, 1873-08-08

Of Democratic folly.
| e-.@~...e-@
GRANT, BUTLER, AND THE GRAB,
We havo boon informed aforoimo, by as good
Republicans o. thoro aro In tho House Of Repre-
sontattves, TINT, whto tho Salary bill wnH pend
ing, aen. Grant could scarcely 10 induced ia
talk on any Other subject. Whatover mattor Of
state might bo brought up in tho conversation,
ho would damisa It lmpatiently, II not adroltly,
and return to tho only Legislation in Which ho
evincod any interest, viz: tho inorcnao Of Baln-
rieB. We alao know that tho attendants ut the
| White HouBo were tho moat aasiduous and efl-
oiout lobbyists In favor of tho grab. Recent do
7olopmonts show that Con. Grnnt not only on-
couragcd tito passage Of tho bill, but that lo was
tho originator, tho protuptor, mud tho "whip,"
as woll as tho signor Of the bill.
| Con. Grants responsibility for tho salary
Brab has now turnoa up as IN olonaent in Gen.
Dutler's campaign for tho massachusetts, Gov
ernorehip. Wo print elsewhere m article from
tho Charlostown (taBa.) Chronicle, Gen. But
lor's organ which plainly intinatcs that Cen.
Grant, md not Con. DutleY Ia entitled to bo
!" "cusaad" for tho ruoasuro. Gen. Butlor him.
solf virtually takes this ground for making tho
'ncreaBo of tho Presidents salary tho most
notable feature Of his recent dofonao. 4 cor
| respondent Of tho Now York Evening Post re-
lates that Cen. Butler announced, just prior 10
! his Framnghnm speech, TINT ho intended to tel
+ tho history of the grab. Tho announcement
was conveyed to Washington, aud tho Bemi-
official indorscn1ont Of Butlcr'a candidacy,
! aoug with tho important assistance Of
] tho federal of1lccrs in Massachusetts,
"as tho result. Tho promised revelation was
| not made It is now said that Ger. Butter holds
! lis oSplGnation In abeyanco. aa sort Of "rod
] i'll pickle" ovor the Prcaidonts bond, apropos Of
| tho third torn. THO fact nppcara to DO that
| Con. Grant first started tho movement to In
| eseaso his own salary to $4,000 yoar it was
found TINT this could not DO lono without Khroy-
ing sop to Congress-; tho general incroaso Of
aalarios, with tho retroactive feature to socura
the corporation Of retiring congressman, waa
adopted as lncans to carry out tle progrummo
and aon. Dutler undertook to enginrnr Tho
measure through tho 1louHo. Just Us Ilo Ind uu-
| dertaken Atr. Doutwola election to tic senato,
| as consideration for support in hiB campaign
for tho Massachusetts doyor,,orahip.
| Thoro arc many otter circumstances that
tend to confirm THIS showing. Con. Grant ac-
ceptcd tho Presidency on purely business
grounds. III tho historical intorviow botwcon
Con. Rawlina, representing Grant, aud h1r.
Fornoy. representing tho Republican party, tho
] subgtanco Of Grants dlchcring wns. that 10
could not afford to take tho Presidency; that is,
he could not afford to gyo up lifo position ut u
good salary for four~yoRrs' engagement at a
small ADVANCE. His conditions woro two terms
In of'cc and an incroaso Of pay It is to DO pro-
surned that these conditions woro agreed to-,
a!nco Gon. Grant accepted tho nomination,
| Grant took mercantile Wow Of the situation
from tho very lrBt. He lad q Hcoruor' y
on the Presidency. II tho Republicans would
not aecept his tortns. tho Democrats would uo
was Mt TINT time incumberod with no political
principles, and could bo the candidate Of ono
party as we'll as the other. lie was persuaded
that ho WIS moro necessary to tho Republican
f@AsJ ~A"A1 s44o AAoEuo4ieAu purity was
to hiu,.-an1 that was perhaps truo.
Tho situation was an excellent one
for grabs, and there Nas novos u moro in
votorato grabbor. Gen. Grant Inns played tho
grab-gane ovor since ho has been in onice, Tho
appointment Of hiB roativos and relatiyoa' part
nors has loon tho main foaturo OF it. Tho ao-
ooptanco Of gifts from mon seeking Office las
bcou another. Io las grown rapidly rich.
11o is down for no charities. IIo giyoa away no
money. Ho 1nakos tho State provide for his
poor relatyes. 10 euterta,ns lesa than Als Pre-
aoccssors. He doad-leaiA on I'll tho railroads.
| Tho Congressional allowance for tho Yhto-
IouHo expenses arc Btatod TO 10 moro than
double what tley wore In Iinooln'B timo. Wo
! hayo rocapitulated those familiar circumstances
for tho purpose Of showing "a 1t sooas to as
they do show, that Con. Grants purpose is to
| mako as much money out Of tho preaidcnl'a
Office % pogaiblo. In this WOW of tlc caso, Ills
personal responsibility for tho aala1y- -grab may
DO readily ootnprehoalod. II was chauoo to
clear a10o,0
This Intent, and apparently naost reasonable,
I AactV!5 " tAo shthFy-tghU III uQlD uuNlnt1lE
to our national pride. If possible, tLan any
other that could 10 o1forod. But 1t ia
alHo inatrt1c!lyo. It proves that tho
salary-grab sas o party measure, and that Il
waH cous1lnmatca uullor tho wlip of tho Adj
| miuiatrntion. It must bo ranked, then, among
tho acts Of tho Republican party aloug with
Credit Mobllior, tho Fort Smelling swlnalo, tho
| land-stoa1s, tho Indian frauds, and tho otl.or
corruption Which 1t Inns fostorod. Tho Dotno-
oratH woro only too glad to jotu in for a al,aro
Of tho pluudor. As to Con. Grant Ai,nsolf this
now version is not likcly to alroot lila reputation
ono way or the other. Tho man who conl1
HOO nothing bud In Credit Mobillcr, autl could
gyo 1otser OF recommendation to Tom Muir
ply. and another to rotiriug ylco-prosi.lout
Who had baon drawing 81. 900 oycry quaror from
q Government contractor, may certainly sjgn
bill to take q, 600 900 annually out Of tho neo.