Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-09-30
THE REAL CRIMINAL.
lSt Louis Republican,

~ the result OF the confused investigation:
which the house democrats Instituted mt tb, be.
ginning OF this congress shall prove. "a There is
some reason to apprehend it will prove. the in
e Vestlsation policy to be failure as a piece al
!, tactics' 1t Will be because that policy did no,
appreciate the national significance of and the
ih'Viouai irresponsibilty for the crimes which
we Investigations were intended to bring to
i.snI IL would not be surprising if every one of
'nese speeial inquiries into departmental abuses
~ Gnu Ill uiscomhture; indeed this ending is
p'"'nis III we" already. Why? Not because
the ABUSES did not exist. Not because Belknan
and Delano and Babcock and the other susnectod
CRIMINALS are not guilty. But because there ia
| no process Of law that can reach high Officials
| WHO We're the instruments and agents ra,bar
| .nan the authors Of the crimes proved The
| Investigation will surely disgrace as thew
| o"snt 10 dlsSrace, the agents whose complicitv
III irauo Is clearly revealed; but this is u yery
n'uiiic'eht result, as long as the party to which
| thesc agents belonged and which conniyed at. if
| IL uld not lnstisate the frauds ESCAPES its inst
| share oil punishment. What will the democrats
gain-what will the country gain by the depra-
uatlon OF three or four caDinet ministers l.,
private secretary, several members of conpress
ahu several score OF leading favorILes or Inc ad
mhlnistratlon, N if after all, the republican party
~ WHICH tnese men belonged, exhibits unabated
power and spirit, and boast it's ability tn c,rrv
the next election?
Ihere are certain great crimes that cannot be
reached by personal processes and nen,1,i.s ~
'loictments, trials and mpeacbmcnts Tho
crimes which the house is ipves,;oo,i
VI thls Character. The administrations il; th
author OF the boundless corruptions and n.cn- |
iitions that shame the country We do M.
"e"h th't president Grant is IL criminal: we do |
no' ih'eho TO concentrate on him q responsIhiIitv
"'i'h ho individual can or ought to bear We
ne"h 'llat MS administration and the Q reat party
i supports IL are the authors of that dis |
e-"1e,ui regime OF dishonesty that stands re-
,e''eo oelore lis. 1t is Il political fact. rather
'n "n ihul'idual crime or series of individual |
crimes. 1t is the legitimate and inevitable ,ro
uuce Oh republicanism, and renubliconi, |
o"sht 10 have been made answerable for it-not
oeiore mouse committees and district courts and !
uries' put before that ultimate tribunal which
1to"e o"h lake cognIzance of cases above The
A"m'ne people. The pOstradershp sales: the
''e"". hooiiier brlberies; the freedmen's hank
"ie; ''e J"sSiery by which the worthless
y. C"e"s' haplcht " Co. where made the
financial agents of the United States in n,,c. Of
he olu anu honorable house of Barring A. Hro :
ne similar Jugglery that gave the failing bousa
u Jay Cooke, McCulloch & Co s.v.r,, h,,1 | I
nousaha dollars Of the navy money; the foul +
ii'a'ies OIL the district ring; the Sanborp cop-
r'cts' The Indian frau,ls-al these ar. the f,;, s
u rep'lolIcan policy. The republican marty is n
accountable for them. If its leaders did NOT t
no" OF Them and countenance them. they n, u
east suspected and connived ut them There * q
ot Il single republican aspirant to the nresi- VI
elcy' bristow excepted, who ever raised his
wy Vi "'iiia In condt lnnatiOn OF them If one |
'eie 10 read the speeches of Mr. Blaine. mr. SEN N
'oi morton, or Senator Conkling, or the mes
ages Of President Grant, of the last len ,oor. N
"ouio never suspect, from anything he cou,d |
hu therein, that there Was u fraud To h,. IL. al
ouhced or IN abuse to be punished INV ii
''re-the very fact that Bristow alone of ,,i et
ie candidates for the republican nomn,tior u
~ exposed ani published frauds IN the nul,;c | b,
'rVice, nc; only nearly caused bis disni,s.I ST
ON the cabinet but has enectuulIv es,r,,,1r.,, 81
I'D from the recognized leaders and .n,houi,;a ia -.
the party. W
IL Is Tue republican party, then, that ought to L
iihpeached and brought to trIal-not nv -
'Zen accusations against its agents hut h, GI
indictment against itself. The situation docs m m'
u Gull Tor tile line and Imprisonment of renuI ha
.an Offenders; 1t demands the UTTER ov.r,bro,, sp
the republican party an an