Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-01-11
THESAN DOMINGO swINDLE.

General 6rant ls deNOling all hl6
time to lobbying in favor of the San
Domingo swinde. Senators are sent
for, to the White House, and manip-
ulated, and members of Congress
touched in their weak places by the
hand which turns the appointment
mill. 1t is said the President has
prepared list of Congressman whom
he relies upon to carry his San Do
mingo resolution through success
fully, and says that he is confident
of a two-thirds vote to take it up and
carry il promptly, This calculation
may or may not be correct. At all
events, it shows the desire of General
Grant in relation to his monster swim
die Of the age, while his course, in
reference TO Senator Sumner, exhibits
his bitterness towards those who are
bold and honest enough to oppose
and denounce his pet project. But the
whole question is beginning to at
tract the serious attention of the peo-
pie, and the press, in all sections Of
The Union, are opening upon it from
different standpoints. The st. Louis
Democrat, a leading Radical journal,in
its issue of December %, says of the
eagerness of General Grant TO push
through tho San Domingo annexation
project "Does President Grant re.
ally suppose that these extraordinary
efforts to push through measure SO
unpopular, will add to his personal
strength ? This scheme has now been
ventilated. What we have long
known was the real motive in the
San Domingo plot, is no longer con.
eealed. 1t means war After San
Domingo comes Cuba, the rest Of the
West Indies, and the conflict with
foreign powers, which this stride Of
aggression would inevitably produce.
And conflict with foreign powers, it
is calculated, will make tho ro-elec.
tion of Grant certainty. Long ago,
this scheme was privately and conf
dentially talked of by. persons who
seek the denomination of the Presi-
dent, and talked of as if it were his
own. His message enables everybody
to Judge for himself" The New York
Evening Post intimates that "astute
politicians" are leading Grant 10 this
San Domingo business and continues
"if the Presidents desire is TO cult.
vate and maintain peaceful relations
with other nations, he will do wisely
TO cast adrift tho bad counscllors who
arc leading him in this San Domingo
business, and other matters, TO essen.
italy warlike measures. Let him
ask himself what we really want with
San Domingo, an outlying island-or,
rather, half and isIand-far distant
from our shores? Its territory we
need not covet, while we have mil
lions of acres Of our own uninhabited
and undeveloped. A naval station
we do not nced-unless we arc going
10 war but wo cannot go to war
without being the aggressors, for we
are too strong and powerful for any
European nation to attack" In con-
nection with these views tho Brook
lyn Eagle asks: "Why in the world
is President Grant so anxious about
the annexation of San Domingo? 1t
is intrinsically petty matter, even
by his own showing Aside from the |
fact that the people are opposed toit,
even defeat on that issue would not
hurt or damage the Executive very |
seriously, unless his adherence to the |
project is based upon worse reasons
than he has seen fit to adduce. The
Domingo business is known TO DO a
job and a corrupt job. The people
would prefer to believe the Chief
Magistrates associates, not himself,
were interested in the matter from
pecuniary motives. The President,
however, will not allow them any
such charitable and qualified conclu.
sion, unless he mitigatcs his ardor in
the premiscs-which he does not ap.
pear likely to do at present" No
doubt General Grant is anxious for q
denomination, and now that he has
promoted General Butler to the lu-
crative position of ring master in all
jobs, the latter will have no
objections to such an arrangement 1t
would put money in his purse" If a
war is necessary to accomplish that
end, General Butler will provoke one,
and General Grant will allow the plan
10 ripen, and bring forth bloody fruit.
But the present end and aim of the
San Domingo business is pludcr. The
dark gamsters are playing for heavy
stake. They cannot afford TO lose q
single trick. The New York ring
have "cornered" the President, and
he is working in their interests. This
accounts for the passion and feeling
by General Grant when his
plans are interfcred with his tender
corns trodden upon by Senator Sum
ner and others. The swindle may be
pushed through the two Houses. But
IL will be at terrible cost TO General
Grant 1t will stamp his administra.
ton with the brand of ineffacable in.