New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-16

BY THEIR Fruits " SHJLL kNOW ITEM
Nearly three months and a half Democracy
has controlled one wing of the Capitol. W lat
has il done? lis Investigations have made the
country more disgustcd than ever with Hcpub-
lean partisanship. Bat have they overcome the
distrut which Democratic insinccIity and reac-
tionary tendencies had aroused? Apparently
not. This is in part because of thc spirit Which
Democrats havc shown in the investigation.
and their manner of conducting it. Some Ie-
sponsibl,,y rests upon Mr.. Clymcr, because, in
his haste TO get the facts before the House, he
took no precautions to prevent the escape oil
witnesses necessary to conviction, or to get
their testimony in proper form Something Is
due. also, 10 those Democrats who have been
most active in tlirusting forward the partisan
aspect of the matter. and claiming great credit
for the exposure. They would have gained
more if they had claimed less. When they
force men to think about If, everybody sees
that il does not require any very exalted VIZ
tue or intense patriotism 10 expose The SINS oil
political opponents. That sort OF virtue the
Republicans have never lacked, and the conn
try needed no proof that it was possessed by
Democrats.
But there is n very general suspicion that
Democratic virtue is not equal to the task oil
exposing Democratic corruption. The dear peo-
ple are not quite so innocent as TO suppose
that all the knaycs about Washington have
been of one party. Three months and half
The Democratic House has been investigating.
II has found nothing to he reported, as yet, in
the navy, and men arc not entirely ignorant That
CONSPICUOUS Democrats have been on pleasant
terms with that Department. Men begin TO ask
whether it is to escape unroofing because the
House cannot make party capital by exposure
in that qua ter. go of other departments
there has been d marvellous change in the APP
petite of Democrats for inquiry i'll certain dlrec-
tons. and the world wants TO know whether 1t
has already discovered more than ii wanted there.
In a word, Democratic virtue seems just equal
10 the task Of exposing tho crimes of political
opponents-and hiding the sins of political
fl ends. Now tho Republican parry, with all
is faults. has conducted some inquiries of n
very different kind When that party discoy-
cred Brooke it also found Ancs, Patterson,
Colrly, and others, and did not conceal such
facts a. were found. When il tracked Schu-
maker, il did not spare King. In the District
Ring aud the Whisky Ring, its inquiry has eX-
uoscd few Democrats, hut great many
leading Republicans.
Meanwhile, intelligent Democrats are dis
ulstcd with the behavior of their party on
financial questions. II quarrcls about the cur
rency every day, and it, best men seem to
make new effort every night to effect some
COMPROMISE with enemies Of the public honor,
hut il docs nothing. II has made many prom
Uses 10 coniidlng free traders and tariff
reformers, but il does not seem likely
10 do much harm or much good by
action on that question. Even the Funding
bill, which would save millions to the country
without conflicting with the wbims Of any set
of theorists, meets with such opposition in the
House that ii is supposed 10 be in danger.
Ono measure Of importance tho House did
pass-a repeal OF the Bankrupt act, against
which intelligent business men are now earn
cstly demonstrating Is 1T strange that De-
mocracy does not gain rapidly in the alice
ton. OF tho pcOpcl