The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-04-19
JcSSe'S Card.

Mr.. Jesse r. Grant, the Presidents
father. and Postmaster at Covington,
has published card respecting his re-
lations with Mr.. Horace Greedy Stoms,
Assessor of Internal Revenue in the
First District of Ohio. In a letter to
President Grant, written on the 10th
of January last, Stoms made the fol-
lowing statement
"Mr. Jesse r. Grant requested of me
the reappointment of removed gauger
displaced for malfeasance in Olfice), |
accompanied with proposal that
sincerely trust that / may never be
compelled to disclose to any but your
self. He, Mr.. Grant, in conversation
with me, made use of these words sub
stantially: so and SO has offered me
$500 if can get you to recommend his
reappointment; he is a rascal but
will take his money and divide with
you"
In reply to this, tile venerable Jesse
makes the suhjoined explanation:
"About the middle Of April, 1869, |
told William. Stnms that several mer-
chants in the bottom had asked me to
speak to him abOut two of the oldest
and most experienced gaugers in the
city-Taylor and Weithoff. He said
TAYLOR was d-unkard worth S75 200,
and Weithoff was rascal. told
those who had spoken to me what MIR.
Stoms said. Every one said Welthoh
was an industrious, h a d W ork in g
Dutchman, who did his work well and
was not rascal. One of them, in
talking, said that lie would give $500
to have Weithoff appointed. l went
again 10 William Stom's store, and
told him all l had heard; that l knew
i TAYLOR was not q drunkard, and that
every one gave Weitlloff IA good name /;
that he Ought not to suffer because of
what that man said, and that he had
better take the $500 and give it to the
moor. and try Weitli0ff, and if he ever
) did anything wrong, to. turn him out"
The substantial difference between
these two statements is nothing at all.
5 Stoms says that Grant proposed to him
, to appoint Weithoff in consideration OF
, bribe of five hundred dollars, to be
I divided between Grant and himself
Grant admits that he made the offer OF
the FIVE hundred dollars for Weithoff's
appointment, but says he wanted Stom
= to receive the whole of it and give i
to the poor. But when he cOnfesse
IL that five hundred dollars were Offere,
$ by HIM for the appointment, he admit
l. the whole case. Whether the none.
% was to be divided between himself an
d. Stoms. or whether Stoms was to kee
10 the whole Of 1t, or apply it all to char
n. table purposes, makes no difference
y, The fact is established beyond furths
question that the Presidents faths
made to the Assessor of the First Di
trict of Ohio a proposal to appoint
II gauger in consideration of a bride
ne five hundred dollars. This fact he az
mits and attemps to justify. He Sc
MT nothing wrong init. Taking pay +
ct the appointment Of a public offic
ng does not, in his judgment, constitu
lis any offence against law or morals.
ed Nor does it constitute an offence in t
II, eyes of the President, for he still kee
=, the old man in Office as Postmaster.
:. This explanation from Mr.. Grant a
:, counts indirectly for many things
-, the Presidents own conduct viii
I'LL have been hard for his former frien
Jul and admirers to understand. 1t sho
Inc that in his youth General Grant cam
M have been trained to that scrupulf
9TH regard for public honor and that 8
ow horrencc of bribery and corrupt
which are Indispensable safeguards
the the purity of republican institutio
hot The father thinks there is moth
md wrong in taking money for the
pOintment of guager; and Y
So should the son think that there is a
W. thing wrong in appointing men
al 5 Cabinet Offices who have given
De presents, or in forcing upon the co
Tor try such gross swindle as this anne
the ton of San Domingo, III considera
ged, of money to be received by his fa'
and ties and cronies The vice runs in
hem blood; it is family failing. But
in most melancholy fact about the a
"a; is, that large portion of the Repu
d by "a" pa; =, ,c a .. ~ h",a "p r.
'''y as their foremost representative,
&c OF stantially justify and adopt this
emo blushing cor, upton for their