The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-15


Congress should seek. by all means IN It's power,
TO stop the leaks which are from time to tune
discovered = commencing with the compete
abolition Of the ranking privilege. which ne
regarded as an utter abOminatioD. Why not,
he inquired, do away entirely with the prlVi-
lege, and require members OF Congress TO pay
their own postage-allowiDg them therefor In
the settlement OF their accounts! Tnls
is The rule, be added, as to the generals OF the
armies, and it is the right one for all cases;
Members OF Congress have frequently Pr3poseu
to give me the ranking privilege, but 6ave
uniformly declined: the Quartermaster allows
me for my actual expense of postage, and
don't want the Government to do any more than
this.n TO q suggestion that there seemed to be
propriety m admitting members OF Congress 10
transmit 10 their constituents doc lmepts OF
public intert at and value, General Grant replied
that according TO his observations, the great
majority OF those who receive the documents
care little or nothing for them, though some
probably feel fattered by their receipt, and in
his judgment the people would be quite willing
10 iorego their share IN the benefits of the eXer,
else OF the privilege for the sake OF getting rid OF
the aDuse TO which 1t has given rise. 1t leads to
an enormous expense, is unnecessary, and
should be torn up by the roots.
In reference to another matter-the eXirava"
gance OF Congress in the printing OF ocunents
General Grant expresses himself with equal
emphasis. One OF the visitors expressing
wish that the subsidizing of the Congressional
Globe might be stopped, and q law passed re-
quiring every member 10 pay tor the printing
of his own speeches, the General said that this,
while desirable, would abate only small part
OF the evil. Tons OF documents are printed
every year which are OF no conceivable interest
to any one, and have no value outside OF very
limited ephere. Why should money be wasted
in printing what no sane publisher in the land
would think of touching for moment? The
whole thing is wrong, and ought to be stopped.
There can be no doubt at all that General
Grant desires the repeal of the Tenure-of-Otice
law. He feels that so long as it remains upon
the statute-b book he Will be unnecessarily ham
peIed and restricted In purgng the various
branches of the Government service OF corrupt
and dishonest officials, who, having got into
power by appointment of Mir. Johnson or the
competency Of the Senate, are now able to
command influential supporters in the latter
body. 1t is a well-known fact that even the
clerks OF the departments have been able, by
menaCes and otherwise, to drive members of
Congress into the support of their scheme for an
advance Of their pay; and if this could be done
by persons of uncomfortable influence, what
might not be done by the wealthy 'rings" in
whisky, in Indian affairs, ETC., towards prevent
ing the removal Of corrupt men and the apc 9c
General Grant said that, so far as he knew,
every thief in the Government employ, and
every '.ring" which is engaged in debauching
legislation, wanted the law 10 stand as 1t is.
Referring 10 the objection made by some that
to repeal the law now would amount to a con-
fession that 1t was passed solely TO embarrass
Mr.. johnson, General Grant remarked that this
was undoubtedly the object Congress had in
view-the preservation OF the purity of the
public service against the inroads Of rascality
and incompetency, and he eaw nothing In that
fact of which any man need be ashamed. Cor
respondtnce of he Ne,odrk Courier.
Am Interview with Grant,
Hon. John M. Francis, the editor of the Troy
Times, has gone South for the benefit OF his
health. In q pleasant letter to his journal he
speaks OF his stay in Washington, and says:-
accompanied by our popular representative,
Hon. John A. Griswold, we paid our respects
to General Grant at his headquarters. A petit
tion from patriotic citizens of Washington
county had been placed in Mr.. Griswold's
hands, asking Congress to appropriate a
number of bronZed cannon captured from
Rebels by the late General Russell, to De used
in making a suitable monument for the de-
ceased. General Grants opinion was asked
in the matter. He replied that General Russell
of the Potomac, and his memory could
not be too highly honored. But said he, many
other heroic generals laid down their lives for
their country during the war. And the ques-
ton ls, have we cannon enough or money
enough 10 make monuments for ali? He said
that whatever we are able to do should be
done to honor the memory of those brave men
who died for their country; but what we do
for one we must do for others equally deserv.
ing, end here Is the difficulty IN the case.
Referring to the great topic, General Grants
perfectly content 10 abide the Generals own
selection, and to publish the same on the 9th
OF March. He replied that some editors were
in advance OF us in that respect, but il was
perhaps we'll enough for newspapers 10 give
free expression to their preferences. And here
we bade the General good day, and made room
for other callers"