New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-29
THE INVESTIGATING GLOVER.

u
ago he addressed letter to the Presldent-a
powerful letter, rs one might say-0n the SUD-
iect of political corruption In this letter he
conveyed large amount OF inf"rma-
ton of the most CHASTITY character, concern
ing tho impOsitOns practiced upon Gov
eminent the frauds, extOrtions, thefts,
ETC., etc., which are going on constantly, but
| which nobody can find out about, because as
soon as a Government employee begins to tell
about them he is at once dismissed from
office. and the thread of his narrative is, as 1t
were. cut short. In consequence OF this, he
was unable to be specific; but in large
and general way he said enough about
the rottenncss of everything, and said it
in such way, too, that everybody felt that
something ought to be done Immediately, II
not for the honor of the country, mt least for
the comfort of Glover. For Glover did seem
to be quite worked up about it; and the
rhetoric with which he depicted the tendency
of everything to the bOw-wOws, and described
the bow-wows themselves to which we are
all fastening, WAS as lurid as choir
of red-headed girls, and as stirring as
warm wasp in small boys trowsers And
though nobody knew why he had burst out i'll
this abrupt and unceremonious way upon the
President, everybody said Something ought
"to be done for Glover right Oft. There's
obviously something on his mind" 1t APP
pcared to be GlOver's notion. though he
only dimly Swallowed it forth, that as
soon as anybody in the Departments
stole anything portable he ran and hid
with his booty in the White House kitchen
or stable or coal-hole, and was protected there
by the President and he wanted the Presl-
dent TO promise to give these fellows up to
the committees who were looking for them.
And we believe that tho President who was
somewhat taken aback by the suddenness
of Glover, did give him assurances that
when any committee got after thief he would
not conceal him in or about the White House.
This was a great point gained. But the
truth was no one could resist Glovers appeal.
We suspect that the President was more than
half inclined, after reading it, to go down i'm
mediately to Glovers committee aud turn his
pockets inside out.
Glover is still on the track of official cor
ruption. He has now introduced bill rela-
tive 10 Congressional Investigations which will,
if passed, cover all the ground and bring
everything to light Its provisions are
sufficiently sweeping to cover the whole
country, and its stationary power is believed
to be strong enough to pump facts out of Sam
Ward. IL authorizes-if we rightly understand
it-any meLbcr of Congress to admin
lister oaths under any circumstances, and
compel witness anywhere to testify to
all that he knows and more too if the Con-
gresham desires it. II makes member of
Congress an object of contempt ut all times.
that
any person refuses to answer his questions he
can turn HIM over to the Sergeant Arms for
coniumacy, and have him imprisoned in
committee room and fed from rcstau-
rant till he unbosOms. Under this law Con-
gresham can administer an oath at car
driver two blocks off, and arrest him for con-
tempt if he doesn't Immediately stop the car.
He may summarily cnjoin proceedings at the
breakfast table upon demand of the land
lady that she forthwith disclose, on oath, the
composition of the hash, or reveal the hidden
mystery of the sausage Mr.. Cox with
burning anxiety to know why laugh
at his craftsmanship, and not at his
Jokes, will send out his conundrum with
capias. Mr. Bland may turn everybody over
to the Scrgeant-at Arms for contempt while he
wines out the bonded debt with q sponge, and
any Congressman may stop any respec-
table person and search him for
anything the Government has missed,
from postage stamp to lighthouse.
This bill does away with all the difficulty
about getting information upon which to run
campaigns. 1t says to everybody who has
information, and to many who have none,
"Stand and deliver" and if they don't
do it satisfactorily to tho Congressman,
down they go for years imprisonment
and 81 900 fine. Imagine the curious Glover,
with cotton umbrella under his arm, bolt
ing into strcet-car with Every man will
I" hold up his right hand and be sworn" and
Immediately afterward, Now both hands
cup and be searched" How lively he could
make it for the American people for few
months.
Another feature of this bill provides that
witnesses who crlminatc themselves before
committees of investigation shall be exempted
from all penalties, and that witnesses in the
several departments who shall testify
concerning abuses corruption, extravaganza,
or unlawful or immoral acts, Oppres-
sion, cxtortion, or other official miscol-
duct, shall not be discharged from the Gov
eminent service within one year from the time
of tcstfying, or without six months notice of
such removal, including thirty days leave of
absence with pay. Then there are penalties
for attempting to induce witnesses not to
testify, and further immunities for all wit
ncsscs who make revelations. Glover is a Sc
rous person. lie has a mission. He is certain
that pretty much everybody in the Govern
ment service steals more or less. And he
really believes that if he can only get law
ion