Smyrna times., 1876-04-26

TIE INvEsTIGATIoNs.-The Democrats are
in fair way to discredit themselves by the
Investigations now under way far more
than they can hope to disgrace the Admin
istration. They seem to Imagine that all
the people of the United States are ou;te
as anxious as Democratic politicians can he
to prove Gen. Grant a thief, Mr.. Williams a
public robber, Robson a worthy comrade of
Belknap, and Babcock burglar They
are ransacking bank-accounts. turning the
departments inside out, listening to the
chatter OF human magpies, hanging upon
the lips OF garrulous detectives, getting
together the tag-rag and bobtail of the civil
service, and setting up scandal bureau in
every eommlttee-room of the capitol. No
story that comes to their ears is too gross for
immediate belief. No charge against Off
GERS OF the Government is so outrageous
that they are not ready upon the slightest
testimony both to accept ii themselves and
to spread it before the public
The most fagrant example of their head
long haste to believe evil was in the case of
the expenditures from the Secret Service
fund, through the hands of Davenport.
We have no manner of doubt that in this
instance, as in a great many others, Gen.
Grant spent the public money to further
his own reelection. We know that his
Administration has habitually used the
funds for election purposes; we need not
go beyond the nearest navy-yard to see
that sort of thing done every year. We
know too that Davenport abused his DOW
ers, disgraeed his office, and invaded the
rights of respectable citizens. But the
money paid to him by Whitley and Viii.
hams was paid IN accordance with the letter
OF the law, and the purpose to which it was
lnniIan ifS fana
Committee has discovered no evidence
thus far that dollar of it was misappro-
prieted. Yet they have allowed the report
to go out from their meeting-room and to
be telegraphed all over the civilized world
that the President has been caught making
corrupt use of the Government funds /
embeZzllng from the Treasury for the pur- /
pose of buying votes. Nor is this by any !
means an isolated instance of their unfair |
behavior. The financial transactions of |!
Secretary Robson at the time of the panic /
of 1873 have been set before the world in /
an equally unjust light; and there is hardly /
an official of high rank connected with the /
Administration who has not been subjected |
to an unmerited imputation of some kind |
by Committee eager to believe the worst |
and publish what it believes upon INSULT
cient information.
member that no decent American, what
ever his politics, wishes to ''catch Grant or
any of his Cabinet. No one can detest
more heartily than We do the base and de-
moralizing system upon which Gen. Grant
has governed the country, or can entertain
a more profound contempt for the vulgar
and corrupt creatures whom he has
gathered around him; but it is matter of
satisfaction to us, as it is to all that large
body of liberal and independent thinkers
for whom we speak, that the investigations
of this Winter, pushed in every possible
direction. have left his honesty above sus-
picion. The closer the various scandals
are examined the clearer does it appear
that the Babcoeks, Belknaps, Shepherds.
Orvil Grants, and other people of that sort,
have grossly ill-used the President. upon
whose confidence and kindness they have
traded. And the people, who are a great
deal more sensitive respecting the charac-
acter of their Chief Magistrate than he
seems to be himself, will not thank any,
body who invites them to believe that
Grant is swindler and his cabinet a den
OF thieves. We beg our Democratic friends
therefore to moderate their unruly rage.
and to spring no scandals upon disgusted
nation till they are sure-about the facts (
". 7. Tribune