Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-11-26
Secretary Bristow and the Whisky

Lit is one of the most encouraging
sings Of the times that while the Gov
ernor of New York is fighting the canal
thieves, the Secretary of the Treasury
graphing with the powerful and willy is
Whisky Ring. This contest is quite
as significant and important as that In
New York, although il has been con-
Quoted with less regard to public dis
play and party advantage. Those who
know the Secretary of the Treasury
! are aware that he is not man to COM
| promise or relax such task as that to
which he has set his hand, but the ex-
tent and the intricacy Of which are not
properly understood by the country.
The most comprehensive and instruc
tive article upon The subject, prepared
evidently with en- tire familiarity with
its details and interior history, appear
ed in late number of the Financier,
which is of the opinion that the Wits
ky Ring and its enormous frauds and
the immense official demon alizatinn
produced by it are due primarily to the
! present system Of the civil service.
The State Of Missouri and the city of
ST. Louis were in the hands of the
Democrats. and TO recover power it
was proposed by certain Republica
politicians thata campaign fund should
be raised by the revenue officers among
the distillers, who found that those
| who gave literally we're suitably con-
sidered by those officers. The fund
was raised, but the party was not sue
cessful, and the influences that had
suggested the fund now proposed
ne Espa per organ. For some time
about thousand dollars was raised
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 d.
vision Of the spells was arranged.
Then it became necessary to protect
the system from observation and expo
sure. Agents were found in v ashing
ton. In'imaces and branch rings were
established elsewhere, newspapers were
retained, and gradually the profits of
the Ring reached the sum Of 81, 20O,-
| 900 in St Louis alone.
The President was made to believe
that the money raised was entirely for
party objects. Ae maintained intimate
relations, unconsciously, with leaders
Of the Ring who we're 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 secreta-
ry in his contest shows that he was
wholly wronged by such suspicious, as
has, indeed, always proved to be the
| fact under similar circumstances. Dis
tillers and rectfers 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 acquieseing IN the
conspiracy. Complaints were made in
vain to the ears that were stopped by
the Ring. Proofs fell into lis con
| cealed hands One or two persons
| peculiarly persistent against it were as.
saulted at night and left for dead. The
Ring packed caucusses and conven-
tons. 1t bought and bribed newspa-
pers. 1t dictated appointments to mi
nor Offices. 1t had a revenue of
million of dollars year, and apparent
" reposed undo. the highest protec-
ton. 1t stole like Tweed, and, like
him, defed justice. It cheated like
the Canal Ring, and, like that, bribed
the officers of the law.
This was the insolcnt and powerful pub
| lie enemy, entrenched within his ownspar-
81, which Secretary Brislow attacked, and
with such sagaclty, vigor, and resources
that heis already virtually the victor:
Many of the distillers and rectiterSahave
pleaded guilty and thrown themselves up
on the mercy of the government. Two Of
the officers have been convicted. Two
have pleaded guilty. Many more are upon
trial, and half million OF dollars have al
ready been recovered to the Treasury A
former Deputy Collector has turned states
evidence, aud, confessing his own guilt,
has given such testimony that Constan tine
Mcguire, former Collector, and last spring
the Republican candidate for Mayor of
St Louis, has been indicted, and with him
| William MKee, the principal proprietor
of the Globe Democrat, who states, bowey-
er. that he will fully establish his iuno-
cence, Che report that the Presidents
brother and bis private secretary had
been indicted probably arose from some
desperate declaration ofimplicated persons
that they would 10 axe startling revela-
tions. So far as such threats were meant
TO deter the Secretary or the President
they are futile. President Grant, in his
decisive note of last summer to Secretary
Brstow, exhorted him to push inhexibly
forward, and Mr. Bristow has not faltersl.
lie has been doing an immense and he
roc public service, but so quietly and I'M
o>tentatously that the. country has not been
fully aware Of its importance and extent. !
Nor has Mr.. Bristow sought in any way
to turn it to partisan or personal sdvan- |
sage. But of course, ike ll,vigorous and |
efficient service, it has had that effect. 1t |
has shown the SecretsrY's purpose and
ability to secure administrative reform, and |
it has most conspicuously illustrated the |
possibility of reform within the party. |
Meanwhle,as the Financier truly remrrks, |
the system of which this gigantic conspr> |
acy was a natural growth still remains alb |
solute, and is approved by both parties. |
1t is the system which treats the civil |
service as party spois, and not as pub !
lie business. a reform of this system |
VI on principles vindicaied by experiences
and common-sense would not indeed make |
bribery and COLLISION impossible. But be- |
fSal