, 1875-02-28


Committee have monopohzed al the lending
parts in the Congressional performance now
nearly concluded. They have played IN
tragedy and farce. In the tragedy entitled
"The Tax-GrnbbexB; or, The Victory OF the
Protectionists and the Whisky Ring" they
illustrated how the mass Of the people may
be oppressed and todden under foot by the
select classes with the assistance Of false
Representatives. The farce is called ''Tho
Pacific Male; or, How Not to Do It" in
which there has been very ludicrous repre-
sentation Of tie difficulties which beset
men who profess to be doing one thing and
are really doing another. The Waysand Means
Committee have professed to trace tho cor
rupt use of Pacific dni1 moneys to Congress
men, while they hive actually been engaged
in the effort to show that none Of these moo-
eys ever got into the hands of Congressman
They have acted the farce with the genuine
self-satisfaction Of your true amateur, and
close their ears to the criticism Of their audi
cnce-the public.
The report on the Pacific Mail Investigation
is lame and inpotent conclusion to IN ln~
complete and sloven1y examination Of the
subject. But the conclusions Of the
Committee are also at variance with
the partial testimony offered For IN
stance, the report intimates belief
that mo- ''part Of the corruption fund
was paid to any member Of Congress, while
the fact simply is that no such payment has
been absolutely proved, on account Of the
failure to follow up the evidence actually
given, and that suspicion strongly pointed to
several members Of Congress. The Commit
tee also express the belief that the greater
part Of the s., ,ooo, 600 corruption fund was
used by stockwen in stock snecplations,
while the testimony before the Com
mittce clearly proved. that between
100000 and S7oo,ooo of the money
was paid over to lobbyists, friends
of congressman, and middlernen, and not
used in stock speculations This portion Of
the report is therefore unwarrantcd by the
evidence, and intended to deceive the public.
The Committee were unusually alert in their
efforts to run down every obscure newspaper
reporter whose name Was mentioned in con-
nection with the job, but they failed lamentably
to follow any scent that might possibly lead to
the conviction Of d Congressman. Both Re-
| pubicans and Democrats agreed ON this
| Their treatment of ScuuMAKEE and KING is
weak to the last degree The most they
thought they could do was to certify these
| cases to the next Congress. As MIR. Kr'o
kept out Of the way, perhaps there was moth
| inp else to be done in his case, though his
persistent stay in Canedn was confession,
not only that he received the money said to
have been paid to him, but that he made some
| use of it which be did not wGnt to reveal.
But in ScHuMAEEn's ease the Committee
might have shown their purpose of ascer-
tanning the facts if they had entertained
such purpose. They had evidence enough
weeks ago to warrant recommendation Of
ScHuMAKER's expulsion, which the House
would have adopted Thereupon MIR. ScaU-
MAKER could have been arrested and forced to
tell what he did with the 100000 which be
received.
The investigation has been failure in the
manner in which it was conducted, and in al
its results, except that it led to repeal o1
the subsidy which YVES fraudu1ently procured.
This repeal is proof TINT Congress does moi
believe with the Committee that most Of the
corruption fund was used in stock speculo
tons.