Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-03-09
Belknap's Fall.


rhc world can't 60 TO sleep now.
1t nas to set up, pick up the papers
and read the latest sensation. At
present it is the tremendous ruin of
Secretary BeIknsp. "Since hc, mis-
named the morning star, Nor man
nor fend has fallen so far" Ii we
could watch the worlds thoughts
about Belknap and put them in book
form, we should have larger libra
ry than any University can boast of.
The astonishing mum Der Of Belknap-
ian crimes that the telegraph has
showered upon us of late satisfies rs
that there is some deep, powerful un-
DERIVING cause, steadily and terribly
at work, sapping the foundation of
public and private morality.
The war of the rebellion, having
ended successfully, entalled upon the
nation a new category of political
leaders previously unknown to the
people and unknown to each other.
General Grant owes his position to
his success as q COLDER aud the con-
sequent gratitude of the American
people He is honest, but socially
be belongs to the fashion and aris-
tocracy of Long Branch rather than
to the class of public men who res
pect and would perpetrate the simpli
city and plainness of the earlier days
of the Republic. General GRAFT loves
the sports of the turf He abhors
the ordinary routine of executive
duties. His cabinet must follow him
to his summer watering places, and
here the goddess of the fashionable
world required of the wives and
daughters Of these public functionar-
les, an osteDtatious display OF silks
and satins aud emf robbery, and jew
els and diamonds, ,uch as no salary
could supply La fact the greater
the salary the less would be it's ca
pacity to meet the more rapidly in
creasing requirements of fashionable
display. Belknap's wife was ambi-
tious. He was ben-pecked and
yielded to her demands. He compel
led the suffers to whom he gave the
exclusive right OF supplying military
posts and Indians with goods gro
ceries and trinkets, to pay TO bis wife
an enormous bonus and the oppres-
sed sutler was compelled to extort
double prices for goods sold to the
swindled soldiers. La fact, the lux
ury and glory OF Lady Belknap was
filched from the poor pay of the reg
ular soldiers. 1t was scandalous,
villainous. They were robbed and
imposed upon, and their money fur
nished the splendid wardrobe OF the
Socretary's wife, though if silk and
satin and and gold and diamonds
could have spoken they would have
cried ont "viIlainy, thievery, robbery
of the poor"
And Minister Schenk, so the dis
patches say. was compelled TO specu
| late in bogus mining stocks, and play
poker. ct which I've is an adept, in
| order to furnish 800 court dress
to his daughter that could only be
worn once, and then was ratficd off
| in a second hand clothing shop
Whole columns of such papers as
the London Times, New York 1rib-
une and Herald are taken up in learn
ed aud artistict description of the
| ball dresses of fashionable bellies.
The admiration of the gaping millions
has been monopolized by these jing-
ling gewgaws, and intelligence, vir-
1 tue and character Were ulsregarueu
and condemned in the female world ;
aud these stars of fashion when by
menized ruined their husbands. Our
condition is hopeless as long as the
highest genius, the most brilliant pens'
land dazzling expressions and SMILES,
the resources of all the modern LAM
guages and inspired brains, find their
highest employment in describing the
wonders OF $4,000 court dress
made by Worth in Paris and exhib-
tied in Washington ball room on
the outside of lady whose husband
has to swindle the government, sell
his patronage or play poker to pay
1.-The milliner.
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