The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-16
The Whiskey Frauds.

Gle, a year ago, on the official, cor
ruption existing in this country, al
though aware tina, it was common
to both parties and extended
throughout every branch and de-
partmert of the national, State and
municipal governments, we had no
adequate idea Of the generality of
its prevalence and the extent of its
fraudulent operations. The recent
trials Of what are known as the
"crooked whiskey" cases reveal a
state Of things that is truly astound-
ing. Here are government officials
high in authority leagued with those
occupying the most inferior. posi-
tons, and with distillers and their
employees, liquor dealers, porters,
draymen, night-watchmen, editors,
local politicians, and clear down to
the level Of lewd women, in a con-
spiracy to defraud the government
of its revenues arising from the tax
on whiskey.
Already a large number of these
! conspirators have been tried, con-
victed and imprisoned, and among
them are several who occupied en-
inent positions in social life. Men
of wealth and prominence in their
several communities, honored in
their relations with their fellows,
standing high in their churches, and
looked up to as worthy Of imitation,
now fill the felon's cell and wear
the disgraceful garb of prison-life.
And still the work of exposure goes
on, until even the private secretary
and intimate friend of the President
stands before the court on trial, and
bold political opponents dare even
to charge the head Of the nation
himself with completely in these
frauds. Truly, this is an astound.
ing condition of public affairs. 1t
surpasses all the exposures OF cor
ruption in the most corrupt Of the
corrupt courts Of Spain and France.
And that this state of things should
exist in this most intelligent age and
under this best government the
world ever saw!
There is no use of attempting to
deny any part Of this story. The
truth is positively demonstrated and
stands exposed to the world in the
columns Of thousands of newspapers.
True, Gen. Babcock is not convict
ed, but he had no business to so
conduct himself as TO lead to his
being accused and making his in
dictment possible. And, it is true,
too, that President Grant is not in
dicted, but he ought to have So
behaved as to stand far above &C.
cusation, insinuation, or even sus-
picion. He ought to have remem-
bered that, when he took his seat
| as chief executive of the United
States, he was no longer Mr.. Grant,
nor General Grant, but the head
officer Of the nation and the repre-
sentative man of the American peo-
pie, and been careful not to give
even the most virulent of political
opponents opportunity to speak ill
of him, for the reason that whatever
stigma attaches to him must, in some
degree, reflect upon the entire peo-
pie.
10 make the best Of all this; to
concede that Babcock may not be
found guilty and that the insinuations
against President Grant are vile and
unfounded SANDERS; it is still a hor-
rible picture, and shows a shocking
condition Of public morals. But we
can hardly think that it's most exag-
gerated phase justifes all that is
said concerning it and the deduc-
tons that are drawn from it. It
| 1ooc MT III, op, mann. ,,ro,yo that