Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-02-23
Queries About the whisky
Ring.

D HING.
I General Mcdonald, the late su-
perrisor Of internal revenue 10 St.
Louis, who is among the convicted
members Of the whisky ring there,
: is reported TO have said that $3.50
600 Of the money secured by tina.
ring was contributed to the Re-
publican national champaign fraud.
In connection with this assertion
the following queries which Colonel
Vim. ". Grosyenor makes in the
PuEc are interesting:
General Babcock knew that
Charles W. Ford and John Me-
Donald had been personal friends
81 the President before the war.
Mr.. Ford was made collector be-
canse be had managed Gen. Grants
private affairs with great success.
General Mcdonald was made su-
perYisor because the President
liked him and trusted him COM
pletely. These two and Colonel
Joyce, an intimate friend Of Bah
cock, were at the head OF the Pres
ident's faction in Missouri, and
when that faction was beaten in
1870, the Republican party having
been divided, these men went TO
work TO reunite il. BY means
which General Babcoek may or may
not have known at the time, they
induced Mr.. Mckee TO change the
course of the Democrat and return
to the support Of the President.
BY like means they brought about
q nominal reunion Of the party,
and sustained vigorous campaign
in the st. Louis city election in
1871, and captured the delegation
from that State for Grant in 1872.
When the Democrat passed from
Mr.. McKee's hands the confeder-
atcs found means to establish the
Globe as Grants organ. They con-
trived to make mp a private sub
scription of $4,000, to be used in
that State not for the Republican
State ticket, but for the Grant
electoral ticket, as Henry T. Blow,
il alive, could testify. 1t is pre-
sumable that these men, personally
intimate with the President and
General Babcock, failed to mention
facts so well calculated to give
influence at the White House.
When did President Grant first
suspect that there had been frauds
in st. Louis! Did the Infamous
fact that his trusted friends had |
been robbing the government first
dawn upon his mind when Secre-
tary Bristow submitted conclusive
proof of iti When sworn state
ments, making full exposure,
were sent by mail, one copy to the
President and one to Gen. Babcock,
did either reach hint When the
order transferring supervisors was
revoked, at the request of a SUI
pervisor who had been publicly ac-
rused, did Grant suspect nothing
Did Mr.. Ford, in his last confiden-
tial interview with the President
1T Toledo, only day or two before
his death, give no reason for his
anxiety to leave the Office Of col
ectorl Cannot the President find, A
4 he tries, ono letter written to
,im by Mr.. Ford, solemnly warn
ng him that Mcdonald would get
him into trouble by tho methods
ie was usingl From all accounts ,,
Ford supposed to the end that the
legal distillation was permitted
My to raise money for POLITICAL .
purposes. There is not the least
roof that no ever took money .
himself; he died in Office, unsus- !
'ected and poor. II he, confiden- !
ial friend OF the President, sup
'osed that this was a customary y
nethod Of raising money for party :
Is II conceivable that he :
ever talked about II to the Pres ,
lent! But II he did talk of II, IL :,
o did warn the President that :
icDonald's operations were get
ing dangerous, II no did beg to !.
ct out Of his Office because things "
ara doue ovor HE bood ~-~s~~. y