The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-03-13
The crea. Amerienn Clf, x.,,yDri..


gift enterprise than at first supposed
Ihave already stated that Stewards ap
pointment looked very much like th'
qnid pro quo for the house and lot re
Gently occupied by Grant in this city
and that Borie's Secretaryship of th'
Navy was receipt in fell for the Phil
delphis mansion of the new President
But l was actually st loss to discov
sr wherewithal Mr.. Attorney Genera
Hoar had paved his way to the Presi
Dental affections. The mystery IL
solved by the ascertGinment that Mr.
Hoar gave Grant fine library, q year
or two ago, which, however, judging
from the Knowledge of the law dis,
played by "the great captain of the
age" on the second day Of his Admins
tration, does not appear to have iu-
cluded history of the initial period Of
the United States Government. So here
we have the giit enterprise feature Of
Grants Cabinet complete. Applicants
for Office under the new Administration
must take notice that the safest way to
approach the new Administration is
through house and lot, Ia Stewart
and Borie. HOsr got in through the
cheap medium of library, but it is safe
to say that there is nothing more to be
disposed of at that rate.
Lest there be those who think SLAM
der "the great captain" let me mention
another fact. The public have recently
been informed of the gift of Grants for
mer residence to General Sherman.
How was this brought about, and by
whomi The leader in this item of the
great American gift enterprise was a
man who expects to be Collector OF the
port of New York, aud who knew the
influence of Sherman over Grant, and
the Importance of placing Sherman nm
der obligations of this kind. Nor is this
all. Grant had previously offered to
sell the property for SAC, 900, which was
the amount raised by the expectant
Collector of Customs. Mr.. A. T. Stew
art then came forward and said the price
was too low; being only little more
than he himself had paid for the house
four years ago, when it was originally
given to Grant. So he put his hand
in his pocket and drew out a
check for SIS, ,000-making $500 in
all--which was paid to Grant for the
house and lot. Truly nice thing for
Grant, but nicer thing for the Custom
house man. Just here let me enter a
protest against this kind of private sale
of public office. kinsist upon an auc.
tion at which all shall have an equal
chance to bid. The New York Custom
house would bring half u dozen such
houses and lots as Grants under any
sort of competition. In the declining
days of ancient Rome the empire was
think, to ten millions of dollars. If the
put up at auction by the PrStorian
Guards, aud sold to Didius Julianus af.
ter some heavy bidding between him
and Sulpicianus, at price equal, /
good old American Republic is TO be
of in the same way, let not all
the proceeds be given to one man, or to
two or three men, as seems TO be the
present disposition, but let there be
in the nature of fair di-
vide. -. -.s...
General Grants gift enterprise stand
ard Capitalization for office is in strange
and unhappy contrast 10 the conduct OF
his much abused predecessor. Among
the many faults of Andrew Johnson
faults which l have never been slow to
point out and condemn-the slightest
faint of personal corruption or venality
can not be included. We all remember
that when some citizens of New York
to present him with carriage
and pair of horses he peremptOrily de-
clined the gift. Ana to the last hour
of his Administration has he adhered to
the practice of keeping himself inde
pendent of such personal obligations to
those who were or might become candi
dates for office. The searching ordeal
of the impeachment trial failed to stain
his character with n single instance
of constructive bribery. Let those who
have lndulged in such unexampled vitu-
of Mr.. Johnson's corruption"
contrast all the actual facts in their
against him with those which
the first week of Grants Administration
have blazoned to the world, and then
let them draw their own conclusions.
MACK.