The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-01-06
Whiskey Frauds.

the viOatOrS OF law, is exciting the most deter
mined efforts on the part Of the friends of the
| whiskey conspirators to defeat his plans. TO
| that end, the Chicago Inter Ocean published a
sensational article Of great length, going into
| minute details as how the Secretary is impDicat-
ed with the whiskey frauds, dating before his
appointment to the position he now
holds, and following through his action in his
official capacity. Gen. Babcock is brought
prominently forward as the person who is UNI
earthing Bristow's crimes, and to more fully do
this, the article says he would go before a Con-
| gressional Committee which had already been
determined upon, and testify, and by this means
| escape the civil prosecution now pending against
him in st. Louis. There are four or five COL
umns of such stuff developing very infinitely
the plans and purposes Of those who are deter
mined to expose Bristow, as it is alleged.
The whole story is SO badly put up, so flimsy
| in its arrangement and contradictory and i'm
probable in its allegations, that the mere read
| ing of it carries its contradiction with it, In
addition to this. it is pronounced wholesale
batch of falsehoods by those whose names are
| mentioned, and by none more emphatically
| than by Gen. Babcock himself.
| Bearing upon the subject, we find from the
special Washington correspondent of the New
York Times, the following significant article,
which is very pregnant with meaning:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 26.-There are various
intimations, private and public, that Democrats
intend, after recess, to press the resolutions call
| ing for correspondence, kilograms, etc., relat-
ing to the discovery and prosecution of the whis-
key frauds. The former efforts broke down
under the opposition of the press, which was
nearly unanimous in the desire that the proscll-
| tons should not be interfcred with. The at
tempt, according to reports, is to be renewed, or
what is more likely. resolution will be offered
for committee OF investigation into the whis-
| key frauds, and it pressed to a vote, would be
carried at once before there was time for a pro-
test. That such scheme is on foot cannot be
doubted, but its strength is entirely unknown
and undeveloped. 1t is positively known that the
publication OF the documentary evidence, or
the production of witnesses before a committee
OF investigation would greatly niure the pros
ecution. The entire scheme is believed to be
in the interest OF the Whiskey Ring, and in
tended to preventimportant exposures about to
be made by blow at the President and
Secretary Bristow. The latter is Just now the
favorite subject Of attack. The Chicago Inter
Ocean, which comes to-day with fierce aud
malicious Onslaught upon the Secretary, was
shown to him, and he desired no reply to be
made is his behalf beyond the statement that
the article, in its references to himself, was
full OF falsehoods, and that he courted the full
estinvestigation into his own acts in connec-
ton with the whiskey prosecutions. He re-
marked that If he had not character enough to
withstand the assaults being made upon him,
deserved to go down before them. This was all
he had to say. The Government has been re-
peatedy baked in its effort to get at the guilty
members OF the Chicago Ring. Now there is
a prospect OF efficient prosecutions, and hence
the redoubied efforts OF those who fear expos
urc to get UP Il Congressional investigation as
measure of relief. The article in question, in
covert attack upon Gen. Babcock, draws the
conclusion that by gsing before committee
and stating all the facts within his knowledge
he would be exempted from trial at st. Louis.
This is not true. The law on this subject only
provides that a witness before an investiys-
ting committee OF Congress shall not have his
own statements used against him in court As
such testimony could not be used in any event,
no witness can now save himself from convic-
ton andpunishment by testifyilg before COM
mittee. The whole case stands thus: The
ring, having failed to break down the prosecu-
tons directed by Republican Executive, are
endeayoring to use the Democratic majority in
the House to accomplish their purpose, and it
remains to be seen whether they will succeed.
It's learned tonight that the Inter-O Ocean
article was telegraphed to a New York paper,
which may make some further reference to it
excnsable The Secretary prefers to wait for
the development of the facts otherwise than
through his own statements. Its stated, how
ever, by a gentleman entirely familiar with the
subject, that all the specific statements which
reflect upon the Secretary are absolutely false.
For instance, Secretary Bristow never, at any
time, has stopped at the house of Weller, in
Louisville, as is stated; he has never visited
Hobart, in Cincinnati, and has no acquaintance
with him-if, indeed, he ever knew there was |
such man; the Secretary was never counsel
for Cunningham & Co., and the whole series
OF statements might be disposed OF in this
manners but it is considered hardly worth
while since the Chicago investigations begin on
the Sd OF January. There is little room for
doubt that the st. Louis methods will be
adopted, and that there will be many confess
sions and pleas Of guilty, The House, if it
makes any investigation, will conduct it
through the Ways and Means Committee.
probably, though prominent members admit
that the proposition to have special commits
tee has been canvassed and not entirely re-
iected. One purpose of the article in the IN
ter Ocean, as in the case of various publica-
tions, is to disturb as much as possible the re-
iatioMs between the President and Secretary.
In this it will hardly succeed, since they are
honestly in accord in Furnishing thieves in
Chicago as well as elsewhere.
-,