN, means to
be fair and honest in this whole mnttcr. 1t
has no unfair purpose to subserve there is
no man, no party, no ring which 1t de-
sires to uphold. 1t defes each and every
one opposed to the Board of Public Works
and to the District government to prove
that it has been either "bribed" or
bought" that it has done anything dis
honorable or which public journal should
not have done. 1t is fourteen years since its
first number was issued, and in all that time
it invites the closest scrutiny into its record.
1t has not been all that We could have
wished it to be, but it has grown with the
growth of the city; it has won the conf
dence of all classes of its citizens, its work
ingmcn and its merchants. Their interest
hiss been its interest, their advancement its
advancement. Its fidelity to them in the
past must be the earnest of its fidelity to
them in the future.
We make these remarks merely as q
preface to this point During the last two
years, since the Liberal Republican party
was formed since four or five disappointed
political editors entered upon crusade of
calumny and SANDER, which has been with
out parallel in our political history, for the
purpose of destroying the Republican party.
and General Grant the local government
of this city, and the city ITSELF have been
attacked with q venomous malice which
seems to have been inspired of the spirit of
evil ITSELF The agents of Horace White,
who made the money with which he pur-
chased the Chicago Tribune out of the
"Western whisky ring of Murat Hal
stead, of the Cincinnati Commercial, who
has been branded as a bribe-taker by the |
Legislature of his own State of Whitelaw
monthly stipend in 1864 to defame Mr.. Lin
coin in the interest of Mr.. Chase for the
Presidency; of the spy and informer, Dana,
whose society is Stunned by all respectable |
people, have been allowed "too much
swing in this town during the last few
months. Their ISLANDERS have been per- |
United to go to the country without
question and without -co contradiction. |
They have been allowed to malign |
and defame without let or hindrance;
to make, in the interest of a political
party, and of their disreputablc and un-
scrupulous employers, political capital
out of the District of Columbia, all |
because President Grant is responsible !
for the appointment of those who control
its affairs. We mean that this shall come |
to an end, and that our citizens shall know
these men as they should be known.
We have no objection to fair criticism, and
to an honest presentation of facts, but the |
falsehood that has been scattered over the |
country during the last twelve months must
be stopped Forbearance toward them has |
become crime toward our city and Its citi-
zens, and in the future we mean to paint
them in their true colors, and handle them |