Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-04-26
Che FIREMAN.
MONTPELIER. VT.
WEDNESDAY. APRIL &c. 1870.
Political Investigations.

ANY examination made into the manner
of doing public business, that has ior us
object obtaining better and NOR" honest
work out of the servants OF the people
.h.,,IJ he commented and not condemn
rl Such an examination neither htltS AT
tn. door IF "a ,litical friend, nor run~ Will
here and there over all the tracks OF u
roIitical cremv in hopes Of finding ih.'
tacv lead into bad places.
Every one who ha, had any experience
f,I1o,vin., traces of crime. has become
aware Of i class OF stock witnesses tI''t' Il"
,a,,te.. wIat. happ"n-, pretend to have some
Ioo,vl.loc Of it. And these "laracIc
witnesses have a constituency who lave Il
tjtru l,licf ~ to the merits OF the ease
4 DISTINGUISHING characteristic of ibis con
,titucrcy i, zeal with, ut discretion. FaI'h
to, is present in quantities that amaze The
: archer after substantial proof.
U.nan nature in tire county vIlI14e l.
mt the same US in the nation. n i'rg" ana
tll. cmard that obtains crcdtnce HHd
mo citizen in IN out OF the Wy hamlet,
ht, il counterpart in ot.r national capital.
The folks who know icc:su>c hey " hcrr'.
TOLL" abound in high If we'll II low
life. and tie leaders Of many OF the mNe>-
t.4ations ia Washington have shown
themselves the interest beginners in their
bu>ines, by taking stock in the tale, OF
til" wonder hearers and scandal mongels.
The Genuine ncw>pi pcr reporter i a
GOOD type If the detective. We mean the
one who runs down his facts and give,
them in their proper form II the public.
There /, another kind Of newspaper re-
porting that is modelled on the theory Of
th..>r,nt.il bureau. and which, instead OF
printing facts, i content to busy Itself IN
inf uing rumors. Such newspaper re-
por.ing has its place by side of the work
Of opcn-mouthed ana wide eyed vcnd"r,
Of thtt yilla.e gossip that has is founda-
ton in suspicion and Surmi>".
Political investigation, which ha, fol
It's object the downfall Of men Of paltic-
ular party. has. like sensational reporting
and village gossip, its ridiculous side
And a Washington development of thi,
week has, in lis way. matched the tale OF
Jimmy Blanchard and that of the three
bllck crows. There WIS u mysterious Wit
mes, who was kept with hi> box Of horrors
In careful erclusion until, Monday, one of
the committees was summoned to hear
HIM; and the republican commit erman
foInd they were invited To the hearing
that Was to " catch Grant. The Wines
proceeded to unburdcn himself. He h,d
been wron1cd, deprived Of his bctrothcd.
then sent to IN insane AZ vlum, then cXilcd
t. Europe; and all by Grant. who had then
visited him at midnight and begged mcr-
cy. On being asked how the President OBJ
tanned access to his room ut midnight the
winc-, said he wished the committee to
understand that this great wrong had been
done bv the President not in the body
but in the spirit" And then the political
Investigators folded up their remarkable
witness and packed him off.
This ri liculous perform tncc is matched
by m.,ny of the Brstow stories, and it i
we'll for the people to keep in u judicial
frame Of mind, and not judge thtt those
who are accused are therefore guilty.
They should be ready to accept Legitimate
proof, either for or against parties charged
with crime, and to accept legitimate proof
only; and To condemn or justify rs the
proof Shall demand. The uncovering Of
corruption should 20 on; the trouble is th,t
investigation inspired by party polite, is
thown9 di>credi. on that which is really
in the Interests Of good government