The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-06-27
Fro N the N. Y. Tribune.J
An Embarrassed Committee.

All EluDa1 raSSeQ COmmtCees
1t is said that the Senate Committee
raised upon Senator Stanley Matthew's
request for an investigation are antici
pating some embarrassment in the form
which their report shall take. They are
convinced already that Mr.. Matthews
had no dishonest or corrupt purpose in
his correspondence with Anderson, and
that he had no completely in any of
that rem markable persons transactions
Having decided that he is not a
rogue, there is, of course, but one other
thing to say, and how 10 say that in the
mildest manner is the present embar
rassment. There was some difficulty in
filling this committee. Several Senators
whose names were proposed excused
themselves on the score of Ill health or
previous engagements, and those who
have consented to act seem in good deal
of hurry to get through with the mat
ter. This case of Mr.. Matthews is one of
singular interest His public career has
been somewhat phenomenal. Few states
men ever came up so suddenly, became
Immediately so conspicuous, or exhibited
while up such persistent activity, COM
bined with a versatility Of genius that
was simply wonderful. As the most in
innate and confidential friend of a Presi-
dent who seems to have no intimacies
and not to confde, except in very gen
eral way, he had large opportunities to
make himself useful to the President and
the public, and do something at the same
time for himself He seized them ALL
1t was too large an arm full. He appear
ed for the President, spoke for him,
wrote letters for him, was his legal advi-
ser, privy counsellor and father confessor.
1t was too much for any one man to as
sumo. 1t is little more than year since
the President slung him into public life,
fairly striking the country in the stomach
with him. He has been acting ever since
as though he was dizzy, and the specta-
Gle has been very bewildering. This COM
mittee is expected to find out what's the
matter with him.
There was just such a man as Stanley
Matthews in early times in California;
patient, plodding miner, who seemed IN
telligent and active, but never had had
much luck. But one day he ''struck it
rich" Instead of going to work quietly
on his lead, he got excited and talkative,
and skipped round the camp telling his
fellow miners what good thing he had,
and how he was going to work it, and
what he proposed to do with his pros
pectiye fortune. That same night he
committed suicide When the melan-
choly intelligence was circulated through
the camp, the first thing that occurred to
the honest miners was that under the
circumstances they could do no less than
to show their respect for the usages OF
civilized society by holding coroner's
inquest over the remains. None OF them
liked to lose the time, but all agreed that
it was a very proper thing to do, and that
the sacrifice should be made. So they
selected coroner and jury without
unnecessary delay, and hurried inquest
was held. The jury looked at the re-
mains, and then looked at the diggings
the poor fellow had so recklessly aband-
oned, and the potentially of wealth they
contained They couldn't understand
why he had flung away such magnificent
opportunities, and at such time, before
he had fairly begun to work his lead. and
committed suicide They had no time
to make deep scrutiny as to his motives,
and they were not familiar with legal
FORMS They applied the brief logic of
the mining camp to the situation and for
a verdict rendered this pregnant state
ment: Resolved, That the deceased was
a id fool" And then, being in a
hurry. they seized their pickaxes and
went back to their work.
Not that we would suggest this brief
but powerful verdict as q model for the
Senate Committee. By no means. Per-
ish the thought What we mean to say
is that Mr. Stanley Matthews has remind
ed us, by the manner in which he admin
istered the great opportunities which
came to him with the accession of his
friend to the Presidency, of this unfor-
tunate miner who couldn't bear prosper
ity. There is something, too, in the
manner of the Senate Committee which
has the present services in charge; the
half-dazed way in which the members of
the committee seem to be contemplating 6
Mr.. Matthews on the one hand and the
Administration on the other, the worry
they are in to say something appropriate,
and their hurry to say it and get away,
that does somehow recall the EN- mbarrass-
ment of that early coroner's jury in the
mines. But we must not be understood
as intimating in the most distant and
shadowy manner that the terms of the
verdict which has been cited could be
used with any propriety, even as the ba
sis of the committees report. Mr.. Mat
thews reminded US of the miner, and the
committee reminds us of the jury. That
is all. Beyond this the parallel shall not
with our consent, be pursued. There are
reasons why committee of the United
States Senate should not make such a
report. In the first place, the language
though vigorous and sincere, would not
comport with the dignity of that body
Then there are other reasons-that is to
say, we presume there are other reasons,
though they do not at the moment occur
to us