The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-08
Bad for the Country

%WEDNESDA sd fAAs thIsAsso 2, + 40 p.
Bad for the Country ..ts.
All persons who honestly seek promote
TIC HARMONY and public I,atasiola u their
country must be sorelY annoYed by the
spectacle presented by the abominable lf1-
ves;igations through congressional commit
tees. lnaugurated By, party dishonesty aud
maseyolence, and engineered by party Gun
Ming aud fraud, they are potent hardly for
ANYTHING but evil, aud The country only
grows 10 corruption and dishopor by their
proceedings. The investigation under sena.
Tor Bl.AINE's resolution promises only ex-
posures damaging TO the nation, While such
Irregularities as may appear will sbe elmer
beyond the reach OF correction or VIII De IN
the iinc OF party .artifces, which party " III
desire rather to promote than restrain. y!
course here IS no good to DE derived, Whiie
party dishonesty, and yindsctiyenesss' IS W'ii
OF Mr.. BIAiNE's committee Senator lei
,ER, of Colorado, IS the chairman, ' 40 q !
he Is q man who is smirched over with cor
ruption. Fit person he to investigate
frauds II his knowledge Of them alone oe
necessary for their discovery, but consnld-
cred as a corrupt partisan, be is wholly un-
1T to expose those which he will, as par'i-
san, be disposed to hide OF, dwarf into In
significance. Dir. TgLLER's committee 's,
OF course, Republican, and will be inclined
to cover up Republican wrongs and mag
nifty those which are Democratic. The fol-
lowing paragraph from the Philadelphia
Times is about correct:
"Blest In climate, with fertile SOIL ana
abundant resources, aGd lnhaoitea oy
generous. though qnick-temperea people.
Louisiana is always in trouble OF one SORT
or another. Well rid OF the plague OF fcVer,
she is now vexed by the plague OF inVestl-
CATION. The Potter committee, the Eustls
Committee, and the Teller committee are all
at work pulling things to pieces, and there
seems to be loud call for an investigation
as to the finances OF the State. Ii Is dis
grace for such 3 State to have 10 come 10
Bankruptcy, and much as the carpet-b bag
gers had to do with this result, 1t is impos-
sible to bold the real people baneless Tor
the present ugly outlook. Louisiana GER
tainIy needs some sort Of Reconstruction Ia
the interest OF common honesty, piI ooe
must reconstruct berself."
TgLLEH's committee is not the agent that
should be sent to that much-troubled and
oppressed State.
These committees are The great evil OF the
country. They do nothing else than TO-
ment passion and blazon the infamy OF the
public character of the nation. =.
The motive which gives the handspring
to alleged outrages and to their invest1ga-
ton is very bad. The enfranchisement OF
the African having added to the representa-
tive weight of the South in the Govern
ment, and tended rather to the disadYan-
tagc than benefit OF certain leading north
ern public men, they have combined their
wits to see how it Is possible to diminish the
southern political strength, and the conf
plant that negroes have been denied the
right of suffrage is the initial measure for
movement to take away from the South
that representation which has moi enured,
as they assume, to the benefit OF these
northern statesmen.
There could hardly be a more baleful issue
raised in free country and there could not
be one that promised so little good or more
evil. 1t would be absolutely impossible
to take from the South its representa-
fion-as impossible as it would be to disfran-
chise the negroes, an object which we sup
pose the partisan schemers would not aYow.
So that the Investigations will do no more
than lessen the rnhlic harmony and increase
the deprayity Of elections and public char
acter generally.
But how can these vicious methods OF
partisan strife be continued 2 They in
volve vast amount OF public expenditure
and foment much passion and sectlonalism
nj Il time. when the general desire is TO- nave
peace and rest from agitation. Reform and
economy are the great objects OF pubic
policy, and return to national harmony
the interest and devout desire OF all people.
We cannot, therefore, believe that, man
aged with Whatever cunning and, skill it
may, Mr.. BLAINE's investigation will ac-
uuire any force in the line of his strategy.
1t is too late. The nation will not sustain
it. 1t is regarded everywhere either with
profound indifference or hostility. ,, We are
happy LO bc tIlLlicly ShIiSucn va eAAo u ee"'
We regurd the present as the declining
day for the whole system of congressional
travelling committees. They have done
great evil and have been the corrupt means
OF extravaganza and Illustrating at public
expense. The worst form OF the vicious
custom is when it seeks TO carry out party
schemes through Investigations OF alleged
crimes with the vepal testimony Of degraded
and suborned witnesses.
The country has been sufficiently .har1ied
and dlsgraced by these travelling iunket-
ing and superficial committees. It. is time
that they were ended, and that the States
should be left equal with oneanother to man
age their local affairs, and that congressman
should be'left to perform their duties and
take care Of their own characters, respect
the Constitution and laws, fear God, and
walk humbly.. Especially should they OBJ
serve the last two injunetions. The nation
would improve, and congressman be better
of both at home and abroad. - +c.
%. Tobacco. 80 tg,jr
The following communication from Bre-
~ e,,, o,Ir, 81 i,,