Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-01-15
The Scandal Committees.

the House, licensing eighteen committees
to start out through all the departments
OF the government in Il general hunt for
matters of scandal to be used for political
and electioneering purposes. We have
barely got through the Presidential cam
paign, in which the scandal mills were
kept running by the democratic party in
the most vigorous manner, when WE find
the sluices again opened and the country
exposed to another deluge of filth.
That the country needs rest after the eX-
citing events of the last Presidential cam
paign and that the attention of Congress
is imperatively required to the restoration
OF sound currency. the preservation OF
the public faith. and measures to improve
public confidence and aid the return Of
business prosperity. is entirely overlooked
by the democratic leaders at WashingtOn.
The important affairs of the government
are neglected. aud the business OF rakiag
the country for Islander is engaged in as
the chief occupation of the majority in the
House. There is no pletence in any
quarter where honesty is found that the
investigations proposed, and in the way
and manner authorized by the House,
will be or are expected to be, by Wood
and his associates, of any public utility,
They are simply to rake the cutters fer
filth to cast at the republican party. This
and nothing more or less il their object
Fair and honest investigation will meet
no opposition from republicans, but it
to the secret inquisition snow established
at Washington under the management Of
Fernando Wood.
Saying nothing about the VIGOROUSLY
bad character of Wood and others CON
cerned with him in putting their mud ma
chine In operation, the manner of their
intended inquest is, as the New York
Times well says, "subversive of every
principle of justice.
A man indicted for murder is entitled to
specifications and items in the indictments
brought against him. A citizens prem
ises cannot be searched without a docu-
ment specifying the object of the search.
An order of arrest in free Government.
must give the charge on which the order is
granted. But here are about eighteen com
mittses of the House allowed by one sweep
ing resolution TO constitute each committee
into Grand Inquest. 1t is not all, j. lat
there is anything wrong with the War De-
partment, the Bureau of Agriculture, the
Postal service, or any of the several exec
utive branches proposed to be investigat-
ed. But. by simple resolution, all of
these various departments and bureaus are
commanded to open their doors, desks,
books, and papers to the inspection and
examination of these various committees.
If the Committee on Expenditures in the
State Department, for example, have rea-
son to suspect that all is not right in that
department. they have limited pewers of
Investigation already, and those powers
can be enlarged at any time by vote
Of the House. But by the resolutions
each one Of these committees is made a
court OF inquiry, clothed with power to
compel the attendance of witnesses and
the production of papers, and is given
leave to 60 anywhere and everywhere at
the public cost and charges. They are
not directed to inquire into any specific
charges or suspected abuses, but each is
authorized to smell around until scent is
discovered, or supposed to be discovered.
whereupon writs may be issued, witnesses
summoned or brought before the bar OF the
House under arrest and general harry
ing and tormenting Of innocent people is
given into the hands of seven or eight men
of committee as long as this Congress is
in session. There was time when the
democrats used to shrek excitedlv about
arbitrary arrests. 1t was a time when the
country was honeycombed with treason and
when their party was the refuge of conspir-
ators and asssssins. Now in time of peace
when the ordinary processes of legislation
are. or ought to be, sufficient for all legi
innate purposes OF inquiry, these purists
desire that great number ofinquisitiops
shall be constituted, with plenary and ex
traordinary powers, at one stroke of the
pen"
curious coincidence in this matter is
the pending election OF George II. Pen
dleton of Ohio to seat in the United
States Senate. In the undertaking
campaign of 1876, Mr.. Pendlston was
badly but Internationally damaged by hi.
democratic friends and scandal mopgers
having been found connected with trans
actions that smelled rank of corruption.
But being a democrat his transgressions
were overlooked and now Just as the
SANDER mill Is being put to work again,
gentleman George is being elevated TO
the Senate by the investigators who had
him under their mud rake in 1876.
AT meeting Of the stockholders Of the New
castle National Bank, held TUESDAY, the follow.
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