The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-07-27

stance or with the approval of the President
Amid all the immitigable twaddie about ne
potsm in which the penny -a-liner wailowed
during the last campaign, no mention is made
of this near relative as an incumbent of a
place. There is nothing therefore to indicate
that he is under the patronage of the " hite
House. And as this is a free country the head
of the nation could hardly be justified in exer-
cising the prerogative of crowned sovereign,
and directing the movements and actions of his
kinsmen. The truth of the matter is that the
President is no more responsible for the pre-
sence of his brother in the Territories than he
would be Cor that of the veriest stranger. /
dare say some sharp trader of that region
thought he would be good card to play in
their little game, and made an alliance with
him for the sake of the capital there was in the
name he bore. But every act of the Chief
Magistrate effectually negatives the insinuation
that there is any lack of sincerity in his ex-
ertions to acqut with perfect good faith the
obligations of the nation toward its copper
colored wards.
Newspaper readers will do well to observe
caution in forming judgments respecting the
Indian Commissioners. There is SO large an
admixture of ignorant and wilful falsehood in
the dispatches we get that very little credit
can safely be given to them The press has
well nigh lost its power for doing good by the
inconsiderate and reckless manner in which it
has disseminated the most palpable fctions.
This raid upon the Bureau of Indian Affairs
may be prompted by worthy motives but it is
quite as likely to be impelled by desire to
further the interests of some selfish faction.
The administration at Washington may be i'm
plicitly trusted. 1t is the only quarter from
which the correction of abuses can come. Any
impu tations upon the Secretary of the Inte-
rior or his subordinates may be treated with
contemptuous incredulity until they receive
confirmation by the action of the President
and his advisers at the Capitol.
The District Attorney at Washington, Mr..
George II. Fisher, is to be superseded. 1
know nothing about him, but if Postmaster
General Jewell urges his removal, as is alleged,
it must be for cause. The points which tell
most in favor of Mr.. Fisher are that he is
abused by the N. Y. Sun and Tribune. A
philippe in either of them would con-
stitute a tolerably fair certificate of character,
but when both combine in denouncing man
he must possess some good qualities. They
occasionally attack public man who is really
obnoxious to censure, but their bitterest de-
nunciations are reserved for those who are en-
tirely above just reproach. 1t is quite possible
their attacks on the District Attorney were
not placed under the Presidents notice-he
never reads either of these journals-but if
they were they would perfectly account for the
reluctance he is represented to have felt in
ordering the dismissal.
A Legislative committee engaged in investi-
eating the affairs of the Emigration Commits
sion, has unearthed a curious bit Of history of
Democratic legislation at Albany four years ago
The agents of the foreign steamship lines COM
bined to employ one Nolan to secure the pas
sage of an act reducing the head money of i'm
migrants from $3.50 to $3.50. The compensa-
ton fixed upon was % cents per capita, on the
immigrants arriving within certain period.
There is some contradictory evidence as to the
length of time for which the payment was to
continue, but none at all as to the terms OF the
bargain. Under this arrangement Nolan re-
ceived something like $4,000. Who he
divided with he refuses to tell. He is still
under examination. The agents of the steam
ship have given their testimony. The brbers
and the bribed corroborate each other. 1t is
one of the most fragrant examples of the
shocking decentralization of that epoch which
has yet come to light. The gentlemen who
united in raising this corruption fund are of
high standing and represent European CAPT.
tai. The only way in which one can reason
ably account for their conduct is by assuming
that they had become firmly impressed with
the belief that the representatives in our Leg
islature were utterly mercenary aud venal-
that they were as purchasable as cattle-and
that in order to get a law passed to relieve
them of what they conceived to be an onerous
tax they must buy the votes necessary for its
passage. Into what an abyss of degradation
the Empire state had fallen when such prac.
tices were possible. YARMOUTH