The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-03-23
"aRANTlsM.p

ministration which the late Charles
Sumner characterized as aGrant-
ISM" By that term he meant toll
signify something hitherto unknown
to our institutions, which had de-
veloped in the executive breach of
the government. It meant personal
government of a very base sertyI
personal government in which the
head was without the ordinary in
stincts which might give it respecta-
bilityS nay, lacking in culture and
the power of p%erceiying what must
be the ultimate result of his course.
He accused Grant of turning the
White House into a soldiers bsr-
racks and administering the gov
eminent by General Orders"
through his military staff; Of not
comprehending the principles Of the
government or the proprieties of
his position; of taking only a ma
terial view of the advantages of
subordinating the interest of the
Republic to those of himself and
friends, welding its power for spec
ulative jobbery, ard filling the Off
ces with his own and his wife's re-
lations, without regard to their
fitness for them. He denounced
the San Domingo job, in which
General Babcock was as active an
agent as he was in the late whisky
frauds, and charged that the system
inaugurated and pursued by General
Grant must end in utter corruption
and ruin. Carl Schurz, another in
~tellectual Senator of the party, SYM
pathized with these views of Mr..
Sumner, and united with the latter
in the movement to- elect Mr.. Gree
ley. The declaration ofthese states
men have become realized prophe-
Ecies. Belknap has been found out,
but he is not the only member of
what has been called the Presidents
official family-who is tainted With
peculation and corrupt jobbery.
What else could be expected Of a
Cabinet selected by a President
whose best idea of organizing it was
that all his members should be his
personal friends sort of staff to
supplement in civil offices the mill
tary aids who carried his orders
from the White House2 He shrank
from contact with the intellect OF
his party, knowing full well that by
contrast he would be dwarfed in its
presence. He set to work on the
other hand to displace it in leader
ship by men who looked to theil
material interests only. He was
son the make" himself, to use g
phrase of the times, and called
around him men. similarly inclined
He took gifts from all who offered, and
repaid them with public offices. A
7. Stewart subscribed to the $780,,
900 fund in New York which wa:
presented to Grant, and the lattel
nominated the giver to the Secreta
ryship of the Treasury.
Mr.. Borie, of Philadelphia, who
had subscribed to the $4,000 fur
nished house in that city, and giyer
other good gifts to the President
was appointed Secretary of the Ma
Wy, knowing nothing whatever o.
either public affairs or the navy
Mr.. Hoar, of Massachusetts,, CAV,
the President a library, and was
made Attorney General. Mr.. Pier
repent gave $4,000 towards Grant
election, and he succeeds to the At
torney Generalship. These. are blu
instances of the manner in which
"Grantism" began its work of de
moralization, and the result is befor,
the country. Had General Gran
when elected President, instead o
looking up obscure men to fill tn,
Cabinet offices, followed the prece
dents set by all his predecessor
and called around him the intellect
nal leaders of his party-the mel
who had won their way to higl
places in its ccnfidence-such dis
grace would not have befallen hi
administration. Ambitious men
men who aspire to the title o
statesmen and who have had ex
perience in public affairs, are no
apt to- be caught stealing. aThei
public measures may be open +
objection, and they may strive t
climb the ladder of ambition b,
ways which good men condemn, bu
they are always chary of their repu
tation-the best and only capital il
fact with which they can go befor
the people for advancement. "Grant
ISM" on the other hand, which i
the grossest sort of "materialism'' il
politics, brings us by direct step
to the sale of offices and oficia
! peculation.
:. BELKNAP and BABcocK were th