The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-02-25
OUR wAsHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. I6

" II. u, Gu. IU.--
The District Investigation Joint
Committee is ut last made up, ard
will get to work at once The pro-
eeedings will be published, but there
will not be crowd of outsiders al
lowed to be present With Senator
Boutwell, as chairman and an open
investigation, the result will have to
be accepted as the final vindieation
or condemnation of acts of our Dis
trict officials There has been so
much condemnation expressed all
over the country by the opponents of
the Board of Public Works, that a
complete vindicatiOn would fall like a
wet blanket on the Democratic party
here which has staked its fortune
upon finding something like an offset
to the New York Tammany frauds.
The truth ought not to hurt any one,
and, if frauds have been peFpetrated,
the Republican party. unlike the
! Democratic, will eHdeavor to expose
it without stint, though in this case,
the appointments being made by the
President, ii must be more a person
al than political error, for no one
pretends to assert that President
Grant has not made the appointments
under the law in perfect good faith.
The Committee on Expenditures
of the Department of Justice had
meeting yesterday and concluded to
call in person on the Attorney Gener-
al. which thew did He received
them courteously, and promised to
afford them any facility for ascertain
ing fully everything relating to the
expenditures of his department. He
explained that no money was dis
bursed by the department, aud that
the only money which passed
through the hands Of bis sabOrdia-
ates was that for the payment Of L.
s. Marshals, Deputy Marshals and
kindred officials of the L. s. Courts,
that there had doubtless been frauds
in the Western Districts of Arknnn-
sas and North Carolina where as
soon as accused, he had dismissed
the officials The expenditures in
! the Arkansas district had reached
$25O,000 and those in Western y. c.
Sl3S,0OO. --~---- .------ -.--- 49,
The Commissioner OF Internal Rev.
enue states that the receipts for the
present month will be nearly nine
millions, and that it is DOW settled
that the receipts arc restored per-
manently to. the amounts before the
panic Thus the curry in finances is
surely passing away, and the Dawn
of more permanent prosperity for
the whole country plainly in view.
Over speculation in RAILROADS. and
their securities will now be severahy-
let alone, and the growth of business
with restored confidence, will be all |
that substantial prosperity can de-
sire. \ little time is all that is !
wanted to give general eoDiidonce,
and 10 start forth the currency that
has been boarded, when the recupeE-
alive powers Of the nation whl soon
give an example of the Yigor attained
by the great life and health support- |
or in businessa tree and natural
circulation.
The trial Of Judge Wright on. the |
charge of forging receipts for Indian |
bounty, and swindling the Cherokees
Of Indian Territory came to conclu-
sion by verdict of no. guilty, as
was expected after the prosecution |
showed its hand There appeared |
the most maegre apology for case,
and this vanished before the evidence
FOX the defence. Some 1900 was
disbursed by the Government for |
witness fees, &c, for the prosecution
alone, and mol pros, will be entered
upon the numerous indietments{osnd- I
ed upon the same general charges !
on which the defendant was acaui;-
ted. 1890
The Massachusetts State Senate |
having Yesterday rescinded the reso- |
luton of 1872 which censured Sena-
tor Sumner for bis action in the u
5. Senate relative 10 the t'a,tle2ags,
there is general rejoicing s1aenE the
Senator's friends in this ETY.. His
recent course of personal statesran-i
ship, has, however, materially di- |
minished. the number OF his adAerents
in Washington The pemecrats
have Aattered him, for the purpose of
gaining him to their side the Liber-
ais have bowed low TO him and abas-
ed themselves, if that were possible;
bu. he stands firm for the Supple
mental Civil Rights bill, for Charles
Sumner and mixed schools, letting
President Grant alone in his glory.
This is the rock whereen he so near
ly wrecked his hopes in Mass.
The editor of the National Repubiii
cna of this city is going for one Of the
editors Of the New York Times
an englishman by the name
of Louis ii. Jennings However
severe the Times may have been on
the Republican, it is scarcely fair to
hold up one of the Times editors to
obloquy, on account of what be had /
written before he became such and to
attack the paper on account
of opinions which it.neyer expressed.
Judged by such q standard the Re-
publican might be logically convicted
of Democracy, Secession and all the
sins of the criminal calendar.
A report OF the Secretary of the
Treasury was made to Congress to-
day showing that7there are :, l2l
clerks employed in, his Department Of
which l54 have been appointed from
competitive examinations, Hegi~es &
also the number from each state Del
from which it appears that one =
fourth of the whels number aEe ered-1
tied to the DestFiet Of Columbia, Il
While the fantastic ideas OF George !
VIM. Curtis on Civil Servicel may
have proved abortive. there certain I
ly should be some regard paid to y
worthy competitors who have been I