Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-08-30
Democratic Smelling Committees.

Senator Morton delivered speech al
Indianapolis on Friday night, the 11th
inst, to monster meeting of the peo-
pie. 1t was a mastery effort one OF
the ablest and most comprehensive that
ever fell from the lips of this remark
able man. His defence of the Republi-
can party against the numerous SLAM
aers circulated by the partisans of
Tilden and Hendricks was complete
and overwhelming. He sketched the
nature, tendency and scope of the In
vestigating committees in such brilliant
colors that no one can fail to see that
the $50O,O0 expended by the House of
representatives and these committees has
been for no other purpose than to make
political capital for their party during
the Presidential campaign. Their
object was to raise bad smell in every
direction so that the vapor would rise
to the nostrils of the people. It is very
easy for smelling committee in this
hot weather to find something repul.
sive. But generally the bad smell has
been confined to the committees them
selves. Witness Proctor Knott, chair
man of the Judiciary Committee, who
by his dirty practices smells so badly
that every decent man avoids him.
Thus Senator Morton graphically
describes the general bearing of these
committees:
-Ot A- INVESTIGATIONS.
The House of Representatives during the
last session instituted twenty-six investiga-
tons into the accounts and conduct Of
government officers. majority Of the COM
mittees charged with these Investigations we're
differed and managed by Confederate soldiers,
and the sole purpose Of all seems to have been
the manufacture OF reports to damage the
Republican party in the approaching election.
For this purpose the rules of evidence were
ignored, hearsay statements and unsupported
rumors received in testimony, the telegraph
violated, private books and papers seized, the
rights Of citizens trampled under foot and
lunatic asylums and penitentiaries ransacked
for witnesses. Informers were encouraged
and employed, and the most incredible stories
received with avidity, although contradicted
and scattered to the winds the next day. Any
Titus Oates, who would by Munchausen
statement impicate the President in whisky
frauds, or other crimes against the govern
| ment, was welcomed as q benefactor. and
4reated with the most delicate and assiduous
attentions. f.s.4- ra
THE INQUISITIONs.
The most of these Investigations were con-
Quoted with closed doors, so that the victims,
whose names were to be blackenea would
know nothing OF what was going on until they
got it through the newspapers or other lndi-
rect channels; and when some of them de.
manded to be head and confronted with their
accusers, it was refused until the ISLANDERS had
been sent over the country, and then granted
| in such manner as to make their defense i'm
possible or imperfect. The attempt to drag
down the Secretary of the Navy and to cover
n will oil xpitb hi Il 4ho
reluctance with which they yielded to his stern
demands to be heard and their refusal to con-
slider evidence which was offered in his yindi-
cation, constitute one of the darkest pages in
parliamentary history. @at
These committees deported themselves as
rights which they were bound to respect, and
were distinguished from the secret tribunals
of the Inquisition only by the absence OF the
thumb-screw, the rack and the stake.
The single case Of Secretary Belknap gave
the Democracy more joy than the birth of a
Savior, and they managed to keep it before
the country continuously. for nearly six
months. This man had always been Demo
crat, and entered the Cabinet by the personal
preference and confidence Of the President.
without ever having been connected with the
Republican party. ar
1t is impossible uow to fix the cost Of all
these Investigations. have heard no esti-
mate putting it at less than half million OF
dollars. Investigations set on foot for the
purposes Of truth, justice, and the punishment
OF crime are praiseworthy and useful; but
when they are used as methods Of electioneer-
ing to crafty malice. blacken the innocent,
1 and help demagogues, traitors, land thieves,
and railroad robbers into Office, they become
darker crimes than those they pretend to in
vestlgate.
DESIRE TO SOIL THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE.
| One of the darkest features of Ibis bu ,iness
was the intense desire to soil the reputation OF
the Chief Magistrate The effort to connect
him with whisky frauds has been persistent
and devilish, revealing not only malice to-
ward him personally, but an earnest hatred
Of the government, and the determination te
tarnish it before the world. The filth hurled
at him refused TO stick, and, rebounding, ad-
hered to the splotched faces Of his adversar
les; and his good name and integrity shine
brighter than ever through the STERN OF dirty
missiles, His command, LET no guilty man
escape will be read and admired when his
enemies are remembered only to be despised
HERE is a good Irish story: One
morning a friend meets one of tine
Irish grendarmerie coming from ont
of the mysterious valleys beyond Xii
larney. The gendarme wears smile
of complacency. "Sir," he says, They've
been Kidding chap yonder, who gave
| hi M ole %l,o Rol1urnrooY7 r111r