The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-26
Revival of the whiskey Ring.


When GRANT made his deliberate quar-
rel with BRIsrow. which compelled the
Secretary to throw up the Treasury seals
in disgust aud to retire without even such
regret rs was accorded to BLLKNAP, IL was
known that the restoration of the Wins
key Ring was certain, and that the vicious
influences which had been temporarily
Withdrawn from the White House would
now return ana revive i'll all their former
strength.
The whiskcv Ring was one OF the great
pillars vi the Republican party. IL fur
nishcd most OF the money that was used In
the West To promote GRANTS retlec-
ton. BY its power Senators and Repre-
eentatives were sent to Washington. whose
first duty was to protect frauds on the
revenue. From the White House, through
all the departments aud down into the
smallest places, corrupt agents were en-
ployed In this service. so that when Mr..
BRIsrow organized his original movement
against the thieves, he was compelled to
seek aid outside the Treasury aud to dis
rard official correspondence.
40 long IA GRANT thought q few distil-
lers and small subordinates might be
struck down, and his ambition for tn ird
term be promoted by pretended zeal
for reform, he was willing enough to
write " Let no guilty man escape aud to
cooperate with BRIsTow. But when the
work became serious, and the friends of
the President and the leaders of the
party were found TO be complicated with
these frauds. either M partners with fixed
interests, s;ilaried employees, or retained
attorneys. he changed front, and has ever
since been the champion, protector. and
defender of the Whiskey Ring.
IL did not need the adroit arguments OF
LOGAN, MORTON. CAMERON. and others
like them. TO convince GRANT that BRIs-
rows reform policy originated in amb-
ton 10 get the Republican nomination,
and in a dc sire to crush out the third-tcrm
movement by exposing the corruption
that chiefly sustained II. He had per-
soual and special reasons without any such
appeals to his prejudice; but they neces-
sarily fortified the direction Of his mind
and served To strengthen his purpose.
Hence. the dismissal OF BRIsrow meant
more than mere rupture. for 10 carried
with il reversal Of the policy that had
been pursued by the Treasury. and a radi-
cal change in the agencies by which IL had
been carried out. The removal of all
BRIsTows friends. and of the active prose
cutors of the whiskey thieves, was the
signal for a reaction which rehnblitatcs the
whole crowd, and will release every one
OF them from prison as soon ms the election
H. over.
1t is not thought wise at this moment to
relieve MCDoyALD, MCKEE, AVERY, REHM,
and that set, but they have the certainty
OF freedom before them, and are thus
silenced by the promise OF pardon, and the
assurance that in six weeks they will be
restored to favor and fortune. But an
other batch of these rogues has just
escaped the penalty of the law by artful
manipulation at Washington. HEsING,
who was convicted and sentenced at
Chicago to "A heavy fine and two years i'm
prisonment, and who offered to tell what
neither GRANT nor LOGAN, FARwELL nor
other Republican leaders wanted to hear,
Is 10 be let out and the new District At
torney confesses to a secret regret that
he had been punished so much. A num-
Der of his worthy associates are also to
share the good luck Of their Boss.
These patriots will come ont of Jail
ardent advocates of HAYES, and Of civil
service reform, rs preached by CARL
ScHuRz. And If by any misfortune their
candidate should be elected the old Whis-
key Ring. which, in spite of the hard times,
II now rapidly reyiving, would resume
business under HAYES with vgor stimu-
lated by season Of Inactivity, and with a
promise of indemnity for the past and
security for the future.