The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-03-23
BriStoM Investigated .


Investigation is good thing. We be-
Aeve in Investigation. A good deal OF
investigation is going on at Washington
just now. Congressman seem to have
been endowed with investigating minds
to most remarkable degree this year.
People at Washington say there was
never anything like it before since the
memory of man. A t'Bohemian," utterly
irresponsible and unknown, has a dream
that is, perhaps, not all dream, and
makes it known to the public through
the Satanic press. His vision, inspired,
may be, by the genius or bourbon OF inter-
prandial visitations, reveals 'crooked-
ness" in men as well as in things. To
his perceptions, everything is crooked.
The pavement is crooked; a plumb-Iine
Is crook ed; the three lines of right
aDgled triangle are all crooked. He tele-
graphs his circumstantial account of all
this crookedness to some ''Herald," or
'fFribune," or "Times," or "Journal,n or
'Gazette;" and forthwith Congress
raises a special committee of savants
and mathematicians to investigate this
crookedness i'll the plumb-line and the
lines OF triangle. They proceed to in
vesugate, and examine everybody and
erything-except the plumb-line and
the triangle themselves. Their discover
les of crookedness are OF course stupen-
dous. Even the testimony itself is filled
with croekedness and cussedness. And
go the plumb-line and the triangle are
reported to be guilty of crookedness
And the Investigation is closed.
Then this investigation has to be in
Testigated by two other committees of
nvestigation. And they report crooked
ress In the former report. And so in
Sestigation proceeds,-pursuing mount
sinous things, and not discovering even
tie tabled mouse.
In Ihls wise, a committee has been in
eager purspst Of one Of those Bohemian
dreams OF crookeaness in regard to Sec
retary Bristow. 1t was ali about som.
mules. And the affinity between Bo-
hemiaa aud a mule is SO close that the
przo ctiese,lness of the latter is always
.nkeu for crookedness by the former,
The committee started in pursuit OF
Brfstow and the mule. They discov.
cred hat the Bohemian's dream which
they were appointed to follow and to
verify amounted to this,-the Govern
ment had contracted in Kentucky for
mules; that the contractors had spent
the sum Of 100000 in purchasing to
meet their contract; that while the
Hnimals were in transit for delivery
the rebvllinu collapsed, and the Govern
meat refused to take the mules, which
were left on thecontractors' hands. The
close OF the war reduced the demand,
and eeAseq qaently the price of mules.
They were sold at loss. For this the
cortfaetors asserted claim for dam
agc4bY reason Of breach OF contract
Suit was brought In the Court of Claims.
TO aigue the law points arising under
this q aim the claimants employed Mr.
Bris ow. then practicing law as his pre-.
fsssion at Louisville. He accepted theil
sDptoynnnt, and by contract was to re
ceiye len per cent. OF amount recovered
and Eothing, II nothing was adjudged
The .court, after hearing, gave judgmen
sgainst tGe Government for sos, ,T5l. .His
ten per cent. fee amounted to $10,S75
which bis clients paid him. And that il
sil there was Of 1t. This was in 1874
when Nr. Bristow had no official connec
rioa with The government in any shape
or fCrnl. SO much for the N. Y. Herald :
Bohemian dream, But, then, ~ made
the paper sell, although 1t was a "selpi
npti Congress and the country. Now
ie' u, haze committees to investigate
evrrs caddidate's private business af
fairs. We believe in Investigation.
The ssSun" on Sherman.
The N. y. San has been turning som
nf ~ heams unon our John Sherman Il