The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-03-01
DOESN'T LIKE TT.

The McMinnyille Vest Side of last
week expresses unqualified disappro-
baton at our language in regard to
Mr.. Grants voucher ~defalcation. urg-
ing that we display objectionable dis
respect towards His Reticency, the
President, when we suggest the idea
that he is most probably a thief and
defaulter, "to-day honestly owing the
Government more than fifteen thou
sand dollars" Now we said "thief
and defaulter" because we believe in
calling such crimes by their right
names, no matter whether it be Presi-
dent or peasant who commits them.
1t is true, we might have gently init
mated that capt. Grants accounts
showed a slight discrepancy" or a
"trifing irregularity," as it is fashion
able nowadays to style brazen thefts
among Radical officials, but we pre-
fer the substantial language of Web
ster which was used to designate such
crimes "in the better days of the Re
public"
1t is usually the custom of these
Radical journals, after going into by
sterics at our plain language, to pro-
coed to euloglze Grant in the most
fulsome terms, attributing to him
ability and craftsmanship which the
most ignorant school boy knows he
never possessed. It may seem strange,
in the face of all the developments
showing the imbecility and dishonesty
of President Grant, that these Radi-
cal organs are either ignorant DR. au.
dacious enough to claim for him any
merit as a public servant. Yet Ger
cain it is that these papers, who make
p~retentions to intelligence and hon.
esty, either deIude themselves with
the idea that Grant has made a fan
President, or r attempting to delude
Others into that belief. 1t is not to
be seriously feared that such efforts
will result in reinstating Mr.. Grant in
the confidence of the country, but a
decent regard for the truth makes il
incumbent on respectable journals to
protest against the too frequent
Haunting in public of %fabrications
gotten up in the interest of a worth
less public functionary, who seeks by
virtue Of his utter incapacity for pub
1ic affairs, to be installed for life al
the head of the government. 1t was
customary about the time Grant first
aspired to the Presidency, to silence
ali objection on account of his fragrant
'unftness by parading his great militia.
ry services before the people. The
military business having fallen into
disrepute and no longer being potent
to influence votes it was some time
ago considered advisable to abandon
that and present the "only Republi
can in the broad United States fit fol
the Presidency" in a new role. I
wa then suddenly discovered that al
though Mr.. Grant was not the mos
comprehensive statesman in the land
he was a prodigiously honest indiyid
ual, and the American people ough
to be satisfied with him, as it was no
an every day affair to pick up an hon
est statesman. Unfortunately for tn
trainers of Mr.. Grant, faith in his hor
+esty has been sadly shaken on severe
occasions, among which we may nota
bly, mention the Dark Friday" bus
ness, the San Domingo lots, the Senec
quarry, and this army defalcation bus
mess to which we referred a week o
two ago.
For further information upon som
of his most disreputable habits an
practices while in the army we refe
our very virtuous brother of the Wes
Side to the article from the Portlan
NeD Northaoest which we reprint O
the first paoe of this naner