New-York tribune., 1874-06-19
TIE SENATE AND THE DISTRICT COY
ERNlfFNT

LRNMENI.
A careful reading of the full report of the
Joint Select Committee on the affairs OF the
District of Columbia leaves no doubt that the
Committee is satisfied of the rascaly charac-
ter of the District Ring. No one is censured
by name, and the report takes care never to
call spade spade when that implement
can be designated by any other name. In
some cases, too, the softening of epthets has
been carried to absurdity. Yet after all, the
COOL dispassiOnate, guarded description OF
what the District Government has done, OF
the "mistakes" it has committed in its meas
urements, the confusion it has introduced into
it's accounts, the debts it has created, the
laws it has broken. tho opportunities of
swindlng it has everywhere opened-nOt to
say embraced-fOlOwed as it is by bill to
sweep the whole concern out OF existence Is
a verdict severe enough to satisfy the de-
mands of justice. and much more impartial
than there was reason to anticipate. For 1t
must be remembered that the Committee was
greatly embarrassed by personal cOnsdera-
tons. The intercourse between the chief
members of the District Government
and several leading Senators and
REPRESENTATIVES had long been close
and confidential and without assum-
ing that there was anything dishonorabe in it
we can readily understand how difficult 1T
must have been for some of the Committee to
agree upon a report which so seriously COM
promised the intimate associates OF certain of
their respected colleagues. Nor was this all.
The ipiudiclous conduct of the President had
made the investigation in some sort pOlit-
cal affair." Originally it was not partisan in
duiry at all. 1t was promoted by citizens of
the District. irrespective OF politics, because
they believed themselves to be robbed. Gen.
Grant, however, has taken the greatest
pains to identify himself with the
inculpated officials. Mr.. Shepherd, though not
on trial. was under charges of fraud when the
by promoting him to the GOvemorship of the
District. When Engineer Cluss, in the course
of the investigation, exposed the fraudulent
character of the pretended Board meetings.
held by !Nlr. Shepherd on the street corners,
the Board in rage requested the President
to remove him as o punishment for telling
the truth. and Gen. Grant accordingly seized
Mr.. Cluss by the throat as soon as he came off
the witness stand, and hustled him out
of Office. And only the other day,
when the investigation was substantially
closed, and the verdict generally known, the
President went on junketing tour in COM
pany with Mr.. Shepherd, as if to show the
world that he liked the disgraced Boss just as
well as ever. A censure Of the District Govern
ment, therefore. might fairly be interpreted
as censure upon the President. The Repub-
lican members of the Committee, who disre-
garded all these considerations in agreeing to
the unanimous report against the Ring, de-
serve the fullest credit for their good sense
and independence.
But when it came the turn of the whole
Senate to express itself on subject init
mately connected with the report of the Joint
Committee there was a very different story TO
tell. On Wednesday in executive session
the Senate lvOted to confirm the nOmina-
ton of Richard L. HOxie {" to be member
"of the Board of Public Works of the Dis
"trict ,Of Columbia, vice Adolph Cluss, re-
"movedn IfLthe nomination was a shameful
one its confirmation, on the heels of the re-
port which substantiates the evidence that
Mr. Cluss was removed for giving, is nothing
less than an outrage. What was the object
of this vote We can hardly believe that the
Senate bold as it has shown itself this Sum-
mer, really intends to reject the bill which
the House has just passed by such a re-
markable majority, and if tho Ring is
to be destroyed, why should the Senate be
at the trouble of doing its dirty work
Neither can the confirmation be explained by
fcalty to the President. The nomination ought
of course to have been rejected promptly
but If the Senate lacked tho courage or tho