The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-09-14
Two Kinds of Investigations.

| The Washington corresp ondent OF the Gin
| cinnati Gazette, of the 4th, has this to say
about the results of Republican and Demo-
cratic Investigations: ''g
| A Western voter, with practical turn OF
mind, writes to ask whether all the Demo-
cratic investigations OF the last session rec
| suited in saving the Government any money.
The question strikes ut the essential differ
ence between Republican investigations OF
former years, and those which disgraced the
| last House of Representatives. The first
saved millions, as can be readily shown.
The last have not saved a single dollar to the
Treasury. At the same time they cost it
round Million This money view of the case
is both important and suggestive. A brief
| statement will indicate the valuable results
which have followed Republican inyestiga-
| tions. Jaw
Immediately after the war, all Southern
railroads that haG been used by the Union
forces, preferred enormous claims. The
House ordered all inquiry into their validity.
and the result was action which has saved
| many millions to the Treasury. There have
been payments and allowances since, on
some of these accounts, but, compared with
what was claimed before the Investigation.
the total sum is triiing.
The Credit Mobilier stopped land subsidies
entirely, and leu to the first positive and eff
fective steps toward compelling the Pacific
Railroad to prepare for settlement with the
Government.
The Pacific Mail inquiry led to the imme-
date saving OF half Il million dollars. and
the ultimate saving of many times that
amount. 7- 81 s.q8sps. & r. ~
The investigation of the notorious District
Ring was followed by its prompt overthrow.
and the saving of sums which in their MAG
nitaslc can not be estimated, since the ca
Pacities of that combination for squandering
public moneys were practically Infinite
A partial reform Of Custom House abuses
in New York followed the Senate inyestiea-
ton OF that establishment. 1t was by no
means thorough, and yet the retrenchment
which it effected represented large sums
saved.
The Freedmen's Bureau investigation end
ed by placing that rotten concern in the
hands of the War Department, and stoppino
its stealings. The inquiry touching the San
born contracts saved the Government at
lcasta million dollars. -' - aa}li''Y :
From this brief reminder the practical mo.
| ney saving result of Republican sinyestipa-
tions is apparent. .,5.r =, s.a.I8 $. -,
Turning to the work of The Democrats in
| the House, it is impossible to point TO 4 dol.
lar saved by any one, on all of the investioa-
lions ordered. They were so numerous as to
hio0lASlSi VAIN CVCIy SpGCtcS u Du0iiC bilgl.
ness. 1t was impossible to fiji them. and
many went on week after week with oniv
two members, and some took yol,lnino,isS
evidence with bnt a single member present. 4
The field they covered embraced the entire,
machinery of Government. They bron0ht
witnesses from all parts of the land. and
many from its extreme borders. Thev
worked early and late, at the CAPITOL. in the
private apartments Of members, and AT the
| Departments. A million dollars viii. NOT
cover the entire expense of the inoniries.
| And yet, with all this most effective inanisi
torial machinery, and these most persistent
efforts to discover and check the alleged
enormous Republican extravaganza and dis
honesty. these Democratic Investigations re-
suited simply and solely in saving one an
| nual payment of six thousand dollars nv
private citizen to the Secretary OF War. The
whole sessions desperate work comes down
to that. Nothing more in the way of money.
saving can be made out of it. Even this
sum was not ON its way to the Treasury
Nor was it taken out of the Treasury. aIsTHe
Government neither lost nor gained a cent
on account of checking the post-trader,s
gifts. Thus the financial account Of the
Confederate House in the matter of investi.
CATION can be stated in few words. 81 a. an
expense of over million dollars, it relieved
a private citizen from the payment Of Sin
thousand dollars. And in the money sense
that is the whole story. For the rest. IN the
more Important matter of reformatory, leois-
lation not one of these committees PROMISED
a single measure. ..,,a Nv