The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-10
MADISON WELLS AND CONGRESS.

We have no sympathy to waste on j.
Madison Wells. We believe him to be O
thoroughly dishonest man, and that Gen.
eral Sheridan drew his picture to the very
life. That he was ready to sell out to the
democrats and canvass the votes 80 as to
give Louisiana to Tilden, provided that the
republicans would not give him an equal
or greater sum, we do not doubt. That he
failed to sell out is accounted for by the
fact, perhaps, that the democrats were
afraid to trust themselves to his tender
mercy, and 80, the "millions" failing, he
returned to his first love and canvassed the
votes without money and without price.
That Maddox and Littleaeld are scoun-
drels, does not, by any means, prove Wells
to be an honest man. Their stories,
whether true or false, prove them to
be scoundrels and the very men with whom
Wells would associate and enter into dis
honorable speculation. We do not care,
go far as Wells personally is concerned,
how much David Dudley Field bulldozes
him. We care not whether it is Field or
Wells that is the bulldozer or the bull
dozed, but there is little-we must con-
fess it Is gerry little-dignity that is sup
posed to attach to congress and to congres-
slonal investigations, and we, therefore,
look for little different course of proceed
ings before a congressional investigating
committee than before a Toombs police
court. The course of the several congress
sional committees, this year, however,
has taught US that neither party seeks
truth, but only party ends; and Field has
shown us that the tactics of police court
can, without question, be transferred to
congress. But Field is not at fault. Like
conscientious lawyer, he is simply doing
what he is hired to do.
But all this is neither here or there. Be-
cause Wells is scoundrel; because Field
was hired to bulldoze witnesses and proves
that he is equal to the congenial task be-
cause Wells is bulldozed to the extent that
he is In doubt whether he is "a vassal or
"peer," does not authorize the American
congress TO treat him as a common male
factor. So far as congress is concerned,
he is an official and citizen of Louisiana,
and is guilty of no crime-for however
guilty he may actually be, it must hold him
innocent until his guilt is proved. He is
simply guilty of an alleged contempt in re-
fusng to answer certain questions, or
rather to produce certain papers, the power
of the committee to require which is ex-
ceedingly doubtful. That republican
house, or republican senate, has hereto
fore required the production of similar pa
pers makes no difference. Moreover, the
action of the electoral commission has
rendered these papers useless, even If they
should be produced, and has rendered
ridiculous all these investigations on both
sides. But conceding the right to require
the production of these papers, Wells is
guilty, at the most, Of contempt. We
might say his contempt Of congress was
the most sensible act of his life, but we
forbear. For this contempt, he is confined
in dark, damp, unhealthy cell, dungeon
worse than those used in Vermont for the
confinement of suspected or condemned
murderers. And when objection is made
to such treatment, Cox resents it as a
lionizing" of Wells. Such treatment of
recalcitrant witness is disgrace to con-
gress, to American civilization, and even
to the democracy, and shows what may be
expected if the Fields, the Coxes, the
Knots and Woods should ever gain CON-
plete control of the government in all of its
branches-whch heaven forfend.