The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-04-20
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, d. G., AprH 13, 1876.
FEARFUL RESULT OF GRASTIsM.

we have got to be Indifferent to it. This
is, perhaps, the most fearful symptom of
the dangerous disease which now affiicts
the American body polite. The time
was when an officer of the L. S. Govern
ment could not hold his place single
day, in the face of imputations upon his
honesty, unless they were met and dis
proved at once. And no man, in those
davs, would have dared to wantonly and
loosely accuse an official of corruption.
When Andrew Jackson became Presi-
dent, it was discovered that Tobia Wat
kins, 3rd Auditor of the Treasury for
many years, had, by systematic altera-
ton of accounts, succeeded in embezzling
$4,000 of Government money. He was
at once arrested and sent to prison like
any other man accused Of felony. Instead
of the power of the Government being
used to defend him, it was used to con-
vict him. To this mode Of dealing with
official criminals we must return. 1t is
becoming more certain, every day, that
the next Presidential contest will be
fought solely on the issue of an honest
Administration, and that the party which
neglects to nominate man unmistaka-
bly, identified with Administrative Re-
form will be defeated. Nor can any man
be elected who fails to carry the States OF
Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.
All over the country, the Democrats are
discussing these questions with reference
to their bearing on the presidential NOM
ination, with great seriousness; involv-
ing, as they (the questions) do, the aban-
donment of all sectional differences in
order to attain success.
GRANT on THE RAGGED EDGE.
The Washington organ of the White
House Ring, the National Republican, is
very much disgusted at the disclosures
made by Col. Whitley, duplicating Gen.
Babcock in the safe burglary plot, by
which an innocent man was to have been
sent to State prison, and coolly remarks,
this morning, that the investigations now
going on are "irksome and monotonous."
1t is to be hoped they will become more
and more so for the scoundrels whom the
Republican defends, until the investiga-
tions get to be "really unbearable, you
know" Grant is on the ragged edge"
now. These things are getting little
too close; and it is rumored that he
begins to fear impeachment, unless he
takes steps to clear himself from all re-
sponsibility for the conduct of Babcock
and Porter. These two distinguished
warriors and statesmen have literally run
the government 1t is fact we'll known
here that Grant is sometimes drunk, or
stupefed with liquor, for days together,
and that, at such times, it has been his
habit to sign papers brought to him by
Babcock or Porter, without knowing
their contents, and to issue orders of
which he did not know the purport, at
the instigation of the above named
worthless. 1t can be proven that persons
here have been offered, for certain sums
of money, appointments to various offices
which it was understood were to be OBJ
tanned in this way, and in this way only,
from the President, while he was under
the influence of liquor.
SENATOR MoRToN's WILMINGTON Pill
GRIMAGE.
1t has been published extensively that
in compliance with request from the
ex-Union soldiers, and loyalists generally,
residing at Wilmington, North Carolina,
Senator Morton has consented to pro-
nounce the Grafton there on decoration
dav, May Both. This mistatcment might
as we'll be corrected at the outset. The
invitation in question came from Gen.
Allen Rutherford who was recently dis
missed from his position as Third Audi
tor of the Treasury, for gross carelessness,
or something worse, in allowing Jra"a"-
lent claim For some time past, Ruther-
ford has been engaged in ''sctting up the
piuss for his Mercurial Highncss, the
Senator from Indiana, in order tha! the
latter may obtain the vote of the South
crn delegates to the Cincinnati convcn-
ton. 1t does not appear, from Ruthcr-
ford's letter, that he writes in behalf Of
any body but himself. 1t simply states
that he, Gen. r., would be pleased if the
Senator would consent to deliver the ora
tion on Decoration Day, but omits to
mention that anyone else but himself has
exprcssed the same desire. 1t is almost
unnecessary to say that the invitation
WAS eagerly accepted, and that the Presi-
dental aspirant from Indiana will deliver
such an Grafton as will be calculated to
intensity the affection which he inagincs
is borne him by the colored people Of the
South. He will never have better
opportunity to air his famous blood
bcsmared under garment than at Will
mineton, on the 30th prox.; and it is
safe to predict that he will improve it.
ABsESrEEIsM IN CONGRESS.
An inspection of the various votes
taken in Congress shows that, usually mt
least, one-third of the Representatives
and Senators are absent from their seats.
There are 292 members of the House
when every Congressional district is rep
resented; which is not the case at pres
cnt, since several vacancies caused by
d.,tl remain untitled 1t is safe to say,