The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1876-03-30
THURSDAY, MARCH 80, 1876.
ENVESTEGATHON.


weeks of experience have taught them that
as legislators they were likely to prove a
lamentablc failure, and that If they would
save themselves from the fate of deserved
obscurity they must strike ont in some other
channel from that which they were especially
elected to float in. The next thing in i'm
portance, as they conceived, was the setting
out on voyages Of discovery the nosing into
and turning over the past in hopes of fud-
ing something which would furnish them
with ecat, and, possibly, make as ammunition
in the approaching Presidential campaign
With this object in view movement was
inaugurated to set the various committees to
work, and to appoint others so as to expedite
the investigating business and secure all the
possible grand results attainabe ere it would
be too late to make these results available for
the success of the Democratic party. And
here, in the offstart, the leaders Of the party
met with surprise which well nigh threw
them off their ieet-they found others as will
ing and anxious for investigation as they
were themselves The Republican members,
en- n,aSse, seconded and voted cheerfully for
every moyemest ef the kind, anxious that If
peculators and peculation existed in Office the
guilty might be discovered and punished
For years, charges of corruption had been
against Republicans in high places and
though Republican congressional committees
investigated, because their Investigate were
without damaging results owing to the fact
that testimony, If in existence was in. possess
sion of Democrats and purposely withheld,
all reports Of facts which did come before
them were denounced as mere whitewashings
ofthe guilty 1t was this which made Repub-
ficans display not only willingness, but an
anxiety to join Democracy il its thorough
sitting Of tac conduct ofthe government, and
to &c II with determination to ''let no guilty
inan escape" Aud the surprise OF Demo
cracy thereat was SO complete as to almost
prove stunning.
Thus far the efforts in this direction have
proved effective in unearthing olFical~illalny,
and the country is brought to the blush over
the rascality of st least one man in high
place, who has heretofore held not only
partizan but general confidence. Nor is it at
all probable that this is all the viilainy that |
will be discovered, if Democracy in Congress
does not so egregiously blunder in WHAT is yet !
70 be done as It did in what has already beer !
done Over the result OF the Belknan case
there was no less rejoicing at unmasked vii
l.. -, IL -. -.
cratic ranks, and the demand for prompt
punishment Of the culpirit met with not a |
dissenting voice. and yet owing to Demo |
cratic stupidity or the childish ezuberance of
Chairman Clymcr, it IS more than profile
matical whether ez Secretary Bclknap will
ever meet his Just deserts. Like child
tickled with 4 new found toy, or ike a silly !
partizan fool, in hopes Of working on the re-
suit Of an approaching State Election. ere
even the important facts before the commit |
tee were confirmed, he bruited out the doings
of the committee, and, under the lash Of the
previous question, prevented consideration as
TO what should be done in order to have it
well and certainly done And with what re-
suits? Impeachment is no nearer to-day
than when the motion for impeachment was
first advanced in Congress; the consideration
Of the case by the grand jury Of the criminal
Court Of the District of Columbia was indef-
nitely set aside If not permanently disposed
Of, for want Of evidence and because Of the
tenderness Of Clymer's dignity which preyen-
ted him from furnishing the necessary te8ti-
mony; Belknap, self confessed Of the crime,
is in a fair way Of escaping all pains and
penalties; New Hampshire which was expec-
ted to be operated upon by the discovery Of
BeIknap's crime to the extent Of an over
whelming Democratic victory, has expressed
her continued confidence in Rcpublicanism
l.y giving an overwhelming victory to theRe-
pubcans. OF what avail is investigation If
all It's results are to be thus nullifed by the
criminal folly Of the investigators. True the
result 10 New Hampshire is not excrutating-
ly torturng to any but the ravenous Demo
cracy. while it is most pleasing pill for
honest Republicans everywhere, but 1t is
shame, aye Q crime, that mems stupidity
should thus boldly and brazenIy stand in the
way Of a prompt wiping out of the disgrace
inflicted upon the country by dishonest off
cial, by prompt and severe punishment.
Nor does the future of the investigations
under Democratic control promise to be an
improvement on the past. As they progress
leading Democrats loom up as confederates
in crime, and in proportion as these rank in
importance in the party. the efforts of the
investigators wane. Thus Pendleton, with
his Kentucky Central railroad swindle, and
Hendricks with his Gatling gun fasco, have
operated as wet blanket to chill the ardor
of Clymer & Co. to such an extent that they
have hardly had time 10 think of any thing
else than how to let their friends down gently,
without interfering with their attempt to
oyerwhelm their partisan enemies in confI-