New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-10
MAKING UP THE VERDICT,

The people of the North have read from
time to time, with close attention and
great interest, the reports of the matters
elected by the investigating committees in
New York and New Orleans We see by
our exchanges that they are beginning to
make up their verdict. Enough is already
known to stamp the two cases as the great
political scandals Of the time, and to for
ever condemn all who are to blame not
only for the origin of the faults committed,
| but for attempting, after the facts are made
public, to screen the guilty perpetrators.
The people are given to understand that
the revenue service, in two of the chief
cities, has been prostituted into political
rings for the benefit of factions, and that,
in order to raise money to buy adherents
Of the officials, extortions have been prac-
ticed upon the mercantile community.
This is not the object for which the ser
vice was created, and the people grow
FESTIVE under the abuses.
The Cincinnati Gazette, one of the firm
est and ablest supporters of the President
in the West speaks very plainly and sen
sibly upon this point, and the Republican
press generally follow on the same side.
We copy several extracts from the Gazette
of the second instant, which show the
views Of that staunch supporter of Grant:
TIE CUsTOMHOUsEs AND THE PRESIDENT.
That the New York and New Orleans
Cust0mhouse rings are sores upon the body
polite is tact that needs no argument to
demonstrate. Investigations made within
the last three years, including those now
IN progress, show that the New York Gus
tomhouse Is a sink of corruption, dscredit-
able to the administration. demoraliZinp
in It's influence, and altogether stencil in
the nostrils OF the whole people. 1t is not
worse now than formerly. 1t has not been
improved by transferring its influence from
one faction Of the Republican party to the
other. 1t would not have been better had
this transfer not been made. 1t has always |
been bad-sO bad, indeed, than in speaking |
of its mana cement there is scarcely an oppor- |
tunity to use the degrees of comparison |
Those who controlled it under the GrinneIl |
management were as INSCRIPTIONS as those |
who now control it, and those who now
control it are probably fully as bad as their |
predecessors.
1t has been administered upon the prn-
ciple that to the yictOrs belong the spoils. |
and the object of the recipients Of the |
enormous patronage has been to enrich
themselves first, control the politics of the
State second, and through the State the |
politics of the nation. Ii this use of the
were legitimate, it has, as events
clearly demonstrate, been badly managed
Instead of controlling the State of New
York, the Republican party in the State
has been split. In the Senate of the
United States the two factions are repre-
scented by Senators who owe their election
to the u,e OF that patronage; and while
they are both Republicans, they are both
disturbing elements in the party, and,
therctr-r weight upon the party They
are gIaater than the contests between
ccerI5 leans and Democrats exhibit. Mr..
H-er'ty, who is leader of what
Is called the FentOn faction, has also
been goaded to madness by that custom
mouse business. When the Fenton faction
5nAfolled the Customhouse. Mr.. Greeley
"as so well satisfied with Grant that he
virtually pronounced in favor of his renomi-
hatioh; HG went so far as to say that no.
poty hau oeen mentioned in connection
WIN the PRESIDENCY in 1872, ard probably
would not be, except Grant, and that Grant
would De better hrtel to fill the Office in
lSl2 than he was Ill 1868. The one-term
orlnclpie was not serious obstacle. in Mr.. |
Jreeley's estimation, a that time. That nor.
ormance went very far toward fixinp the
minds OF the people upon Grant for a second
ERIN. Mr.. Greeley was intimate with tLe
resident lie was supposed to understand
md tie people, having confidence in Mr..