New-York tribune., 1886-02-02
of ability and experience have oifeieu 10 no INC
same work for several hundred thousahu u
dollars less money.
r,r rpTDpu0yR TNYESTIG1 TON

IHE IELETHONE Ihf L>phbp~i'$ '-''
The House of Representatives has acted with-
out deliberation in ordering an investigation oi
the telephone scandal. The resolution passei
by unanimous consent does not meet the re-
dnirements of the case. 1t provides 1or an III
oury respecting expenditures on the part OF the
Government relative to the rights oil the Deil
aud Pam Electric companies. These erpendl-
tures have been trivial and the committee 10
which the subject has been referred Will not
find il practicable TO pursue the investigation
outside the limits of the Department OF Justice
Undoubtedly Mr.. Hanback,, who brought the
ou.stion before the House, intended to propose
a full and searching inquiry, but he was nam
narcd by points of order raised by Democratic
members and especially by the strenuous op-
position offered by Mr. Dunn, of Arkansas who
was so indiscreet as to invcigh against making
the records of the House "A vehicle to cast
scandals before the country" The resolution
does not furnish ground for an adequate IN
vestigation. Either its scope should be en-
larged, or another committee should be en-
powered to take up the scandal and go to the
bottom of it instead of scratching at the surface
and frittering away time.
There are several questions of the highest
satisfactorily answered This telephone stock
appears to have been widely distributed among
members of both houses and Government Oili-
cas, in some cases gratuitOusly, and In others
at a nominal cost to the investors. The value
of the stock depended almost wholly either
upon legislation or upon litigatlOnS to be begun
with the cG1nvance of members of the Cabinet
or their subordnatcs. What the country is
anxious to learn is, whether that stock was iIS-
tributed with a view to securing the o1l;ial III
luence and active cooperation OF those receiV-
ing it, About the time when the enterprise was
started bill in the interest OF the Pan Electric
spectators was reported from the Committee
on Patents to the House, passed and sent to the
Senate Was this result effected largely
through the nstrumentalty of those who were
financially interested in the telephone scheme
And when the measure was before the Senate
Committee on Patents were any corrupt iniiu-
enccs nc work in that body to affect favorable
action upon that measure Is 1t true that the
DEPARTMENT of Justice WIS "workcd" in the
interest of the AttorL cy-Geuerals business as
5 iciates2 Is it also true that the heals OF Dn-
roaus in the Department of thr Interior are .arge
stockholders, who will profit by the success OF
the litigation recommended by the Secretary !
Have two departments Of the Government hal
recourse to extraordinary and unwdrranthble
expedients for promoting private interests and
enrching ring of speculative Statesmen
These are questions which neither the House
of Representatives nor the Senate can afford to
leave unanswered. An inquiry that begins and
ends with actual expenditures involved in
consideration Of the rights of rival telephone
companies by the Department OF Justice Will be
a beggafly outcome. Nothing less than thor
ough, far-rcachiDg. exhaustive investigation
will satisiy the country.