The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-08-16
now THE BONDnoLDERs BOUGHr
GRANT,

GRANT.
From the Speech Of Hon. T. A. Hendricks at In
dianapolis, on the q July
The practice, on the part of General
Grant, of taking great presents, has also
been justified Ia our midst, and the peo-
pie are asked, by their votes, to say that
it Is right and proper. You would pun
lsh with great severity, under our Grim
lnal laws, him who would give or take q
bribe. How near akin to that is it, if a
person interested In public business
makes valuable present to another who
has control of that business, or is likely
soon to have such control? And how
deplorable Is the state of our public
morals If the people sanction it2 Gen
erai Thomas refused a large present.
and said that his country paid him for
his services. But the defense is that
General Grant received his presents be-
fore his election as President. except,
perhaps, cane, a pipe, and a box of
cigars. 1t IS not OF canes, or pipes or
cigars am speaking. Such presents,
of trltilng value, may be given and re-
ceIyed because of personal, friendship.
1t Is of equipages, of houses, United
States bonds, of such large value as to
make himavery rich man; and / suppose
they were all given after it was under
stood that he was to become President.
Indeed, on the 18th of February, long
after his election, and only two weeks
before his Inauguration, General Grant
seems to have written the following
letter
WAsHINGrox, D. c Feb. Il, 1869.
Dear Ge"crGt-EOur letter of the 18th inclO-
sing me the handsome testimonial of the eiti-
generous contributors to it, is received :
Through You L wish to thank the gentlemen
uGlly and collectively.
have the honor to TO your obedient servant.
The Handsome testimonial" thus
acknowledged to Gen. ButterfeId was
not any ''pipe or box of cigars.'' but is
understood to have been money. United
States bonds, and other securities of the
value of one hundred and fUe thousand
dollars; more than the salary allowed
by the Constitution and laws to the
President for four years. Some of the
donors were soon thereafter appointed
to high and valuable offices. But it is
| said they were able TO give ''without
missing the AMOUNT That was so, no
| doubt. They were very rich men. They
have made Gen. Grant one of them
! selves. They have won his special sym
/ pathies. He Is Que of them; not of Won
They have not missed the amount. 1t
has all come back to them. The recon-
mendatiOn in the inaugural message
that provision be made to pay ali the
| bonds in gold, and the first law which
he approved and signed, providing for
! such payment in gold, added twenty per
/ cent to the value of the Eve twenty
! bonds-making each thousand dollar
/ bond, which was payable In treasury
notes, as was generally conceded, worth
] ATr-c.1rvsa 1rT,.,1--o1 a
/ year ending June 80, 1871, believe the
! Secretary of the Treasury claims credit
/ for nine million dollars paid as premium
on that class of bonds. They lost moth
/ ing. The burden of making General
/ Grant very rich man was light as a
| feather, compared with the advantage
/ to them of controlling the policy of his
administration and securing its special
sympathy IN favor of the untaxed and
dead capital of the country. / want to
see no prejudice against that class of
capital; no unjust legislation to its hurt
There should be no partiality or favorit-
ism in any direction; but If there must
be partiality, it ought to be shown to
the active capital of the country,
the use Of which gives employment
to labor, adds to the productions and
wealth of the country, and helps MS
to meet the constantly increasing foreign
demand upon our resources. You know
| that the vice of taking presents prevailed
here during the war-that it hurt the
public service; that it enabled contrac-
tors to receive excessive prices and to
deliver defective articles. You know
that it ought to be So pped-that in its
nature it is growing evil, and that the
people alone can stop it-but that If it
be now endorsed or excused by them,
in this the most marked instance IN his
tory, there viii be no check or restraint
in the future Favoritism and corrup-
tion viii have unchecked sway. IF gifts
of great value do not blind the eye, per
vert the Judgment and hurt the public
service, why does our Constitution for
bid any public officer receiving any
present from a foreign power? Our
fathers feared and forbade the influence
and not one of you weald consent to
strike that provision from the Constitu-
tion. VIII you, then, consent that the
peoples offices shall be sought, and the
Treasury approached by an influence so
dark and dangerous? The stern duty
now rests upon he people to put a step
to this vice forever.