The Portland daily press., 1876-03-04
Current Notes.

Current Notes.
The Chicago Tribune wants to know.
''Why doesn't somebody get up and saw
something about the laziness and incapacity of
the present house of representatives ?' Prob
ably because nobody can do justice to the
subject.-Boston Journal.
1t is case in which the Presidents order,
"let no guilty man escape" should receive
the fullest exemplifcation. Every Repub.
lcan-every honest man-wil say: let justice
be done impartially aud thoroughly, where
ever the blow may fa'l.-Proridence Jour.
al.
Several able and usually good-natured
Democratic journals have been heard to ex-
press desire to put good-sized cork in the
Hon. Ben. HilPs mouth. Something of the
kind ought to be done, for Mr.. Hill seems to
have constitutional incapacity to keep his
foot out of it.
General Grants Administration has been
doing noble work. Secretary Bristow has
Immediately managed the best reform cam.
paign the country has ever seen. Postmaster
Gsneral Jewell has made grand advances.
Attorney General PierrepoDt has given new
yigor to the administration of justice. The
influence of Secretary Fish has always
been salutary and excellent. II, while his
colleagues have been honoring and elevating
the service, Mr.. Belknap has been secretly
using bis Office for his own profit, no measure
of condemnation is too great.-Albany Jour-
nal.
The deadlock between the hard-money and
rag-money Democrats in Washington recalls
a story told by Horace Walpole and applied
to some ministry Of his time. A shipmaster
calls out, who's there?' A. boy answers,
"Joe, sir" "Wkat are you doing, Joe?"
"Nothing, SIR" '.Where's Tom?" Tom an
swers. II am here SIR" ''Wbat are you do
sort of helpfulness IN doing nothing fitly repre-
sen.s the relation to each other of the two
wings of the Democratic party on the cur
rency qutstion.-Neao York Herald.
The Republican party-as much as the
matter transcends party lines-will require
that justice shall be done, promptly, impair
TALLY, and thoroughly. upon whomsoever it
NAV fall. Sad and injurious as may be any
Of these cases of individual transgression,
they can only reach their plenitude of evil
when made light of, or treated only as the
footballs of party rivalries, by an Indifferent
public opinion. 1t is the duty of every man
to endeavor to come TO right views upon
them himself and to have them embodied in
the invincible win of the nation.-Boston
Journal
The affair will, Of course, be used to give
new point to the charges of corruption in
other departments; but we pity the man,
however strongly partisan, who does not
think first and chiefly of the wretched mar
who has resigned in disgrace, as having
brought reproach upon the nation. The
Republican party will bear whatever respon-
sibilty it can properly be compelled to ac-
cept, but no more. So far as the late Secre-
tary OF War wa> concerned, it appears that
now. for the first time, he has been charged
with corruption. the Democrats having been
previously unable to find any actual official
misconduct in him.-Boston Adrertiser.
We believe he had the character with
which be was credited, when appointed
Secretary Of War; and that he has fallensince
that appointment was made. Probably the
explanation OF his fall may be given in two
words, namely: fast living. When he took
control of The war department, he was poor
man. and, OF course, lacked means TO estab-
lish aud maintain big social show in Wash
ington. But, since his marriage to his
present wife, two or three years ago, the Bel
knaps have held foremost place in Wash
ington society. They have lived in a most
extravagant way, their expenses being far
beyond anything possible to the salary of a
cabinet officer Worcester Spy
These astounding developments render the
path and the duty of Republicans perfectly
clear. They must shape their course so as
to profit by the reform gales that are destined
to sweep over the country like whirlwind.
Mere politicians will be at discount hereaf-
ter. Aspirants for office of that kind the
people will impatiently order to the rear.
The Republicans can only achieve success the
present centennial year by boldly placing
their feet upon corruption in their own
ranks. They must fling the reform banner
to the breeze. And then by practically act
ing upon the motto that none but reformers,
whose capacity and staunch honesty are es-
taolished, should be put on guard and nomi-
mated for prominent positions, they may re-
tain their political ascendency in the nation.
Boston Transcript
Nowhere will there be found more thor
ough or sincere disapproval of official corrup-
tion, dishonesty and ineficiency than in the
Republican ranks to-day. The party appears
to be determined to put an end to this dis
graceful condition of things, and is more
likely to do it than its opponents. The Re-
publican party is no longer the administra-
tion, and the administration is no longer the
party. The two have parted company, and
the Republicans should not be judged by the
Washington standard. They stand on their
own merits and should be judged according
to their character and purposes. The expos
ure of Gen. Belknap does not change these
in the least, except to make the separation
from the administration more COM
pletely, and to intensity the determi-
nation to make thorough reform.
The Republicans of New Hampshire have
the same strong case against their opponents
that they had before Wednesday, and should
be judged according to their own merits.
The effect on the party at large should be fa-
vorable, for it ought to put ali end to all hes
itation and all parleying with those who are
not above suspicion aud reproach.
Globe.