Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1875-12-04
THE PRESIDENT AND THE WHISKY
RING.

THE PRESIDENT AND THE WHISKY
RING.
In looking over our exchanges we
have been amused to see the alacrity
with which the republican papers
published Megrue's card exonora-
ting Washington officials from COM
plicity in the whisky frauds. Some
of these papers had lamented the fact
that men who had held high and hon.
orable position should be found
guilty by aid of the testimony of q
perjured wretch turned states wit
ness, but were ready enough to credit
a statement that suited them, from
the same man, though unsupported
by affidavit. Megrue gays: 81 desire
to say that neither Gen. Babcock,
| Orville Grant, Col. Casey, Commits
sioner Douglass, Col. Holt, Col. Lucy
or any other officials or citizens of
Washington City have to my know
ledge, either directly or indirectly
been connected with the ring, with the
exception of VIM. O.. Avery" This
is good enough as far as it goes, but
Megrue was not at the head of the
ring. The leaders were Mcdonald
aud Joyce, and the following dis
patches between Joyce and Gen. ..
E. Babcock, private secretary to
President Grant, will be hard to ex-
plain away after the evidence which
has so fully established the continued
rascalities of the two revenue officers
in Missouri, and the fact that the
principal object of the ring was to
raise campaign funds for the repub-
lican party. q.
ST. LOUIS, Oct. %. 1873.
Gen. o. E.. Babcock, Executive Mansion,
See dispatch sent to president. We mean it.
Mum. -y.-t
(Signed JOYCE.
ST.. LOUIS, March IA. 1874.
Gen. o. E. Babcock. Executive Mansion:
Start for San Francisco tomorrow night.
Make D.. (Douglas) call of his scandal hounds
: tSiSnsdl .sJ."
ST. LOUIS. Oct. 25, ~.
Gen. o. E. Babcock, Executive Mansion:
Have you talked with D.? (Douglas) Are
EsisnedI s.J.''
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 3, IA.
Gen. o. e. Bsbcock. Executive Mansion: r
Has secretary or commissioner ordered any
(Signed.) "J."
WASHINGTON, Dec. IS. IA. ~
Gen. John Mcdonald, Supervisor, etc., st.
succeeded; They will not go win write
The above Is the dispatch identified a. in
Gen. Babcock's handwriting.)f al al zEF
Gen. O. E. Babcock, Executive Mansion: d.
We have official Information that the enemy
weakens. Push things. ~ 80
a (SignedJ "SYLfH."
Gen. O. e. Babcock:
Tell MAC, to see Parker, of Colorado, AID
enemies. tsigned) "GR1r.''
Gen. Babcock, on November 30th,
sent the following dispatch from
Washington to q. S. Dist-Atty. u.
P. Dyer, of st. Louis : a.- u
Lam absolutely innocent and every telegram
I T ean be i heard Gni 1 4 demand adn Z Tearing ing b aSaen =
court where l can testify. H tt
(Signed) e. 20 o. e. BABcocK.
Mr. Curtis editor-in-chief of Har-
per's Weekly is acknowledged to be
one of the leading opponents of re-
publican party ideas, and he says in
an editorial entitled Secretary Bris-
tow and the whisky ring
The State of Missouri and the city of st. Louis
were in the hands OF the Democrats, and to re-
cover power it was proposed by certain repub-
be raised Dy tile revenue officers among the 6ia,
tillers, who found that those who gave liberally
were suitably considered by those Officers. The
fund was raised, but the party was not success
full, and the influences that had suggested the |
fluid now proposed a newspaper organ. For
weekly 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 ar
ranged. Then it became necessary to protect
the system from observation and exposure.
Agents were found in Washington. Intimacies
newspapers We're retained, and gradually the
profits OF the Ring reached the SUM of 81, 200, 900
The President sras made to beiiere thu the
money raised .ras entirely for party objects.
He maintained intimate relations, Inosnsoi-
o"sty,icith leaders Of theRingtchO ,cere reve-
nue. officers. Their power seemed to be abso-
lutte. The Ring was apparently omnlpotent in
dent could not be innocent. But his positive
support OF the Secretary in his contest shows
that he was wholly. wronged by such suspicions,
40 uno, iuuccus oiHoto pEoSeu W US ~ i6Ct
under similar circumstances. pisti1lers and
r%ectifels were forced to abet the Ring by an in
genious foisting OF apparent frauds upon them, |
and they could save Themselves from prosecu.
ton and ruin only by aceuiescing in the conspi. |
racy. Complaints were made in vain to ears
that were stopped by the Ring. Proofs fell in
to its concealed hands. One or two persons
peculiarly persistent against it were assaulted
at night and left fol- dead. The Ring packed
caucuses and conventions. 1t bought and
bribed newspapers. 1t dictated appointments
to minor Offices. 1t had a revenue Of q million
OF dollars y year, and apparently reposed IN.
and, like HIM, defed justice. 1t cheated like
the Canal Ring, and, like that. bribed the
officers of the law.
This is a pretty fair statement of
the case. What we wish to prove out
of the mouths of republicans is that
Gen. Grant did know Of the whisky
ring /, did know that the profits of
the ring were devoted to republican
party purposes, and to his advance
ment and that he never raised his
voice in protest until Mr.. Bristow,
having exposed the ring, it became
impossible for him to champion it ;
and that ever then the prosecutions
were SO managed as to prevent the
two lei who could have told the