Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1874-04-02
The District Investigation.

The District Investigation.
The glee of the District Of Columbia
Ring at the appointment of Senator
Stewart as Chairman of the Investig ga
ting Committee, which certainly indis-
Greet if expressed as openly as report
ed, has been short-lived. But al
though the assumption Of Mr.. Carpen-
ter, acting as temporary President OF
the Senate, has been promptly rebuked
and his appointment set aside, the TN
successful attempt to place Senator
Stewart at the head of the Committee
indicates only too plainly the purpose
of the Administration and the party
leaders to screen the Ring by all avail
able means. Interpolation otMr.Stew'
art by the Committee gives color to
the statements OF that Senator's con-
nection with the plunderes of the Dis
trict, which are made openly and with
out contradiction. His large posses
sions of real estate in the northwest
ern sections of the city, about which
the Board of Public Works have
made costly improvements, is a matter
of common knowledge; while in con-
nection with the notorious cXpendi-
ture of millions on the "P street cir
Gle" he has speculative associations
with ring that includes officials far
higher in station than the members Of
the Shepherd Government. To put a
man, so implicated by suspicion in the
nefarious transactions of this corrupt
RING, at the head of committee
charged with their investigation, was
to assert the unwillln guess Of the par
ty to permit disclosures that might eX
tend too far. The appointment was
equally Illustrative Of anxiety and the
power OF the Ring.
The presence Of Senator Stewart
upon the Committee in any capacity
is unfortunate, since no one attempts
to cotradict the notorious fact that he
has proiited enormously by the very
acts Of whose legality and justice he is
now made a judge. Indeed, it has
been intimated that specific charge
was prepared against the Senator in
connection with an alleged profitable
transaction of his with the real estate
Ring. The courage of the Committee,
under the lead of Senator Thurman, in
removing him from the Chairman
ship to the foot of the list, gives hope
that his influence will not avail to ob
struct thorough investigation The
decision of the Committee concerning
the production ofprlvate papers, when
proper cause is shown, confirms this
favorable opinion Of their zeal. The
scope Of these District rings is so ex
tensive, including not.only the terrific
rial officials, but members of Congress
by the score and the highest Federal
officers in the Government according
to undisputed report, that no restllc-
ton can be placed upon the investiga-
ton and no favor shown without in
validating the result. The Ring may
reasonable be alarmed but it is not to
be supposed that they are at the end
Of their resources \ faction that can
secure the appointment Of one Of their
own number by the acting President
Of the Senate wiclds an influence,
whether it comes from the White
House or the lobby, that may well be
feared in the committee-room. These
preliminary steps have only served to
identify the party and the Admins
tration more closely with Sheperd's OPP
erations.-BoSt0n Post.