The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-03
LiltIng the Curtnin.

ouhudl IulIou ol lnL 0lN
Lifting the Curtain.
WILLIAM W. BELKNAP President GRANTS
Secretary of War, confcsscs that he has
used his office rs n means Of selling profit
able places; that, among other things the
sum Of $4,000 year was paid TO Mrs. BEL
KNAP, his wife, by n post trader at Fort
Sill appointed by her husband, rs long rs
be remained post trader. This confession
was eXtortod from him not by any vol
untary repentance on his part. but Ivy
showing him the evidence proving the
fact. OF course, this is not the only trans
action Of the kind in which Mr.. Br1kNAP
has been engaged; 1t is merely specimen,
single product. Of n system which has
borne multifarous and continual fruit.
This man, detected and crushed, is driven
out, resigns, is impcaohed and either
escapes or eLduros the punishment of his
crimes. The people are shocked by the
revolutionary the positive proof Of what
has so long been suspected and believed.
IL Is indeed n shocking, IA revolving exhi-
billion. In the Centennial year of the Re-
public, our great enterprise of free popu-
lar government results in the sale Of Offices
by one Of our very highest functionaries.
and In the payment OF brides to the wife
of this rotten official. If such is our condi-
ton at the end OF the first century what
will il be nj the end OF the second? We
may well hang our head with shame be-
fore other nations when the very highest
executive officers, those intrustcd with the
chief power and the largest honors turn
out TO be bride takers, thieves, robbers,
pickpockcts, mere ordinary scouudrels.
But these natural sentiments and rcnoc-
tons must promptly be set aside for the
Eterner purpose of thoroughly understand
ing the disease which threatens TO destroy
US. and applying n remedy that shall Ice
thorough. effective, and adequate. The
first necessity is to know the whole TRUTH
and FOR the possibility of this we must DO
grateful TO the Democratic majority in the
House OF Representatives, But for the
preponderance there of that party, su, Il
discoveries would be impossible. The
country remembers that when, four years
ago, We took the responsibility of charging
upon GEonGE NJ. robson, Secretary Of the
Nav "a man far more yeual, x o..,
aud thicylsh than ETLKNAp--thc fact that
he had ILLEGALLY ana in direct contraVention
Of law taken from the Treasury the sum of
$4,000 aud paid it over to one SEcOR, the
Republican House of Representatives APP
pointed committee, not 10 discover but
TO suppress ana whitewash RonEsoN'- OIL
sial acts; and although we proved the
Tact of this public robbery, before this
packed committee, Senators like FRELING-
HuYsfN and CoNKLING joined in clarifying
The public plunderer, aud all the Repubi-
can party newspapers in the country, the
soft and sentimental as well as the bold
and truculcut, set up one chorus OF dcnuu-
citation because THE SUN had prosum "a 70
far just as few months later they de-
bounced us for the Credit Mlbilier reyela-
ton Now, however, n different state Of
things prevails, and the real facts in all
thor hideousness are to be brought to
lght.
II must not be supposed that BELKNAP
Is n3y worse than the Others because he
gets justice hIst He has done nothing but
what th,y have done before him. In its
ess, n'iul character there is no difference
IetWc,n his act and that OF Gen. GRANT
In appointing men to the CABINET bccau,e
m y had gy,n him presents. There is no
INITIAL difference betwO en- Mr.. BLLKNAr's
HpFA
pr - To give his vito $4,000 year
and President GRANTS appointing Il
worthless character like JIM CASEY Col
.ector OF New Orleans Leoause he is
his hrothcI-In-law. 1t is the system now
Universally known as Grnntism. which
IS di.honest, larcenous, destructive alike of
public and private morality. GRANT en-
gage, in the Black Friday gold conspiracy,
and $4,000 is sent to the White House out
Of the profits; BABCoCK conspires with the
wh-kcy thieves in st. Louis and GRANT
and SHEPHERD aid in his defence and well
come him back to Washington; Mrs. BEL
TNAP is paid 1000 year, for the
ipi ointment OF post trader; ROBE
IoN steals $4,000 for SEcOR, induced there
by - pres nj to lady" and prostitutes
The navy TO enrich the CATrELL Ring; At
torn y-Gcncrl WILLIAMS steals the money
20 pay for his wife's carriage and to pay
the wages OF his servants; DELANO and
SMITH rob the Indians by Wholesale and
GRANT looks on and approves; CREsw ELL
robs in the Post ONCE Department by
means Of straw-bd frauds; BANCROFT DA-
Wis is proved to be n bride takcr by the
Legislature of Massachusetts, and is made
Minister to the German empire; Secretary
FISH has his son-in-law employed at Il
large salary us the agent Of Spain, while
he gives pro-Spanish character TO
the policy Of the Administration toward
Cuba. 1t is the same thing in every
department from the President down.
Brbe-takine, plumber, larc, ny, Grautism
IL the rule everywhere The only really
honest man is BRisrow, whom GRANT has
Just been violently threatening to kick
out but has not dared to do it.
II Democratic institutions are to be saved
ata'l IN this country, the people must rise
up III burning Indignation and not merely