The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-29

Ano ErAmtAn& 0uessAOns
During the administration of Andrew
Jackson the President, to strengthen him
self in his war with Calhoun, Biddle and
the bank, took into his confidence the elder
Blair and John c. Rives. He made them
the proprietors Of government organ, the
Globe, and gave them practical control of the
public printing. They made great deal OF
money. After Mr.. Blair retired from business
Mr. Rives remained in the firm and turned
his Globe from political organ to the publ
cation of the debates. This business he con-
tinued as long as he lived, and his sons took
his place. For the better part of half a
century the Rivcs family have had more or
less control of this government printing, and
have amassed large fortunes. During the
administration of Mr.. Buchanan there was
great deal of scandal arising out of printing
jobs that were given tor political purposes to
Wendell and democratic leaders. The re-
suit was that the republicans, as soon as
they gained power, changed the whole sys-
tenn, founded the government printing Office
and elected J. d. Defrees, of Indiana, super
intendent. Defrees was the friend and fol-
lower of the late lamented Schuyler Colfax.
Between Colfax and Morton there was a
struggle for the control of Indiana. In this
struggle Defrees aided Colfax. So one day
Morton took counsel with Senator Fenton.
Fenton had friend, named Clapp, who
edited newspaper in the western part of
this State. Together they quietly called q
caucus of Senators, elected Clapp and sent
Defrees out into the cold. Since then Clapp
has been superintendent
The democrats have had Clapp before
them. and. find that he has been running the
government Office more as personal than rs
on official trust. They propose to send him
to Jail. shut up the printing Office and turn
over the debates and some other pickings to
Franklin. Rires, son Of John G. Rivcs and
heir to the patronage bestowed upon his
father by Andrew jackson.
If Mr.. Clapp has been criminal in his Office
he should go to Jail. With that part of the
committees report we agree. But why
should the House vote to give the monopoly
of the debates to man whose only claim
upon the party is that his father was fa-
vorite Of Andrew jackson and who was made
rich by Jackson? Never since jobbery
began have we seen a more fragrant
job than that contained in this resolution
of the House. If the government Office is
corruptly managed, which we do not know,
but is quite probable if it is blunder as
a matter of economy, which we suspect, let
it be abolished. Then let the work be done
by contract; throw it open to public COM
petition let the lowest bidder do it.
There are a hundred printers who have as
much right t. this work as Mr.. Rives, and
who will do it as cheaply.
The resolution of the House is another
evidence of that spirit of favoritism which
has cursed the administration of Grant
which gave army posts to army ''bummers"
like General Rice which gave middlemen
like the Cattells the right to make hundreds
Of thousands by the connivance Of the Secre-
tary of the Navy which brought Babcock
within the tolls of Whiskey Ring which
made Oryille Grant general ''lifter" of
commissions from whoever needed infu-
ence which made Shepherd the national
and which has eliminated in the impeach-
ment of the Secretary of War; The resolu-
ton about Rives is only a growth of this
degrading policy, md leads as TO fear that
the majority of the House is rs dead to all
moral sense as the administration itself