The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-07-19
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
WAsHtNeros, !,
July II, 1s7e.}

Developments during the last veal
seem to show that the whisky tino
is far from being broken up and tb.t
President Grant is completely under
its influence. After virtually driyins
Secretary Bristow out of the Cabinas
at the dictation Of the ring, a raid i.
now being made on all officials rho
were appointed by him Or who SIM
pathized with his war upon tbo
crooked whisky combination. IN.
first to feel the power and vengeanc.
of the whisky thieves was Yarv,n
Chief of the Revenue Detective
Force, who was so warmly commend.
ed for his zeal in ferreting out tbe,.
great frauds. Though acknowledge
to be the most faithful officer ~,
ever occupied the position, he Va.
dismissed at President Grants dir.
tation without rhyme or reason
Special Agent Clark, who has been
so successful in exposing the fraud.
of the San Francisco whisky RING
was the next victim, and follow;ns
fast upon this outrage came the o..
der to Withhold the commission n,
Myer, the active and efficient Reya.
nue. officer at St. Louis. The nm.
gramme seems to embrace not ohlv
those officials who were active n
hunting out the revenue thieves. but
all those who are known to have been
friendly to Secretary Bristow OF who
we're appointed through his inau.
ence are to be decapitated. This
sweeping demonstration by the Presi.
dent in favor Of his old cronies Bah.
cock, Joyce, Mcdonald and the TEST
of the happy family who took their
whisky "crooked," is very embarrass.
ing to Governor Hayes and his par.
ticular friends and hackers. They
are afraid to have their candidate for
the succession endorse these nnfre.
geous acts on account of the damage
it would do him before the people,
and on the other hand they are afraid
to antagonist the administration by
making pretence at reform and thus
receive but lukewarm support from
the clique that have control of the i'm.
mense corruption fund that the Grant
party will put into the caucus if the
Cincinnati nominees continue to ODE.
diently assent to the Administration
policy and programme. 1t is proba-
bic that Hayes will endeavor to strad-
die both the Grant and the Reform
horse in his letter Of acceptance, and
if he can ride two such diverse steeds
he is just the sort Of Jocky that some
eighty thousand ofliceholders would
like to see elevated to the Office Of
President of the United States. Then
everything would be lovely. The
same men who ran Grant would
manipulate Hayes. The ring would
flourish and swindle and steal as be.
fore, and honest men would be as con.
temptible as ever III the eyes Of our
rulers.
1t is now confidently expected that
the dead lock between the two Houses
on the appropriation bills will be
broken and Congress adjourn in ten
or fifteen days. The Senate made 4
desperate fight for the spoils, but the
House refused to be bullied into fur
nishing a campaign fund for Hayes
and Wheeler out of the National
Treasury, and the Senate has been
compelled to virtually back down be-.
fore the public sentiment. There
has been a good deal of cheap senti.
mental talk about overworked and
underpaid government clerks, but
this sort of stuff is intended for the
rural districts. The fact is, there
never was more shameful exhibit
ton of lazy incompetency than is fur
nished by the clerical force Of many
Of the Departments Of the govern
ment. If a newly appointed clerk
who don't know the ropes innooently
imagines that he can gain the conf
deuce and good will of his superlofs
by industry and attention to his work,
, he is soon informed that his conducs
is a reflection upon his brother clerks
and that the work would soon run out
, if all were to follow his example, ana
! unless he settles down to the genera
+ average of laziness his position y
, rendered very unpleasant BY bis ~.
. low laborers. Not long ago . frtend
of mine went to one of the Depart
ments to have some business Of I'M
e portance attended to. He was dlrecF
< ed to a room in which a large num-