The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-03-30
Hon, Marshall Jewell.

The Baltimore american of the 22d, has the
following article in reference to the Postmas
ter General and the attempts of the Democrat
ic papers to defame his official character
1t must be source OF actual modification to
the Postal Committee of the House of Repre-
sentatives that after their smelling excursions
into the affairs OF the Postoffice Department
they have in nowise been rewarded with dis
covering anything derogatory to the character
or administration of Postmaster General Jewell
What reason there was for instltuting an In
QUESTION into the Department under his man.
agement is something that can be explained
only OIL the conjecture that the committee was
excessively anxious to find out anything that
might be tnrned to the discredit of IL Republi-
can official, and for that purpose could waste
valuable time, subject him to great inconve-
ntence and violate all the proprieties i'll purstl-
ing such detective work as never had the slight
est appearance of any result otherthan failure.
Mr.. Jewell has not been accused Of any I'M
proper conduct in office; on the contrary. it is
generally believed that he is most capable
and conscientious officer, whose fidelity and
honor are not open to impugnment. The COM
mittee has been neglecting the public business
to ransack Washington, hunt up every possible
bit of scandal, and place every tattler under the
cross-fre of examination to disgrace Mr.. Jewell.
and when the work is about Gone these amateur
detectives are quite as empty-handed as when
they first begun. II is no answer to say that II
Mr.. Jewell has nothing to fear Investigation
can do him no harm. Such secret prying and
questioning in corners and at keyhoes as the
committee has made use Of without any reason
is an unjust reflection upon an official whose
record is nnimpeacIlable and moreover, it is
depreciation of the functions Of the committee
and the authority conferred upon it. Attempts
to make scandal for the sake Of partisan advan-
tage are undignified to the last degree land they
are barrier to the progress of gensne reform.
There has been no presumption of Mr.. Jewell's
being rogue, and until there was such, making
him the subject of detective work was insulting
and needless. But after all, this is only one
more of the plumbers that the Democrats at
Washington are heapng up until they threaten
to be b"ried under the accumulation. In this
Instance, at least, they have1 unwltingly vindi-
Gated Cabinet officer whom they were so de-
sirous of blackening and destroying.
Miss Clara Morris, in letter to friend in
Washington. gives this lively Renaissance OF
two well-known actors 'srllere were boys
then; one tall, blonde, and lazy; the other
short, dark, and active. 1t was Sunday night !;
every one had gone to the Westinghouse a
few doors above. They were alone, without
cards, or checkers, or books, but satan came
to the rescue. A certain proposal was drawl-
ed BY the long chap, and eagerly accepted by
the short one. They then pat on their hats
and coats, armed themselves with broom, a
pail of water. and a dpper, and went forth
into the still bitter cold OF the night, and
worked diligently. They swept a broad path
over the sloping sidewalk quite free from snow.
then waited. In few minutes it had frozen :;
then another dipper of water, and another
wait, until the path was glass-like in its icy
smoothness. A whisk OF the broom sent a