The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-11-25
THE GRANT ADMINISTRATION
WHISKY RINGS. '


1t would be amusing, were 1t not mel
ancholy, to note the efforts of the servile
Grant organs to screen the Presidentand
the high officials at Washington from the
development of the Whisky Ring trials
at st. Loais. While shuffling and twist
ing to screen the President, they bestow
unbounded praise on Secretary of the
Treasury Bristow, and claim that Grant
sustains him, and hence is deserving also
of some measure of praise. The devel-
opments prove that these robber rings
have been in existence all over the coun-
try-that they were political arrange
ments to raise funds for party purposes
Occasionally in the past, at various points,
an alarm has been raised at whisky ring
robberies, but they were soon hushed up
and all again went "merry as marriage
bell" We have been informed that MIL
lions of the Washington City steal under
"Boss"Shepherd we're used to carry States
for Grant 4 Co. in, 1872. Truly may
Harpers Weekly, a lickspittle Grant or
gan, talk about the decentralization OF
the civil service"
We have repeatedly said the most
utterly corrupt government on earth TO-
day is that of the United States. Sham,
shoddy and chicanery are rampant, The
St. Louis Generals, Colonels, &c, are
representative shysters. We might name
others in high and lofty places not a
whit better. When will the people have
enough? Is it any wonder that Horace
Greeley, Salmon P. Chase, A. G. Curtin
an hundreds of others abandoned the
party in power? The head leaders Of
the party are Grant, Morton, Chandler,
"Boss" Shepherd, &c.
The following extract from BarperS
Weekly is quite graphic, and shows what
has been going on in st. Louis alone
Read it:
The State of Missouri and the city Of
st. Louis we're in the hands of the Demo-
Gratis, and to recover power it was pro-
posed by certain Republican politicians
that campaign fund should be raised
by the revenue officers among the dis
tillers, who found that those who gave
literally were suitably considered by
those officers. The fund was raised, but
the party was not successful, and the in
fuenCes that had suggested the fund now
proposed newspaper organ. For some
time a thousand dollars was raised week
ly for this purpose, and as this went on,
the officers naturally thought that they
might raise money in the same way for
themselves. In 1872 a regular division
of the spoils was arranged. Then it be-
came necessary to protect the system
from observation and exposure. Agents
were found in Washington. Intimacies
and branch rings were established else
where, newspapers were retained, and
gradually the profits of the Ring reached
the sum OF 81 100000 in st. Louis alone.
The President was made to believe
that the money raised was entirely for
party objects. He maintained intimate
relations, unconsciously, with leaders of
the Ring, who were revenue officers
Their power seemed to be absolute. The
Ring was apparently omnipotent in
Washington, and many thought that the
President could not be innocent. But
his positive support of the Secretary in
his contest shows that he was wholly
wronged by such suspicious, as has, in
deed, always proved to be the fact under
similar circumstances. Distillers and
rectifers were forced to abet the Ring
by an ingenious foisting of apparent
frauds upon them, and they could save
themselves from prosecution and ruin
only by acquiescing in the conspiracy.
Complaints were made in vain to ears
that we're stopped by the Ring. Proofs
fell into its concealed hands. One or
two persons peculiarly persistent against
it were assaulted at night and left for
dead. The ring packed caucusses and
conventions. 1t boughtand bribed news
papers. 1t dictated appointments to mi
nor offices. 1t had revenue of mil
lion dollars year, and apparently re-
posed under the highest protection. 1t
stole like Tweed, and, like him, defed
Justice. It cheated like the Canal Ring,
and, like that, bribed the officers of the
law.