The New York herald., 1878-12-17

ner:"Th.s inquiry is not against persons. 1t in
diets the democratic party the enemy of free
speech. of free surageas the lifelong adversary of
free elections in the South. The question
going to investigate 10 whether there is fair and
honest representation in Congress-" He then
brought Mr.. Lamar to his feet by an allusion
to him. and when the latter had made brief but
effective and good tempered reply the vote taken
and the amendment was defeated. the republicans
voting for inquiry rather to leave the de-
cision to the republican majority of the committee.
THE REPUBLICAN BIUSDER.
1t is surprising that they should have committed
this blunder for aside from the hateful injustice OF
secret investigation. experience should have
told them that if wrong has been done an
open and pnbiic inquiry alone effect
lively bring it before the public Mr.. Morton
made the blunder in his well remembered Mississippi
investigation of taking testimony in secret. and the
result that the public had lost all interest in the
matter long before the result printed and pub
lshed. His whole effort fell to the ground, and,
after all, he printed the testimony, he exposed his
witnesses to jnst as mnch danger. If any danger
there was though they had testified in public Mr..
Glover has been for some years zealousiy
pursuing secret inquiry here with only the result
of covering himself with ridcule. The Naval Com
mttee Of the House chose to sit in secret. and Mr..
Other instances might be cted aid it could easily
shown that while Congressional investigation.
general rule, serves mainly to cover up wrong. the
only ones which have ever been effective have been
the most public.
PROSPECTS THE INQUIRY.
The present inquiry covers much ground and
touches many important points that it begins
already to be that it yield no results in
tho short time which remains to this Congress-
Unless the Senate is led gradually into heated dis
cussion Of the Southern outrage business. which is
not now probable even the primary object
of the resolution to infame tho mind of
the country will fail. The democrats to-day
used the opportunity which chance and the
folly of the republicans put in their way to declare
themselves unequivocally in favor of exposing and
Furnishing all wrongdoing. and this is gain to them
for it will preserve them hereafter from msrepre-
sentation. That they also demanded public in
quiry, and resisted with good sense and ability .
secret and necessarily Ineffective and. 10 free men,
hateful method will add to their credit.
AMERICAN COAL IN swITzERLAND-A LESSON TO
THE COMBINATION.
The news received at tho State Department that
cargo Of American coal has been shipped to Geneva
in Switzerland, by the Reading Railroad Company
and there sold at profit, ought to interest the
struggling capitalists in New York and Penn
sylvania who spend much of their time
in making and unmaking combinations to raise
the price Of coal by stopping the mining of it. Tho
gentlemen engaged in the celebrated coal combina-
ton like the Irshman who cut piece of the foot
of his blanket and sewod it the head, in the hope
OF making it long enough for comfort. When they
stop production they starve the miners and when
they no longer starve tho miners they glut the
limited home market, which SO far seems to have
been the only one they have thought Of.
Anthracit, coal is valued all over the world. The
coal companies must produce about three times as
much as this country now consumes if they want to
make money and keep their men busy. II they would
zealously seek foreign markets and would use
their inaucnee to secure free ships and q
more moderate tariff. to enable American
vessels to carry cargoes both ways they would soon
be in position where they would keep their min
busy and happy with proht to themselves. II
send coal to Switzerland ought certainly to
be able, with good management. to sell it in Ger
many and France and even In England.