The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-04
49, 99ailg Atsns.
Tuesday. April 4, 1876
The Worst of il.

It is clear that Belknap has long been
reyeling in corruption. The transaction
with Marsh was not a solitary blot upon
an otherwise respectable career, an isolated
crime into which he was led by the ex-
travaganco of reckless wife, 1t was of a
piece with his whole official course. The
sale of appointments was systematic and
continuous. There was not soldier on
the frontier who had not to pay proper
ton Of his $l3 month to the secretary in
Washington, to the brokers in trading
privileges, to the heightened politicians
who introduced" customers to Mr.. Bel
KNAPP, to the cousins and brothcrs-in-law,
and whole tribe of poor relations who hung
about the posts aud the department, and
finally to 1.-The party tax gatherer who
levied upon the traders for the expense Of
rejecting this model Republican admins
tration. 1t was very little better than
highway robbery. The soldier could not
do without the post traders wares, and
the secretary Of war sold TO the 'trader, at
fixed sum per month, the privilege Of
swindling the soldier,kin the prices. The
outrage was notorious all along the border
Traders made no secret of the payment
they were compelled to send to Washing
ton. A chorus Of complaint sounded all
along the line, until lat last, getting no re-
dress. and finding the traders and middle
men in high favor at Washington, the
army came to the conclusion that the sec
rotary was rascal, and held its tongue.
And is it possible, asks the N. Y.
Tribune, that the scandal which was
fragrant at the west never penetrated to
the Capitol or the White House2 Not at
all; it was quite well knownifour years ago
in both places. sThrough how many sources
the truth came out we cannot tell; prob
ably from several independently, for the
outrage was too notorious to be hidden.
But we have already shown that the pre-
else offense which Belknap has now con
fessed was exposed in the Tribune in 1872,
and the story1 was whistlel down the
wind then as "a campaign lie" after
thei pleasant habit of the modern ad
ministration statesmen. The letter of Gen.
Hazen gives some further particulars
which we did not feel at liberty to make
public. 1t was Gen. Hazen himself, an
officer of the highest character and of a
most honorable record, who made the
facts known at Washington. He laid
them before the military committee, and
the committee suppressed them. Then
they were published by the Tribune, aud
the president real them. What was the
result? Why, Mr.. Belknap seemed to be
higher in favor than. ever; Orvil Grant
went on peddling traderships, and Gen.
Hazen was banished to the wilderness,
where he has lived ever since under ofhcia
dispeasure.
The Belknap case does not stand alone
Nearly all the scandals which are now
agitatiDg the country we're brought to th'
notice of the government years ago.
Nearly all have been indicated over an,
over again so clearly that the failure t
follow them up cannot be palliated. Their
is hardly n department in which the ad
ministration has not had reason to suspec
rotteness But there has never been on
effort at reform. Criticism has been treat
ed as insubordination, and whenever proc
has been offered of official rascality, til
criminal has been shielded and the witnes
has been punished if he happened to be i
the service, insulted and vilifed if
private citizen. So it has come to pas
that in its selfish aud demoralizing de7C
ton to party the administration has mad
itself the protector and the propagation {
thieves and blackmailers, and covered tn
country with disgrace which years {
decency will hardly obliterate. Even nov
when the whole country is in revolt again:
the practices of the past seven years
Republican leaders at Washington
especially in the senate, cling to their oil
tactics and spend laborious days and angr
debates in the vain effort to cover it up.
1t is too late for that. Now that the cove
is off the whole cesspool must be emptie
before it is put on again. This sort {
nasty job is not to be done by halves.
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