New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-02


The one reason why every administration
should answer freely, with persons and
papers, rcga rding every item o! its conduct,
il that it holds the purse and uses the force
OF free people.
Apart from the general principle, how
ever. there is reason enough in the history
of General Grants administration Tor a
rigid inquiry. 1t has been marked by
Il numerous and heavy frauds and defaica-
tons. Postmasters, payIuaSters, collectors,
treasury clerks and bank examiners have
all been stealing, embezzling and betraying
their trusts on IA great scale. 1t Is only the
other day that it was found necessary to
count over the bonds and money IN the
Treasury at Washington to see whether the
two clerks who had been detected as de
faulters the previous week were the only
ones. A short time before another clerk
had been found out helping a knavish Con
gresham to get payment for the sham claims
of sham soldiers. short time before that
it was found that a paymaster had made
away with half million: almost the same
.lay it was found out that an assistant post
master had stolen $50, coo. Since then, a
man whose business it is keep the govern
ment and the public informed OF the cOndi-
ton of the national banks is found to have
been silent when he ought to have reported,
and ''to have been silent. as Grattan said
'for money Moreover, all these facts
come to light at a moment when the coun-
try is being literally desolated by rings
when the treasures OF many States anu
many cities are discovered 10 be in the
hands of thieves; when nearly everybody
high and low, is ION the make" when our
very ambassador at a foreign court is ac-
cused of selling, not his own poor hane, for
that would be nothing, but the dignity and
trust with which a great nation had clothed
him, to board of spectators to enable
them to secure the money Of widows and
orphans for tumid mining venture.
Now, we do not blame the administration
for all this. 1t is i'll part the fault of the
condition of the civil service, i'll part the
fault of the times il which we live. and the
social conditions by which we are sur
rounded. Some of these frauds, Paymaster
Hodges, for instance, might have occurred
anywhere or under any system. But surely
their occurrence shows that there is some
thing wrong, and surc Y the success which
has attended them, and the accidental way
in which Learl al OF them have been dis
covered, naturally and fairly suggest the
inference that there are others just as bad
which might be discovered II search were
made. The President himself admits that
there is a great deal wrong by his attempt
ing to reform the civil service. Ii that
worked well. why reform it! And if it be
not yet reformed, who shall doubt the right
or duty Of Congress To overhaul it from top
to bottom 1t Will not DO. to ,recur again
to the example OF our own Mayor Hall, to
declare, when frauds are brought to the
Presidents notice, that they do not exist
or, if they do exist, he is not responsible for
them, but, anyLow, will not have them in
vestigated lest his enemies should discover
something that might damage him.
The course for the public to pursue at
this time is plain enough. Nobody has any
right to object to General Grants Offering
himself, or to Others Offering MIN, for re-
election; nor can we Ind fault with them
for putting forth the acts of his admins
tration in as favorable light as possible in
support f his claims. They are til nss to
be considered, and carefully considered
But, ON the other hand, the people, and all
parts or portions Of the people, have per
feet right to discuss his claims fully, TO
consider well the prOpriety OF re-electing
him, ard to do this with complete immu-
nifty from AL let or hindrance or incentive
on the part Of the administration, and
from all imputations en- their honesty and
purity and political soundness.-Nutioa.