Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-08-15
What the Administration Has Done
FIR lis.

What the Administration Has Done
fUr Us.
The friends of General Grant when
they ask us to vote for him second
time, ought at least to show that he
has done honor to his Office and admin
istered the Government with advan-
tage to the country. But there is not
one particular in which they can point
to his record with sat ,,sfaction. When
he came into office, the most import
ant problem in domestic affairs was
the condition of the Southern States.
Vexed by disability laws and plumber
ed by Northern Adventures, their
situation was shame to the nation.
What has the President done for them?
Instead Of IN honest representative
Government he has given them Cas-
eys and Spencers. Instead OF com
plete amnesty he has given them force
bills. Instead of sending away the
carpetbaggers to earn their living Ut
they know how by honest industry,
he has made "coms pacts" with bogus
Senators to farm out his patronage in
return for the . control Of the States,
AS witness his shameful bargain
with Mr.. Spencer for the spoils of Ala
bama. Politically, socially, and linan-
cially, the Southern States under his
administration have made no sort OF
advance.
The settlement of the Indian diff
cu'ty was an achievement upon which
the Presidents supporters especially
plumed themselves. But the Indian
difficulty, it seems, is not settled
There is every prospect now OF fresh
savage war. Southern Colorado anc
New Mexico are in fever OF alarm
Texas and Arizona are disturbed. The
Kiowas have begun an extensive raid.
The Cheyemes and Arrapahoes are
supposed to be making ready to JON
them; and there are rumOrs OF mas
sacre Of troops on the Brazos. In
word, Indian affairs remain unchang
ed; even the swindling goes on as us
ual.
There has been no reform in the
scandals of the Federal maladministra-
ton. Peculation has prospered in the
public service. The revenue has beer
diverted into the pockets Of collectors
Paymasters and pension agents hav'
stolen more boldly than ever. Th'
White House has become a nest o
roguish spectators, and over all tn
transaction Of the Government ha
been thrown an atmosphere Of rob
berry. From the least of a naval sta
ton and the negotiation Of treaty
down to the sale of suffers goods to
frontier garrison, whatever the Govern
ment touches becomes tainted will
corruption. There has been miscor
duct if not fraud, in the arms sales o
the War Department and the eXper
ditures of the Navy, and the Admins
,ration has not rebuked them. Their
have been frauds and eXtortion of tn
most infamous characte' in the Gus
toms service, and the Administratio
, has done nothing to check, nay, ha
directly protected them. 1t was tn
Presidents young friend, Leet, VIII
heeced the merchants Of New Yorl
and it was under the President S trienC
Mr.. Thomas Murphy, that the arb
trary seizures of merchants books an
papers were pushed to the most on
D.. rageous lengths Indeed, the Admin
: istration of General Grant has bee
signally an era of pecuniary CORFU
. ton.
The obstruction of political moralit
=, through the patronage of the civil Sc
vice has been carried further by Gel
. Grant than by any preceding Pres
dent since Jackson. 1t used to be or
of the degrading maxims of part
. politics, that with change of powe
there should come redistribution {
, places among the victorious party
'. but Grant has gone beyond this, an
for the first time in our history hi
y made offices the personal spoil Of til
Executive, to be dispensed not ft
"the good Of the party but for h
:, | in1i viduol ADVANTAGE Some he In.