The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-01-26
DAMAGING 10 GRANT.

Inc dcDate upon Senat rum
bulls resolution to appoint a Com
mittee to examine into the civil SER
vice of the Government and unearth
whatever frauds may exist, has caused
a violent tlutter in the political circles
of the East and is likely to result
disastrously to Grants Presidential
aspirations. The advocates of the
resolution urged its adoption with
great persistency, claiming that the
abuses under the patronage of the
Government had become too glaring
and iniquitous for further forbearance,
and that immediate steps should be
taken for their exposure and correc-
ton. Senators Morton, Conkling
and Sherman, who are plant tools of
the Administration, stoutly opposed
the resolution, claiming that the Adj
ministration was like Caesars wife,
above suspicion, and that no such an
imputation as this resolution convey
ed should be made against it. Sena-
tors Sumner, Trumbull, Schurz and
Upton, flanked by the Democratic
Senators, championed the resolution
and made it so warm for the Aminis.
tration satellites that they were forced
to pass q sort of white washing res
olution, in order to partially disguise
their fears of IN investigation.
Senator Schurz, who had sat upon
the Committee of Retrenchment, to
examine into the alleged frauds in the
San Francisco and New York Gus
tom Houses, said:
"This Committee did undoubtedly,
believe that the case was closed. for it
had reason to believe that, when such
scandals as it exposed were laid bare,
the administration would jump at tie
chance to put an end to the disgrace;
but it turns out that they we're vastly
mistaken, for the same scandalous sys-
TEN of robbery extends down to this
day, in spite OF the exposure made by
the committee" Senator Schurz con-
tinued:
The Senator asked also why we
have proposed no legislation to re-
move these abuses. The abuses were
created by executive action in the adj
ministration of the cnstom-house. and
they could be done away with by ex-
e~cutiye action. The Senator objected
to what I said of the power which
sustains this system. | did say (hay-
ing laid the evidence before the SEN
ate) that when the most respectable
merchants of New York had protest
ed against this system of robbery
when the Secretary of the Treasury
had time and again pronounced
against it, and when ii is still sustain
ed and kept alive down TO this very
day did say, in view of this evil
dence, that there must be some mys-
FERROUS power sustaining that system
stronger than n decent regard for pub
lie opinion, and stronger than the Sec
rotary OF the Treasury himself"
Senator Patterson, also a member
of the same Committee, said:
Il do say that there were inspect
ors in the Custom-house in New York
who stated before the committee, un-
der oath, that, in violation OF their
official oaths, and in violation of the
laws of the land, they had taken
brides, and they took brides every
time they discharged a vessel, and |
say further that the agents of the
steamship companies told that they
could not get their vessels discharged
without bribing the officials
The Chicago Tribune, which is
everywhere recognized as the mouth
piece of the Republicans of the Great
Northwest. in referring to this dam
aging discussion, adds: "Thus the
Administration, or, if you please. the
Republican party, is convicted of hay-
ing connived at fragrant corruption in
the civil service, even at the time
when the people have, in tie recent
elections, declared with u~nprecedcnt-
ed vehemenee their disapproyal OF
such transactions and the more the
%rottenness of existing management
becomes apparent, the more violent
do Morton and Sherman become
against investigation, and the more
vociferously do their echoes in the
Senate shout "soreheadl sorehead :"
1t is proven that the Federal patron.
age has been put forth to enforce
party tyranny in Nebraska, and keep a
scoundrelly Governor afterwards i'm
peached and remoyed) in office there,
in spite of the wishes of the people oil
that State, and Nye cries out, Envy,
Jealousy! You want to be greater
than your master" tits made evident
that the corruption which had gath
cred under Andy Johnson's Admin
~istration in the States, continues to a
greater or less extent at the present
time, and Morton exclaims, with his
hands on his breast, "We have the
best civil service in the world but
you mustn't investigate it.
"No wonder, when the game of hid
ing knayes in Senatorial sleeves has
reached this stage, that men who have
not allowed their sense of honor to