, 1876-04-20
The Independent Press.

The salvation of this country is its
independent press. In every instance.
the investigations ow going on in Con-
gress. disclosing such an alarming de-
gree of public and official corruption,
have been instigated, and the main
facts elected. by the independent press.
The investigating committees have de-
rived all the information upon which
they have acted from the detective force
of the several leading newspapers: we
believe these exposures would never have
been made through any other source;
the mere party press of the country has
had no part or lot in the matter, and
from the very nature of their several
positions could not have had. Charges
made by party press against party OPP
ponents would have been met by denial
and denunciaiion by the other party. and
would have been regarded by the pubic
as mere political inventions for party
effect. 1t was the independent press,
with its unequalled detective system
which hunted down the facts andbrough
them to a successful Issue; and Ii
is heindependent pressa lone which has
prevented politicians FROM using these
investigations for party purposes solely.
Mark bow soon the Clymer committee
weakened, forthwith discharged the wit.
ness Marsh, and permitted him to'leave
the country, when it was discovered by
the chairman that his friend Pondleton
was mixed up in the affair and that the
witness knew it. 1t was the New York
Herald which has kept the committee up
to its work, and prevented its shying
when Democratic coat tail was seen
upon the trail they were following. 1t
is the persist ent efforts of the indepen-
dent press which has forced the party
politicians to accept the situation and
join in the popular demand: LET no
guilty man escape"
The politician who imagines that ell
ther party will make any party capital
out of these investigations is very much
mistaken. 1t presents no issue between
Republicans and Democrats, for mem
bers of both are involved in proportion
to their opportunities, as they were IN
the "Credit Mobilier," the back-pay
grab, the Washington ring swindles and
even in the Tweed robbery. But it will
result in the greater benefit of holding
both parties 10 stricter accountability
for the character of the meu they sever
ally present for popular suffrage, and
therein viii! the independent press again
be o power in the land.
We never had greater hope for the
future of our country than 10 the break
ing out of these sores. which all have
known and felt were fostering through
out all the ranifcations of our body
polite, rapidly tending to rottenness
and dissolution. 1t is now manifest
that there is vigorous element of vital
ity behind all this, which is doing its
work in purifying the system and
sloughing off the putrld matter which is
now for the first time thrown to the
surface.
This is wonderful country, without
a parallel in the history of the world.
It's sorest trials have only served to IL
lustrate its marvellous recuperative pow
ers. The most gigantic civil war that
the world ever witnessed, terminated in
leaving the Government intact, with Its
constitution and civil institutions not
permanently impaired. A termination
without a precedent in history. 1t had
become o political axiom. without an
exception: Liberties voluntarily sur
rendered are never recovered but by
bloody sacrifice" During the war the
people all over the country voluntarily
surrendered their civil rights and per-
sopal liberties to military power; re-
sumed them again at the close of the war.
without contest, and to-day we see the
military authorities exercising less lntiu-
ence and welding less power than at
any other period in our history. In
fact the military commanders, whose
will was law and whose power was su-
preme over the districts under their
command, have less control III the Gov-
ernmeut now than many civilian
whose only achievements have been In
the caucus or in the lobby; and under
the reforms now in progress, this latter
class-the scheming politicians-will in
time have to give place to honest and
able men under the test of fitness in
stead of party service.
Never before in the history Of the
world did the currency and bonds of a
Government depreciate below fifty per
cent. and were subsequently reclaimed
at par in gold.
These are facts as significant as they
are remarkable, and afforde ABUNDANT
assurance of the permanency and pros
perity of our Government and country.
The controlling influences of wealth, lux
ury and the passion for display and
precedence, which destroyed Rome as
Commonwealth and an Empire, have
already done their worst the begin
ming of the end of these malig powers
has been reached. The development OF
official corruption in our Government,
as they are, have had many precedents
in the Government of Great Britain at