The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-06-12
Grant at Long Branch.

Again the president has abandoned the
capital, where the Law supposes him to be
always present at the executive mansion
and occupied with official duties, and has
regularly established himself at the sea
side for the summer months, not to return
to Washington until October. This is the
signal for q general exodus Of all the prin-
cipal oficeholders. The example is infec-
tons, and in few weeks the cabinet, gen.
erals, admirals, assistant secretaries, comp
trollers, auditors, chiefsi of DIVISIONS, and
the like, will be scattered all over the
country, taking their ease and making
merry at the public expense.
This pernicious practice, which seriously
deranges the public business and is often
most damaging to private interests, was
wholly unknown before the advent OF
Grant. He is exclusively responsible for
its introduction and the mischievous con-
sequences that have attended it for the last
six years.
No former president would have enter.
tanned the thought Of quitting the capital
for another residence, or OF renounclng his
trust for consecutive months into the hands
of subordinates, while seeking personal
pleasure Grants predecessors were gen.
orally content with two or three weeks OF
relaxation in summer for health, and some
of them would not even indulge them
selves to that extent, under sense OF duty
which claimed their whole time for the
public.
Though in robust health and in the full
vigor of life. Grant has sought every sort
of pretext for gratifying his coarse tastes
and INDUCING habits which have brought
discredit upon the Office which he occupies
but does not fill. He has been absent from
Washington nearly half of the time he has
served as president and that, too, without
eyer failing to draw the last cent OF his pay
and perquisites.
His example has furnished an immunity
to others who have inflated 1t, and the
result has necessarily been demoraliza-
ton of the whole public service. Practical
ly, the government is turned over to the
charge Of interiors without responsibility
for more than a third of every year
Direct supervision being thus withdrawn
temptation offered to weak or venal clerks
and collision made easy, whisky frauds
and robbery of the customs revenue havt
hourished at cost of millions annually t
The treasury
Through his own personal solicitation
the presidents pay was illegally doubled
and the emoluments OF the Office were In
creased beyond all precedent. While thu
Republican congress which committed
that outrage was driven by public opinion
to repeal the grab and to restore the tor
mer compensation of members, they haC
not the courage or the honesty to touci
that part of the law which affected Grant
and which was, in fact, the pivot upoI
which the whole iniquity turned.
The employees in the departments a
Washington are allowed one month Of ab
sence each year, without loss Of pay
Every hour beyond that limit is charged
against them and deducted from thei
salaries. But the president and thu
cabinet, the auditors and comptrollers, ant
others who established this rule for tn
clerks, fail to apply it to themselves
and appropriate without scruple to thei
own use large share of the time whicl
belongs to the public, and is paid for b
oppressive taxation.
1t is easy to understand, under loose
prodigal, and reckless system like this
where rigid accountability has been cas-
aside, restraint removed, and neglect mad
the rule. how corruption has spread itse
everywhere, and plumber has become
recognized practice. Besides the othe
evils which Grantism has inflicted on til
country, it is estimated that the mer
money cost of that atrocious system sine
1869 has been more than one-fourth Of tn
whole national debt, by rings and robbery