The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-03-15
Who Prosecuted BabC0ck?


The Republican party always has
a weather-eye on the elections when
it undertakes a cruise for reform.
AS mere selfish and partisan seaman
ship that is sensible enough. Doug
lass testified in St. Louis that whisky
reforms were postponed at the Treas
ury on account of these pending cleo
tions and the possible influence of
such reforms on the voting, and so
to-day we are told that the President
postpones dealing with Bristow, or
Bristow abstains from the resignation
of his office, till after the New Hamp-
shire election. This is slffewd and
what Yankeeand would call "smart"
possibly more shrewd and smart
than honcst-and'it is good Republl-
can politics; bus in what condition
does it put Mr.. Bristow? Oar read
crs will bear in mind that we have
all along poohpoohrd the idea that
the President would remove his chief
Treasury officer for zeal against Bah
cock or for any other aggression on
Republican methods of admiuistra-
ton. General Grant has enough Of
that sort Of intuition which, in this
country, is very common among men
of his mental cllibre, to see that a
political rcformer who proposes to
climb into high places by protesting
better moral standards than his asso-
ciates and by scrambliDg over their
heads, is pretty certain to come to
grief. To the complete success of a
reformer it is necessary that the in
spiration and impulse do not proceed
altogether out of himself. General
Grant, it is to be observed, rarely
manifests zeal about anything. He
allows matters to drift, while hequi
city, modestly and noiselessly stands
still. If Bristow did initiate the in
dictment of Babcock { of which there
is no evidence), the President waited
till the case was called for trial
when his deposition was taken anc
read to the jury, and the prosecution
fell dead then and there. The jury
simply accept the Presidents judg
ment on the facts which he said h
had examined, and they register i
in their verdict. Mr.. Bristow is thel
: left to his own devices. If he cal
; endure to remain in the Cabinet, tn
President will not remove him. VIII.
should he? If any Republican vote
, in New Hampshire thinks that MI
Bristow is hard at work day an
= night in reforming the President Q
converting him, as Moody an
Sankey would say, that voter is nc
to be offended by any ill-treatmen
Y at Washington of the financial evar
i gelist. "Reform'' in the Administers
ton has simply played itself Gu
/! and Grant does not propose to tur
: aside long enough to make a marty
of the reformer for the benefit eithe
of the enemies of a third term or
the Democrats in New Hampshir
5 If Mr.. Bristow is equally unwillin
' to aid Democratic reform by resign
ton, then neither the Administratie
nor the Republican party suffe
t detriment.
But, meanwhile, the development
in St. Louis, on the acquittal Of Ba
A. cock, are making his prosecute
D more and more mystery, and ma
'S ing it more and more doubtful whet
: er the Treasury ever really had an
F.. thing to do with it. 1t looks
though we must come to the concl
sion that, like Topsy, the prosec
ton had neither father nor motht
or fore-bearer, but simply '.greu
F. !; And yet some Of the kilograms Sc
to Babcock arc, on that theol