Wilmington daily commercial., 1876-04-26
FIRST EDITION.
A National Di.grace.

THE HOUSE ISLANDER INTELLECTUALLY,
FAIR, AND HEALTRFUL INVESTIGATIONS
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., BLACKMAILERs,
DETECTIVES, soRE-HEADs, AND DIsAPPotNr-
I'D MEN Al WITNESSES
Special Corresp sndehce of the Cincinnati Gazette
WAeHINaroN, April %.
Fair and most searching Investigations of
public officers should bs encouraged, de-
Tended, and insisted upon. Thus far, no
Republican in Congress has laid straw in
the way of any resolution Of inquiry. But
the methods pursued by the Democrats in
many of the Investigations now in progress
are such as to bring disgrace upon the House
of Representatives. They are of character
that demand full exposure on the floor by
some courageous man. The fact that these
inquiries OF which complaint is made are i'll
secret, is by no means their worst feature,
but when this is coupled with scandalous
unfa,rness and constant concealment from
the Republican members of the committees
! OF what is in progress, each Of these bodies
becomes machine hitherto uuknown to
Congressional procedure.
In several of the most important matters
examined, affecting questions of personal
honesty on the part of the President and
Cabinet officers. testimony has been taken
with only Democrats aud shorthand writer's
present. And testimony thus taken, with
out CROSS examination, or notice to the ac-
cused, has been sent broadcast over the
land for political eff ct. Such dealing
/ ought to fall within the list of serious
crimes. Yet the present Democratic House
not only practices it, but Republicans sit
/ meskly by and see it go on day after day.
In several notable Instances, the false tes-
timony was allowed tot go out after it's false
hood had been thoroughly exposed to the
the secret examiners. This was tue case
ain the attempt OF Cauldfisd's committee to
fix the improper Use of public funds in sup
pressing election frauds upon President
Grant, aud also III the circulation of the
Barley gossip regarding Secretary Bristow
aid his alleged purchase for 10000.
Employees discharged for cause, disap-
p inUed contractors, unsuccessful claim
agents, indicted criminals, black matters,
bribe takers, defaulters, d,sreputable de.
tectlves, perjurors, and lunatlcs, have
gracad the stand in these Democrat c COM
mittee-rooms, and had their testimony to
Republican inefticiency recorded And this
is not exaggeration.
The crazy man who was allowed to testl-
fy without restraint against Cen Meigs be-
fore Cvmers committee will not be forgot
ten. The fact that this inquiry was public
alone exposed the baseleseness of the tes-
tiuony. The regular report gave no inti-
nation of the mans condition. But for the
specials who saw aud described it, nothing
would have promptly reached the country
to disc edit IT, Clusters hour after hour of
mere hearsay is a case in point.
The Naval Committee have examined all
army OF connactors and employees with a
grievance and volume after volume of
testimony from snch men has been taken
without touching the Secretary. One COM
mittee has taken testimony from man
, who was a defauter in the army and a
blaekmalle II ,@isc4!ioll attel ward. Lsa-iug
him against Cabinet officer. The Judi
ciary Committee has beard gang of detec-
tiyes III the safe-burglary matter, every one
OF whom has committed perjury, if theii
/, testimony is true, and all they had TO say
/ against Gen. Babcock was Of course given
to the press.
Without doubt, there has been much tet
timony taken from reputable Whine -ses, but
very little of this has established dishonesty
against Republican officials. lie bulk OF
these Democratic Investigations, however,
! have dealt with the disreputable classes q
witnesses to which allusion has been made.
Witnesses with grievance may tell moth
ing but the truth. 1t is only just to those
ey accuse to nave their exact identity
and relations to those accused established
: and entered in the record. This has moi
.. been often done, aud the consequence il
: that much testimony, winch the fixing Of
such Identity would at once diseredit hat
) gone into the record unquesticned. Dur.
, ing the coming campaign Republicans viii
! see and be obliged to face this for the first
time.
The extreme unfairness, the keen injus-
tice, and the lasting disgrace of these pro
ceedings, can not be painted in too darl
colors. O2en and fair investigation is nee
: essary to the purity of the public service
Justice demands that the guilty should b.
discovered and promptly punished. Bu
. all this is a very different thing from using
the machinery and the plenary powers o
a a the House of Representatives. to manufsct
ure and disseminate SANDER.
AS matters are now conducted, the Demo
! cratic House s a national slander mill; ant
I Republicans on the floor should take tn,
opportunity to hold up its machinery ant
products to universal scorn and execration
II. Y. 3.
= Trial of Cloud.