The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-05-20
TEE "6TUPENDOUS POLITICAL
- SCHEME"
III =,

| clined to regard the recent whlskey
seizures as 'fpart of stupendous secret
political scheme" having for the pur-
lpose tho removal of some of the most
! prominent officeholders throughout the
country, and their replacement by the
supporters of other political magnates.
Perhaps so. In fact we hope. Probab-
Nv the exposure Of the frauds IN the mail
Ieontracts, the indictment of men who
have been bribing department clerks, the
suppression of the mailbag swindies,
and the reforms in the Department OF
Justice incident to Judge PIerrepontys
supplanting Williams, are also parts OF
the same ''stnpendous secret political
scheme" IF so, we are inclined TO
have more faith in this political scheme
than any other which has been devised
of late years. 1t promises to accom-
plish more than all the independent
party movements that have been conce1V-
ed by enthusiastic reformers. 1t is the
only scheme we have noted that IS likely
to weed out corruption III ofhclal circles
and confirm public confidence IN the ad-
ministration of the various functions OF
Government. It IS scheme which
may, as certain politicians seem to APP
prehend, involve the removal OF good
many ofiiceholders; but we do not see
how any interest is to be adversely
affected by this change, except that OF
the officeholders themselves, and their
patrons in higher place. Such an inter-
est being personal and selfish, 1t may
be sacrificed without any injustice II
the public veal is to be aided thereby.
The simple fact is that President
Grant. in calling to his Cabinet such
t[io
has surrounded himself with class OF
men eager and competent to reform the
public service wherever corruption or
neglect has allowed abuses to creep III.
| We have no doubt that their appoint
ment was the first step of a grand re-
form movement, which IS the true read
ing of what the politicians are calling a
s.stupendous secret political scheme. "
In the working out of the contemplated
reforms it is altogether likely that a
GOOD many official heads will have to
fall into the basket. Most Of these
officeholders are appointees of the var
ious Senators and members of Congress
from the different States, who will prob
ably be inclined to protest vehementlY
against the displacement of their retain
ers as affecting their political status at
/ w
viii appeal to deaf ear. The whole
process of Secretary Bristow against the
whisky-ring indicates that he proposes
to make the reform complete, no matter
who may fall by the wayside. 1t is
! simply impossible that frauds SO bold
and extensive as those which have been
recently exposed could have been sue
! cessfully carried on without the comm
vance and cooperation Of large num-
| Der of officials connected with the Rev
enue Department.. The duplication and
duplication of whiskey consignments
under the same stamps is Of itself sutfi-
cient evidence Of this. In fact, as soon
as an honest Supervisor and honest sub
orCiinates were found for Louisiana, the
distillers and rectifiers in that State an
nounced that they could no longer com
| pete with the manufacturers OF the
Northern departments, where the reven-
ne officials could be openly brought
over It was very proper that the first
step, after collecting the necessary evil
dence of the frauds, should be to seize
the property of the suspected dishllers
and rectifiers, in order that the Govern
ment might indemnify itself for the
losses by fraud. The next step, logical
and inevitable, is the removal OF the
revenue officials in whose departments
the frauds have been perpetrated. In
| all cases where collision can be positive
| " proved all the dishonest revenue Off
GERS ought to be prosecuted to the full
extent of the law. In all other cases
where there have been frauds, and col
| fusion with the officials cannot be made
out. the responsible officers ought still
to be removed for the culpable neglect or
glaring incompetence which permitted
the eYasions OF the tax. There Is 10
doubt that the Administration intends
that the officeholders shall bear the full
consequence of their corruption or neg
lect, and that there will be important
changes In the revenue service. The
removal Of Commissioner Douglass was
but the beginning; and, if this is the
"stupendous secret political scheme" TO
which certain politicians refer, the pub
lie will be carried out as successfully as
it has been inaugurated.
Is this scheme another step in the
mythical ''third term movement of
which sensational newspapers have had
SO much to say? Up TO to this time we
have been told that Gen. Grant was
manipulating his vast army of otficehold-
ers and their friends and patrons to the
advancement OF his candidate tor a third
term. Now, of a sudden, we find that
the President has sanctioned, and, in
fact, brought about, changes which are
very likely to ALLEVIATE large numbers OF
the very people who were to renominate
and re-elecb him. How is this? Are
we now to be told by the sensational
newspapers that they were merely mis-
taken in their former assumption, and
that this new movement is the real
'sthird-term scheme?" We are inclined
to think that the recent events form a
more complete answer to the third~term
hullabaloo than any formal declaration
OF Gen. Grant could have made, and
made, and that his single ambition is tC
leave the public service in as pure q
condition as is possible with human
agencies.