Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-12-24
WASIiINGTOS NEH
GkS sABCock AND The wHIsKEY RlrG LkT
TER FROM SUPERVISOR TUITION

GEN BaBC0CK AND THE wHlsKEY RISG Lkr
TER FROM SUPERVISOR TUITION
WAsHINGrox, December l7-Surpervi-
sor Tuition. has addressed the following
letter to President Grant
To His Excellency. L. S. Grant, President
of the United States. Sir,-I observe that
Senator Henderson, in the trial of the case
of the United States ". Avery tif his
speech is correctly reported), charges. ten.
Babcock. your private secretary, with hay-
ing some connection with the ~ LOUIS
whiskey ring, and in their interest having
improperly Influenced YOU to revoke the or
der OF the secretary ofths treasury transfer
ring supervisors, dated January 2-tb. 1873.
As have claimed the credit OF having in
huenced you To revoke that order, iee
it is my duty to assume the responsibility
aud receive whatever odiun. it any At
taches thereto, and with this in view beg
leave 10 remind you uf iacts A. they recar
to me.
On or about the last day ot January,
1875. received n letter from Commissioner
Douglass. including the secretary : order OF
the eth of January, transferring me to the
St. Louis district. and directing me 70 re-
port there for duty on the 18th ct febru-
airy. went to Washington on the night
Ol lilc Dl VI -" Ntah'h'7''NhN.
Douglass on the morning of the ith, and
asked him how long was expected 10 re-
main at St Louis; to which he replied.
" Perhaps year six months at least
said if 80 | would have TO resign. A. | could
not go to St Louis for six months Doug
lass stated that these transfers originated
and were ordered by tho Secretary and that
bad better see him | then went directly
to Arlington where Secretary Bri-tow was
confaed to his room from the effects Oi u
fall. and had quite lengthy interview. |
made substantially the same statement To
! him. that if it was proposed 10 keep mo at
St. Louis six months. or year, | would be
compelled to tender my resignation, a |
could not take my family with me and
would not leave them SIX months Tor the
sake of Office; besides which, | had some
property and other personal interests that
could not be neglected for that length Of
time.
The Secretary finally agreed that should
20, with the understanding that was at
| liberty to return on the first day Of April 4,
that making my absence about six weeks.
To this assented. but at the same time
stated that should not be able to accom-
plish any good that it the extensive frauds.
! which he feared were being perpetrated there
and at other points by 6istiliers. existed with
the knowledge and aid of the local officers.
they would cover them up 80 deep that |
should not be able to discover it; that the fact
ofthese transfers OF supervisors and revenue
agents having been published. giving par
ties full notice for two or three weeks that
there were To bs such changes, would give
ample time To persons interested to 50 com
pletely cover their fraudulent: transactions
az to render it almost impossible to trace
them. | respectfully suggested that IN my
opinion it would be mach bstlor to send
some competent. discreet person who would
not DO known aud whose movements would
/ be entirely secret, 10 see what WAS going
on. and in this way parties could be caught
in the act Of detrauding and sufficient evi-
| dsnce obtained on which to make seizures
and thereby get other proofs of frand F; and
I urged that this plan should he adopted
not only At 81. Louis bat at Chicago aud
other suspected points, and suggested to
the Secretary that special agent Brooks.
who had been on duty With me for about
i've Years, would be ths very best man for
that purpose of whom had knowledge.
Fiuslly the Secretary suggested that had
probably better see the President, a. be had
taken great interest in this matter. there
fore went directly To the White House and
saw Gen. Babcock. with whom Ut that
time had scarcely speaking arqualnt-
ance told him | wanted to see you that