The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-12-04

AVENUES OF CORRUPTION LEAD To
THE WHITE HOUSE"
from the New York Sun of Saturday.
The juries of st. Louis and Milwaukee are
entitled to credit for an upright and fearless
discharge of duty in the recent CONVICTION OF
several of the whisky ring thieves. Consider
ing the vast ramiications OF the ring and
the powerful influences that were secretly ex-
erted to save the criminals from punishment,
not 80 much for themselves as for others con-
nected with them, the result thus TAR may
well be considered remarkable success
There is no doubt but Mcdonald and Joyce
hold the master keys to unlock this con-
spiracy in all its stages, not only SO tar as 81
Louis is concerned, but in the chief cities of
the West where crooked whiskey was manu-
featured or sold. They were all bound to-
pether by a common tie, and though each
NAV have been independent in its local
sphere, they revolved around the same center
and were governed by the same disci pline.
The cool composure of Mcdonald during
his trial and since, conviction, taken in con-
nection with his former relations to the Presi-
dent, Babcock Luckey and others IN official
positions at Washington, is not without Sig
nificance word from him would explode
a mine that could not fail to scatter ruin
among many regulations. He knows the ring
through and through, and is familiar with the
name of every public man and OF every officer
who contributed to its power and was bene-
ficiary of its plumber
Whether Mcdonald will maintain a policy
of silence, or speak out freely, depends upon
circumstances between him and his confed-
crates, of which the public can have no
knowledge. There are many mysterious signs
that he will close his lips, but whether with
the expectation of pardon, after the manner
of Hodge, or looking forward to other con-
siderations, is yet uncertain.
While it Is pleasant to commend the energy
with which Joyce, Mcdonald and others have
been prosecuted, there has been a singular
lack of zeal in tracing their connections at
Washin zton, without which and the exercise
of extraordinary power, the ring could never
have been organized at all, or the revenue
have been plundered on any extensive scale.
It was indispensable that all the checks
against such frauds should be removed or ig-
nored, and that when orders were issued by
the Secretary of the Treasury adverse to the
ring they should be set aside 1t is known
that the established safeguards were not used,
that Mr.. BristOw was Overruled, that the ring
had advance knowledge of every movement
in the treasury, and that the President per-
sonally interfered to protect Mcdonald VIII en-
he was changed from one place to another as
supervisor. These and other important cts
required the concurrence OF the internal
revenue Office branch of the treasury proper
and the White House.
1t is absurd, therefore, to suppose that
Avery who is now on trial, could by any pos
sibility have managed this whole conspiracy
That he was active and INSCRIPTIONS and eff
cient in his sphere is undoubtedly true. But
he was subordinate tool throughout, who
was paid for betraying his trust, and who val
ued his own services SO highly that he de-
manded an increase of salary from 500 to
$500 per week, which was of course con-
coded.
But these clerks, who, whatever they might
have suspected, had no authority beyond the
details in their respective offices, were only 80
many pawns on the chess board, that were
moved about by the masters of the game at
their discretion. They could suppress or give
information, manipulate papers, cook &C
counts and have convenient memories but
they were utterly powerless and insignificant
when the large work came to be done and po-
litical influence was needed to back the ring.
1t is unfortunate, but none the less true
that all the avenues of corruption lead to the
White House. Every ring exposure has point
ed directly at some person in the Presidents
circle. But what is most remarkable of ALL is
that the investigations which might have dis
closed the truth or falsehood OF the pubic
suspicious, uniformly halted when they APP
The Black Friday inquiry stopped short after
it was positively known that S25, 900 of the
infamous speculation had crossed the threshold
of the White House. Why it stopped, is left
to conjecture
Last year it was proved before the joint
committee of investigation that Measurer
Babcock had signed vouchers for over three
and half millions of dollars for the Wash
ington ring, most of which were fraudulent
and some of them forged; and yet he was not
even summoned as q witness to explain acts
which render him liable to indictment and a
term in the penitentiary. Why was this ten
derness exhibited by both sides of that COM
mittee.
A similar spirit seems to be manifested in
regard to the Whisky Ring, the headquarters
of which was at Washington, and believed to
be in the White House. 1t will not satisfy
the public mind to make scapegoats of Nc
Donald, Joyce, Avery, and their associates in
the West, to raise great outcry over vigilance
and energy in their prosecution, and under
cover of that clamor to allow the greater