New-York tribune., 1882-04-24


very striking illustration of the headstrong
way in which they were won't to order lnVes-
ticotions. and the recklessness with which
they conducted them.
The Republican party finds no occasion for
pride. of course, in the fact that during the
twenty years and more of its incumbency OF
Office and possession Of power 1T has been
called upon several times To subject It's own
trusted officials to discipline Tor delinquency
or misconduct. II does have cause to con-
cratuIate itself however, that in the very pleni-
tude of its power il never shielded delinquent
or shrank from putting any public officer VINO
had fallen under sIspicion-whatever his rank
or influence in the party-tO the test OF the
most rigid scrutiny and the most searching in
vestgation Whatever mistakes may have been
madc-and no party could enjoy such unlnter-
rupted success without making some-lt must
be said to the credit of the Republicans that
they never made this one, of uphOldlng de-
Tending or COncealing official malfcasance IN
any form. Herein is the party's title to just
renOwn higher and more honorable even than
that it abolished slavery, suppressed rebellion,
saved and confirmed the Union, and against
all foes maintained the Nations honor. 1t
believed always in the honesty of the People.
To that belief it squared itself to that test it
brought most rigidly its trusted public servants,
high and low. During its possession Of power
it has instituted many investigations, but always
for its own discipline and cleansing, never for
the mere partisan end OF making capital
against its opponents. We do not need
to cite the record Some Of the inyestlga-
tons resulted in the vindicatiOn OF those
against whom they were levclled Many we
regret to say, disclosed official dereliction and
made public scandal. But the number of them
was not so much a proof of wide demoraliza-
ton as of the earnest desire of the dominant
party to keep itself pure and above suspicion +;
and in no instance did an offender escape jus
tcc.
Observe the contrast The accession Of the
Democrats to partial power few years ago
was the signal for the launching Of inyestiga-
tOns almost without number into every
branch and department of the Government.
Great outcry had been made that the admins
tration of affairs needed looking into, and that
only the party that had had no hand
in them could he trusted to make
the search thorough and impartial. The
Democrats pranced into place with the
conviction that this was thcr mission.
and an evident purpose to fulfil it. The era
Of Investigations which tbey initiated is fresh
L memory Swarms Of committees with un-
usual powers descended upon the Depart
ments and spread over the country. But
through all their cagcrncss nothing was palmer
than ihat the purpose Of their Investigations
wa. to make party capital, and not "to end
out Sharper than sleuth-hounds on the scent
of u suspected Republican, so soon rs they found
themselves on the tract. Of a Dcmocrat-and
this they scarcely struck trail without doing
they shut down on the testimony and sheercd
Oft in another direction. SO it happened that
in few months they became the laughing
stock of the country, and at the end of their
campaign Of investigation, which they began
for partisan purposes, they had only succeeded
in partially uncOyerng several sly Democratic
rascals and in making themselves ridiculous.
| The contrast between the results OF these in
vestigations and those conducted by Republi-
cans is very significant. And the recent YER
| diet in the KilbOurn case only serves TO en-
phasize the difference between the methods
| pursued. In the one case the public good was
the sole end in view in the other it was
| simply partisan advantage. The methods
in one corrcspOnded with a conscientious
regard for private rights as well as public
JUSTICE in the other they were governed only
By reckless and unscrupulous partisan ZEAL