The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-09-15
A MANLY COMMISSION.

The commission sent out to investi-
gate the charges preferred by Con-
gresham Page against Superintend-
ent Dodge, of the San Francisco mint,
has reported. completely generating
the superintendent and indirectly
csnsuring Page. As the public is
aware the inquiry has been thorough.
each party having been accorded the
opportunity of bringing forward all
the testimony that ne could find to
bear upon the case. General Dodge
is to be congratulated upon the out
come OF the investigation. It is the
exception rather than the rule, that
federal official is able to establish bis
innocence when charged with specific
wrong-doing, and particularly when
che accusation is preferred by MEM
Der of Congress belonging to the same
party as the accused. IN this instance
Page seemed sctuated entirely by per-
sonal spite. Dodge discharged from
the mint some of the Congressman's
friends and political strikers and
refused to reinstate them or appoint
other friends of Davis to the places.
The discharges were made through |
no ill.Will towards the Congressman,
but for the reason that the men were
incompetent. The superintendent
acted upon the correct civil service
principle that the government should
not be made to pay fer
political work in behalf OF Page. The
congressman, however, went upon
the theory that to the victors belong
the spells, and assumed. as admins
tration members generally do, that
he should have q certain control OF
the federal patronage OF his district.
Dodge was acting il the interest of his
employer, the government. and Page
was working in the interest of him
self, and wanted to use the superin.
tendent for his individual purposes.
As the congressman could not control
the official be resolved to crush him,
and as beginning trumped up lot
of charges OF corruption, Iavoritism,
etc., and went before the com mission
like q pettitogger, fighting his in
tended victim with all the vindictive
ness that he could command, and as
if he were the sole guardian of the
public interest 10 the mint. Decency
and self-respect ought at least to have
kept him out Of the case as pleader,
however active be might have been
In presenting evidence to sus.
tain his charges. It is graft
flying to know that the commission
possessed the manhood to report the
facts SIS it found them, regardless OF
the political position occupied by the
complainant. This report ought to
serve as precedent. A congress.
man has no more right to quarter his
relations, friends or tools upon the
public than has any other man TO do
the same thing, and the official who
has the independence, which Dodge
Seems to have possessed, to run his
Office for the benefit of the public,
notwithstanding the encroaChments
and not needing the assumptions of
She congressman OF his district, is en-
titled to the support of the powers
chat be as we'll Rs the respect of the
public. Congressman Page, it Will
be remembered, made great display
Of virtue in this case last winter.
Whole columns of letters and inter
views from him were telegraphed
from Washington, and one might
have thought that he was the most
virtuous person on earth. The true
inwardness of his conduct having
been shown up, he will undoubtedly
feel a good deal chop.fallen, and Ii
bis pride is equal to his brass, be will
hang his head whenever he thinks ofI
Che ridiculous display of himself that
he has made.