The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-05-21
GENERAL GRANT.

Two years ago the firm Of Grant 4
Ward was founded and commenced
business in New York. The firm
consisted of Col. Fred Grant, Ulysses
s. Grant, Ferdinand Ward and the
General. The latter was q silent
partner. He was content to draw
his salary Of So. 900 q month for the
use of his name and took no active
part in the business of the firm. The
General never was q good business
man and never will be. He showed
no thrift before the war nor during
his official career since. He failed
as a farmer in Missouri and was
taken as a clerk and general helper
in his fathers tannery in Galena,
Illinois. He saved no money
during his Presidency. H. had
a large salary from 1854 to 1877 and
received several donations of great
value from his admiring friends. but
he went uut Of Office q poor man. II
has often been stated his earnings
were swallowed up in unlucky specu'
lations he made through other par.
ties. fine statement is probably true.
In 1880 his friends made up q purse
of $25O,OO 0 for him. He cannot touch
the principal, but he has the s Of
the interest, which annually amounts
to about $l4,0 O.
In the failure of Grant & Ward he
has lost all. Financially he
is ruined as the phrase goes. But he
is still placed above want. He
has the interest of the fund
raised for him. He will
probably be placed upon the retired
list of army officers. The bill retil-
ing him has passed the Senate and
been favorably reported on in the
House by Cox, of New York. If it
pass that body he will have some
thing over $4,000 a year more to aid
him in keeping the wolf from his
door.
In the misfortune which has over
taken his house there is much SYM
expressed for General Grant,
but many of his most partial sympa.
thizers do not hold him blameless.
1t is contended his trust and negli-
gence under the circumstances were
inexcusible. Having gone into bust
ness he did not understand he should
have made an honest effort to
its details or he
have withdrawn from
it before he had loaded himself
and his friends with such a vast
burden of liabilities. His name was
! power itself. By its use the firm
handled millions of dollars it other
wise could not have touched. Those
millions are lost to their rightful
owners.
No one will think for . moment
General Grant knew what the firm
was doing with its funds. It is pos
'ible his sons were ignorant of the
wild, unwarrantable speculations of
Ward. But these facts do not shield
him altogether from blame. He
b ould have informed himself and
zept himself informed of the affairs of
he bank. This he should have done
or the protection of his friends, if
lot for his own protection.
But no one will think for q mo-
nent that the slightest stain of dis
lonor attaches to General Grant in
connection with this deplorable af-
air. Not even the breath of sus>
,icion will rest upon his name. He
las been over trustful, over confid-
ng. While he never made a mis-
AXE in the field, he has blun-
erred fearfully in politics and bust
less because of his trusting nature.
the former he had his Babcocks
nd Robesons, in the latter he has
ound their commercial counterpart
q Ward. In a word he has been q
'ictim Of misplaced confidence. 1t
a pity. The shadow Of his last
'reat mistake will follow him through
life, and though no one will suspect
i'm of completely with Ward he has
rretrievably lost the general confi>
ence which the people placed in his
'rudence and sagacity.