The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-02-24
Whiskey Stealing to Control Elec-
lions.

Whiskey Stealing to Control Eleo-
lions.
We have heretofore called attention to
the shameless etfrontery Of the Prog. Age
Of this city in contessing that the st. Louis
whisAey ring engaged in their plunderings
ter the purpose of realizing funds where
with to sustain the Republican party in
power 1t even attempted a defence OF
this rascally ''contriving q way" by rank
corruption of theft, to keep in power a
party that was robbing the treasury of
millions yearly. But as the Ages lack of
truth is quite as great rs its want Of ap-
probation of official honesty, or any other
honesty, We cannot accept even its avow-
al of party shamelessness, without cor
roboration. We find it in the Babcock
trial, in the testimony OF ex-commissioner
Douglass This functionary, in the course
Of his statements to the court, was forced
to speak of the inside management of the
Republican party, and the revelations he
makes are too interesting to be overlook
ed 1t will be remembered that the Whis-
key ring was not attacked till May, 1875 ;
but the authorities at Washington suspec-
| ted, if they did not know of its existence
and operations three years before for ex-
Commissioner Douglass declares that they
had ''rumors of frauds in 1872" and some
feeble efforts We're made to bring the mat
| ed effort was made, because the supervi-
! sors and revenue agents were all busy
carrying elections, and could not be spared
| to attend to their official duties The ex-
| commissioner states that 'two OF three
months before Mr.. Richardson went out
of office, | talked with the President about
this matter and proposed the interchange
of supervisors The President assented
and asked how soon he could make the
| interchange. told him." says the ingen-
uous Reconnaissance, Il thought we
would have to wait till after the fall cleo
| tions as our supervisors unfortunately
were political machines as we'll as official
ones The President took kindly to the
| postpouement, she said, very well, he
thought it would be Il good thing to do
| When Bristow came in - talked the mat
Ter over with him." says the eX-commis-
s!oner; told him my objections to doing
it at once; that there were special objec-
tons to it then; we would have trouble,
and | wanted to wait awhile. After the
atorial elections in the legislatures, and
thought would wait them. That brought
1t almost midway between that and the
Presidential election, another trouble"
What an encouraging picture of Repub-
ican tarsightedness is here afforded The
interests OF the government must wait up
on the interests of the party the detec-
ton and punishment Of frauds are made
secondary othe carrying of elections. Here
were lot of supervisors, collectors and
other revenue officials who, with their CO.
conspirators. were robbing the govern
mcnt OF a million dollars year, and who
ought to have been in the penitentiary tor
their frauds; but it would not do to put
them there till they had finished their
electioneering task in this, that and the
| other State. Mr. Douglass says "our su-
pervisors are political machines as we'll
as official ones' Indeed! Then, a su-
pervisor must handle much larger sum
Of money than his salary of So 900 year.
In plain words, the several whisky rings
in Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin
and New Orleans must have been organ
| lied and operated by the supervisors,
with the connivance, if not the express
approval of the administration-and the
Republican leaders deliberately allowed
the government to be robbed to get money
to carry the elections with. One would
think that a year was a long time to wait
on the supervisors when they were steal
ing 81 900, 900 a year; the distinguished
functionaries at Washington, however, did
not take that view of it,