Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-03-17
Investigate the Investigators.

/ AT the time the Belknap lmpeach-
ment resolutions were presented to
the House of Representatives Mr..
Blackburn, Democratic member of
the Committee on Expenditures of
the War Department., declared that
there had been no want of alacrity
on the part Of Republican members
OF the committee to investigate the
conduct of the late Secretary of War.
This testimony as to the good faith
of Republicans in committee action
against member of their own ad-
mlnistration cannot be impeached,
and it testifies strongly to the honor
and patriotism of the Republican
party. We showed yesterday how
different was the conduct of the
Democratic party, as far back as the
time Of Jackson, in the treatment of
the corrupt officials dete, ted in it's
own ranks. They were not brought
to justice; they were not removed;
they were apologized for, excused,
and retained IN ofce. 1t appears
that the Democrats of to-day are as
obtuse to the sins OF their party
friends as they are prompt to demand
the punishment of their political OPP
ponants. Robbins, proven to have
been bribed in 1869, and censured
for it by the Legislature of North
Carolina, still holds his place on the
committee for the investigation of
cases of malfeasance in office! Why
is not he removed? Is he fit man
to be trusted with the scales of JUS
tice? Is it to be expected of him
that he will pursue with equal ardor
investigations of charges against
friends and enemies? On the con-
trary, 1t is q fair presumption that
this convicted taker of bride money,
whose name is forever blackencd by
the foul faint of corruption, will seek
to sace guilty political friends from
exposure, while he seeks TO punish
political enemies whether guilty or
innocent. Mr.. Robbins is unfit to
act longer on 4 committee whose
duty it is to unearth frauds where
ever they may be found, whether
such frauds implicate Republicans or
Democrats. We say "ionger," be-
cause it was unknown to the public
until recently that Mr. Robbins was
convicted of bribery in 1869. But
this is not all of the case against the
Committee on Expenditures of the
War Department. Our Washington
dispatches state that there are charges
pending i'll the committee against
Mr.. Hester Clymer, and that he him.
self is taking the testimony of wit
nesses on the subject-lnvestigating
his own case! There could be no
greater improperly of conduct than
this.
We know nothing of these charges.
MIR. Clymer has born good reputa-
tation up to this time; he comes of
good stock; we trust he Will be able
to clear himself of the charge. But
he cannot do SO by conducting the
investigation himself. Such a thing
as conviction at the close of an inves-
tigation prosecuted by the person
charged with crime has never been
known. More than this: The stain
OF charges preferred can never be re-
moved by an investigation so con-
Quoted. And we are sorry t, be
compelled to add that the fact that
Mr.. Clymer is himself engaged in
the investigation of charges against
his character for integrity is a cir
cpmstance in support of the truth of
the charges, We warn Mr., Clymer
that he cannot pursue this course and
preserve his good name, or rather
rescue it from the shadow cast upon
it by the charges in question. And
the Democratic party in Congress
may as well take notice now of the
fact of MIR. Robbins case of bribery,
only seven years old, There is no
stah,tue Of limitations against public
opinion and public Judgment, SO
long as Robbins remains on a com
mittee Of investigation, it is notice
to the country that the Democratic
party has no horror of crime in itself,
but merely seeks to convict its oppo-
nents Of fraud with view to make
political capital. These invcstiga-
tons cannot proceed in this way
without damaging the investigators.
The Democratic party has no mo-
nopoly in the business of unearthing
frauds, 1t was inauguratod by the
administration. In hunting the
guilty distillers and their confeder-
atcs to the courts, blows have fallen
upon both Republicans and Demo-
Gratis. The party line has not been
drawn; it is not known, tt is not even
suspected, that any guilty Republi'
can has been spared. The same i'm
partial course must be pursued by
the Democratic committees of Con
gress. Mr.. Robbins should be de-
graded from the Committee on En-
penditures of the War Department,
and if there are pending in that com
mi!tcc any charges against Mr.. ely
mer the case should be transferred ut
once to some other committec.--M-