The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-03-23
1BoHtth,
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Rich and RaeyI
THE ARLINGTON, March II, 1870.
KING LOG.

1HE ARLINGTON, March II, ,1SIU.
KING LOG.
Day before yesterday his serene High
ness, Ulysses S. Grant. got down from his
very high horse, and walking to the Capt.
tol, politely requested an interview with
the Committee on the Judiciary in the Sen
ate. 1t is said that he offered to compro-
mise with the obnoxious Judge. But
what is said is totally unreliable. When a
Senator reports confidential interview he
impeaches his own testimony, and when
one of our reporters undertakes to give the
details, will make affidavit that they are
untrue.
But the visit is significant His serene
Highness of the sweet cigar set out with
the understanding that he was to keep
clear of politicians, and his success has
been remarkable. He has kept aloof from
politicians, and the politicians, with the
same success, have given His Excellency a
wide berth.
But there came a time when into his
darkened brain there crept the notion that,
after all, the politicians had their uses
! The Senate, for example, has, under the
Constitution, the right to cenfrm. This
right, under many administrations, had
fallen into disuse. The politicians of the
Senate and the politicians of the White
House acted together to one common end
each end looking to the success of the
party, generally, and to the success each
IN particular.
But when U. S. Grant ceased to respond
to the common prayer of Grant us, o
Lord" and pulled his contempt into the
faces of these Senatorial sOlons, and per-
mitted his venerable daddy to appoint col
Lott fo fo o{fioa orraV the bdado of
solons from the Cave, they hauled off
One day thereafter his Excellency, driving
past the Capitol, found his friend, the judi
cial muff, from Massachusetts,, stranded on
the curbstone, and split all to pieces. And
the only reason given was the one SO often
found in the Fogbank, '"Don't like him" !"
Then again, when the gold investigation
came off, and drove the dirty business to
! the very door Of the Executive Mansion,
his Excellency found politician he had
ridden over in the appointments of his dis
| trict with the intensest contempt, held his
reputation in his hand and forgetting the
past, and looking only to the good name
of the Government, this politician carried
the President safely through.
Experience is an expensive school, but
some Presidents will learn at no other
AS his Excellnecy reads no papers, and
permits no one to approach him who can
or will tell the truth, he is forced to drive
his unhappy executive skull against the
stone wall of experience.
For the first time in the history of the
United States, we have a President who
draws his salary with healthy regularity,
and is in every word the King Log OF the
fable We had been so troubled with the
| King Stork and his eternal and internal
! - h, JnrH HF1O
| nothing, and did not pretend to know any
thing, was refreshing. But, since King
Log has turned all the powers of the Ad-
ministration over to seven gentlemen, and
those not the wisest in the land, and we
find ourselves possessed of seven different
policies, sssome of them conflicting, the
| change is not so refreshing.
For time here the all-absorbing ques-
tions were, who runs the Administration,
/ who is Grants confidential adviser? The
| conundrum dried out for lack of interest,
for it was discover ed II a. Grant had moth
ing to do with the Administration. The
| King smoked and said nothing and the
Government run itself
"If this matter belonged to Cox's De-
partment," said an influential gentleman
to me, one day, che could accomplish some-
thing, but it pertains to the State Depart
ment"
"But can't we get some influence to bear
upon Grant
at would not do any good He would
turn it over at once to Fish, and that wo' d
be an end to it."
"But, are not grave questions like this
discussed in Cabinet, where Cox and Bel
KNAPP can have an infuence?"
"Well, yes, when the head of the Depart
ment sees fit to introduce it. But each
member feels that he is running his own
machine, and there is an understanding
not to interfere with each other"
On further investigation found this tC
be the fact We have seven Presidents
Fish controls the State Department, with.
out reference to any one; Boutwell, is lore
of the Treasury; Cox conducts the Inter.
ior, and Belknap the War Department
and so throughout The President is {
solemn, silent, smoking fgure-head, with
abundance of time to put on white chok
er and swallow-tail, and attend every en-
tertainment to which any one may invit,
hun. 1 meet him frequently upon tht
streets, incoming along, with cigarin mouth
and ungloved hands behind his back.
When we come to look further, we flint
that the State Department is worked b.
l that learned old muff, Caleb Gushing
whose soul, if he ever had one, was sol