The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-05-23
The Committees and Their Work.

If the Democratic House were to be accept
ed atits own huge valuation it would go down
to history as the wisest, most efficient and
mostipatriotic legislative body whereof there is
any record. But, unfortunately for its reputa-
tion, it is to be judged by what it has done,
and what it has left undone.. Ac.
cording to the modern fashion which OBJ
tains in assemblies of its kind it has entrusted
the despatch of business to its committees, and
those committees have made but sorry work.
Their record is anything but pleasant read
ing to those who hold that the business of
legislators is to legslate for the good of the
whole country.
The Democracy apparently hold that the
end of committees is to glorify the Democrat
ic party, to villify Republicans, to collect ma.
terial which may be useful in the presidential
campaign. To this end committees have re-
solved themselves into inquests, have become
collectors and distributors of scandal, have
neglected proper legislative business, have oc-
cupied themselves with attempts to blacken
the character of every Republican who is a
possible candidate for the presidency, have
gone into secret session. have taken the tes-
timony of untrustworthy and revengeful wit
nesses, and have sent this testimony all over
the country without affording the persons
accused opportunity for dsprova or reply.
A glance at the work actually done and the
great amount of business left undone will
show how little OF worth these Democratic
committees have accomplished.
The committee on expenditures in the
Treasury department. has chiefly occupied lis
time in vain attempt to blacken the charac-
ter of Secretary Bristow, and has made it.
self ridiculous by taking pages of testimony in
regard to the famous mule cases. Its latest
work has been to summon discharged Trea-
sury clerk, who had been kicked from his DO
sition for drunkenness, from a far off from
tier post at great expense, for the purpose cf
impeaching Mr. BoutwelPs administration of
the finances, and the result is that the clerk
can swear to nothing. The committee on
the Post Office department has occupied it
self in attempts to villify Postmaster Gener-
al Jewell, and has made ridiculous failure.
The committee on expenditures in the Interi-
or department has bent its energies to the
great work of catching the President and has
brought to light the story of lunatic and his
ruined spirit bride. The committee on inya-
lid pensions has prepared partisan report at
government expense for effect on the cleo
tions. The committee on the Naval DEPART
ment has spent hundred thousand dollars
in finding out nothing about Secretary Robe
son, and fifty thousand dollars in finding out
what everybody else knew about navy yards.
The Indian committee has taken hundreds of
pages of testimony regarding abuses which
had already been investigated, and which the
administration has long been striving to cor
rect. The committee on Territories has
agreed to make New Mexico State. The
committee on Elections has; in defiance of
all justice, seated Democratic contestants
who had no aasonable claims to seats. The
committee on accounts has supplied the
House with pale ink and poor pencils and
called its work economy. The COMMITTEES
on Commerce has reported that the rivers
and "harbors" of West Virginia require a
larger appropriation from the Treasury than
do the rivers and harbors of the coast States
and those bordering on the lakes. The COM
mittee on Claims has attended to a lot of
Southern war claims which it desires but
does not dare to report to the House until af-
ter election. The committee on the Judcia-
ry has let Schumacher and King escape, and
has made itself ridiculous by pursuing
Investigations which have resulted in the ex-
ou1 nf t1a rf;o
mittee on military affairs has occupied its
time in an attempt to impeach its own clerk.
The committee on Pacific railroads has sey-
eral times started to push the Texas Job
through the House, and each time its cour-
age has failed it. The Appropriation COM
mittee has reduced the salary of ill-paid gov
ernment clerks forty per cent, and of we'll
paid Congressman ten per cent, and has
saved some money by iDjudcious parsimony,
money which has been squaadered in paving
detectives and other perured witnesses to
blacken the characters of prominent Repub.
licans. The committee on Ways and Means
began by making Hambleton, the applauder
of assassns, its clerk, and has busted Itself
since in successful attempt to lose the
chance of funding the national debt at a time
when the European money markets are the
most favorable tor thatpurpose. The commit
tee on banking and currency passed months
10 vain endeavor to reconcile hard money
and soft, and has finally surrendered to the
Indiana and Ohio infationists.
Having shametuly neglected the public
business the House now proposes to adjourn
in three weeks, and to rush through in that
time the Naval, Army, Indian, and Sundry
Civil Appropriation bills, over which it has
dawdled for months. Its negligent commit.
tees are unable to finish their work, and
it is the intention to permit them to remain
in session during the summer. This means
that the investigations are to be pursued,
that the testimony of professional and ANA.
teur perjurers is to be taken and spread be-
fop Ioo J,, 81, /.