New-York tribune., 1876-03-04
THE PRESIDENT SHOULD HAVE KNOWN


IBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON, March 3.--The cause Of Gen. Bel
knap's fall was the extravaganza which has become
so fashionable in Washngton's official circles. II IL
not true that Cabinet officer cannot live respect
ably on his salary in Washington. Secretary Bout
well did it, and Others have done IT before but II
meberOf the Cabinetpays threefourhs OF his salary
for the rent Of hls house he must have some other
source of income, or he wsl starye, without paying
the expense of keeping up large establishment;
giving dinners and parties and importing from
Europe thousands of dollars worth Of dresses, ETC.
If a Cabinet Minister has private fortune he can,
of course, properly indulge in such luxurlcs, but
wbenono who came into tho Cabinet poor who hasnot
been knoWuto be engaeedin in any business from which
he could derive an income, lives year after year In
style that his salary would not half pay for,
the President is TO blame if ho docs not inquire
and satisfy himself how 1t is done. III he does not
he has no right to be surprised when such dis
closures as yesterday starte the country. IL has
been commonly remarked in Washington during
the past three mOnths that Washington
society has showed no signs of the hard
times. The season just closed has been
one of the most brilliant record and the ladies
have displayed at the parties and receptions more
costly dresses than have before been seen here, at
least il tile last five years The wives Of those Cabi-
net Ministers who were supposed to have no income
oxcept their official salaries have not been OutdOne
in this extravaganza. Perhaps Gen. Grant will now
renew the resolution he made and announced 10
friend when he got AttOney-Gen. Williams into
trouble by naming him Tor Chrief-Jnstice of the su-
preme Court. lie then said he never would ask
another man TO become member nf his Cabinet
who was not millionaire.
One of tho NEST dellorable features of the post
leadership scandal is the fact that officers ana
soldiers Of the army, and immigrants who have not
been pecuniariy able 10 stOnd exorbtant pnces for
goods, which they have been forced to purchase at
tbe military posts, have been the chief sufferers.
Tins it was which directed the attention
Of the officers stationed at Fort sill
and elsewhere on tho frontier four years ago.
the defects Of the new system. Soldiers whose pay
is small and in whom IL has always been the policy
of the United States TO foster habits of economy and
thrift have been charged from two to five times ~
they ought To have been for such articles as they
have been Obliged te purchase ut the posts and il
has been entirely beyond the power OF the military
authorities to prevent ii. The fact that the change
in the law making this scandal possible was
recommended to Congress by ex-Secretary Belknap,
and that member of his family 80 soon took nd
vantage of it 20 obtain pecuniary contributions
from tho post-traders has led many to believe to-
day that this change recommended by the Secre-
tary with the intention, should 1t he Inade OF dc
riving pecuniary gain from ii himself 1t never
des,red by the officers, and all attempts to change
the system which have heretofore been made either
through the War Department or through Congress,
have utterly failed.