The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-06-25
Washington Reform Antics.

The heads Of some Of the departments q
Washington are engaged In a dcsperat
effort TO make virtue Of necessity. and W
may expect series Of Investigations be
tween now and November. This - as
should be--that Is TO say, investigation
In itself proper; but when we come Z
examine the cause Of such sudden attacl
OF honesty In administrative quarters we iai
to see how II win help the Republican part.
with the people. The necessity that CAV
rise TO investigation, and the motives tba
actuste those engaged In 1t, must be sppa
rent to every thinking man. They mus
dissipato the idea that the power
that be are endeavoring to be honest
for the sake OF honesty-must dissipatt
the idea that there is any honesty at al
associated with the matter. When we re-
member that IL had been openly charged
time aud again, and rendered morally GER.
tain through innumerabie sources, that the
Administration has been boneycombed
with fraud and corruption ior years; wnen
we recall the thousand and one bare
faced, wbitewashing jobs that have charac-
terized the bold OF the Republican party
upon the Government; when we remem-
Der the bIackmailing, subornation OF wit
nesses. and positive tyranny that have been
resorted 70 TO maintain that hold, the cloak
OF virtue In w lich the Washington machine
now seeks TO wrap itself is about the
fhinnest travesty OF the age. Further,
when we consider that Mr.. WILLIAM 4.
CHANDLER IL posing as the leader in these
late Investigations, and that he Is, it is re-
ported, the only member OF the Cabinet
who has given Mr.. BLAINE earnest and
cordial adherence, this eleventh-hour "hon-
esty" becomes last effort TO keep the
party from tumbling TO pieces from Its own
rottenness.
But we do not believe that any assump-
tion OF virtue and honesty will save it,.
The people can be deceived no longer.
The time has passed when hurrah, or
atorical pyIotechnics, bloody-shirt litera-
ture, and appeals TO passion and prejudice
can be relied upon to blind them. They
have awakened to realization OF the truth
Of all that has been charged regarding cor
ruptIon at Washington. They recognize
that they have been systematically robbed
to keep the worst elements OF the Republic
can party in power and batten horde Of
INSCRIPTIONS oflice-holders. They under
stand at last that they have been the prey Of
sset OF demagogues who have been STIR
ring up strife, distrust, and i'll feeling be-
tween the two sections OF the country in
order to conceal their designs upon the
public treasury.
The simple truth is that public senti-
ment has demanded that the "rascals be
turned out" and the authorities at Wash
ington hope by satisfying it in measure
to concilate the masses who are looking TO
the Democratic party TO purify the Govern
ment. This constitutes the necessity :"
that gave rise to the investigations now
going on, and which. as we have intima-
ted, will probably be supplemented by
Others from now until November. 1t is
safe to say that if the process OF disinte-
grafton had not commenced In the Repub-
lican party, and il ii were not apparent
that the people have confidence that the
Democratic party will make reform
the main issue OF the canvass, the
latest department frauds would not
have been unearthed. On the whole,
therefore, we regard the antics that Mr..
CHANDLER and others are cutting up on a
little private reform platform as q confess
sion that their party has been driven to the
last ditch. Their little scapegoat act, COM
ing as 1t does at this particular time, bears
evidence on its face OF being miserable
and desperate subterfuge, and will, we
imagine, be so treated by the people, to the
end that they will not be content until the
Democrats have been given an opportunity
to count the money.