The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1869-04-08
IDAHO WORLD.
THE GREAT AMERICAN GIFT ENTERPRISE

Cabinet arrangement in the following
style:
General Grants Cabinet is more OF
a Gift enterprise than | at ilrst sup
posed. have already stated that Stew
arts appointment looked very much
like the q,sid pro quo for the house and
lot recently occupied ey Gpant IN a n
the Navv was receipt in full for the
Philadelphia mansion of the new Presl-
dent But I was utterly at a loss to
discover wherewithal Mr.. Attorney
General Hoar had paved has way to the
Presidential affections. The mystery
is solved by the ascertainment that Mr.
Hoar gave Grant fine library, a year
or two ago, which, however, Judging
from the knowledge Of law displayed
bv "the Great Captain of the age" on
the second day of his administration,
does not appear to have included a his,
tory of the initial period Of the United
States Government. So here we have
the Gift enterprise feature of Grants
Cabinet complete. Applicants for OF
flee under the new Administration must
take notice that the safest way to APP
proach the new Administration IS
through a house and lot, a Ia Stewart
and Borie. Hoar got in through the
cheap medium of a library, but it is
safe to say that there is nothing more
to be disposed of at that low rate.
Lest there be those who think | SLAM
der the Great Captain" let me men
ton another fact. The public have re-
Gently been informed Of the gift Of
Grants former residence to General
Sherman. How was this brought about,
and by whom? The leader Moses ii.
Grinnell, since appointed to the office
in this item of the great American Silt
enterprise was man who expects to
be Collector of the port of New York,
and who knew the influence OF Sher-
man over Grant, and the Importance Of
placing Sherman under obligations Of
this kind. Nor is this all. Grant had
previously offered to sell the property
for $4,000, which was the amount
raised by the expectant Collector OF
Customs. Mr.. A. T. Stewart 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 i'll his pocket and
drew out check for SO, 000-making
S65, OOOin all-which was paid to Grant
for the house and lot. Truly a nice
thing for Grant, but a nicer thing for
the Custom-housc man. Just here let
me enter a protest against this kind Of
private sale Of public Office. ! insist
upon an auction at which all shall have
an equal chance to bid. The New York
Custom house would bring half dozen
such houses and lots as Grants under
any sort of competition. In the dcclin-
ing days Of ancient Rome the empire
was put up at auction by the Pretorian
Guards, and sold to Didius Julianus
after some heavy bidding between him
and Sulpicianus, at a price equal, |
think, to ten millions of dollars. If the
good old American Republic is to be
disposed 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
something in the nature of a fair divide.
General Grants gift enterprise stan
dard of qualification for office is in
strange and unhappy contrast to the
conduct of his much-abuscd predecessor.
Among the many faults Of Andrew John
son-faults which | have never been
slow to point out and condcmn-thc
slightest faint of personal corruption
or venality can not be included. We
all remember that when some citizens
OF New York proposed to present him
with a carriage and pair of horses he
peremptorily declined the gift. And to
the last hour of his Administration has
he adhered to the practice of keeping
himself Independent Of such personal
obligations to those who were or might
become candidates for office. The search
ing ordeal Of the impeachment trial
failed to stain his character with sim
gle instance even of constructive bride