, 1876-03-04
Wait Tiuthe Election is Over

Wait TIL the Election IL Over
The testimony Of Mr.. J. W. Douglass, ex-
Commissioner of Internal Revenue, in the
trials of General Babcocb, cOntsins some curl
Gus revelations. The President, the Secre-
tary of the Treasury and the Commissioner
were all agreed, We are told by Mr. Douglass
as to the existence of extensive frauds in the
revenue service and the necessity of inves-
tigaiing them, ard in order 70 facilitate fair
inquiry, it was determined 20 issue an order
transferring supervisors from one place to
another. This -Yss based upon the principle
upon which Douglass afterwarG sent Joyce
To California, SO that he would not be an OBJ
siacle to the investigation OF his affairs In
ST. Louis The order of transfer was d wise
measure, and ongbt to have been carried
out at once. But Mr.. Douglass coolly testi-
fies that upon CONSULTATION with Secretary
Bristow they - concluded to wait until the
fall elections were over. We waited" be
said, "and then there were a number of Sem
atorial elections, and we aad to wait until
they were over then We found that We were
ia the midst of the Presidential election, and
that was another obstacle after that we ar
ranged TO make the transfers" Here is
startling news for the people. Enormous
frauds, amounting TO millions Of dollars, are
committed by The Whiskey Ring. The Pres
idrnt and his nearest advisers know OF The
facts, and are in duty bound to discover and
punish these wholesale robbers Of the nation.
But they refuse to do so. They rostpon Il q
investigation three times. They will wait
TIL the elections are over.
Why should they wait upon such pre-
textT Because the thieves were the political
friends of the administration, holding posi-
tions Of trust and honor under It's appoint
ment, and able to control conventions and
votes. To have exposed these men would
have been 10 have proved the charges of cor
ruption against the republican party and TO
ha We cut off large portion of its political
revenues General Babcock told Douglass
that the pressure on President Grant would
be 80 strong that the order would have 10 be
recalled. Mcdonald, who Is now IN Jail,
convicted of the very frauds this order was
intended 10 expose, telegraphed to Douglass
on February 3, 1915 -" Don't like the or
der. 1t will damage the government and in.
iure the administration" On February 1
the President revoked the order by the fol.
lowing note through one Of his private secre-
taries, Luekey, 10 the Commissioner ;-'Ih
President directs mo to say that he desires
that the circular order transferring supervi-
sors of internal revenue be suspended 10y tele-
graph until further orders" Tiuiy, Bah
cock WAS night about the strength Of the
pressure that WAS to be brought 10 bea: Oh
the President. Joy WAS carried to every
meiuber of the Whiskey Ring with the speed
OF electricity.
II Is true that after the elections Secretary
Bcistow prosecuted these frauds, but the fact
Is evident that before the elections the admin
istra,ion suppressed even the investigation.
The honor of the government WAS degraded
TO win the elections for party, and the rev.
cnues Of the people were allowed TO be plum
dered TO swell The revenues of State commit
tees We learn with grief and shame that
in the opinion of the administration Il Is
more important. 10 carry tn election than to
punish crime. Is this the spiIit in which
the Pres lent's s famous order, " Let 10 guilty
man escape" is to be interpreted? 1t would
rather seem TO be, Let I'll guilty men es-
cape till after the elections" Then, after
millions of dollars have been taken, after
Sta:eS have been won by deceit, after Sens-
| tors have been elected who would have been
defeated had the people known the truth,
then punish the criminals whom II was ne'
| cessary 10 protect before. The President nov
claims that he revoked the order to remove
| suspicion from the minds of the guilty oth-
cials, in order that they might be more easily
detected, but Mr.. Douglass contradIcts hIm
and If the testimony Of The latter be true, the
government has committed greater offence
against the people than any with which even
the Whiskey Ring itself Is eharged.-N. I.
Herald.