The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-04-23
Birds Of q Feather ;"


From the ado OF the Cresco Times
and the DEBORAH Republican, q
stranger in this country, and one
not familiar with the events OF the
past sixteen years, might infer that
the first time Grants name was
placed in connection with MI IN.
worthy person was when the PLAIN
DEALER named him in connection
with Frank Barton. To refresh
their memories let us mention a few
Of the names Of persons whom Presi-
dent Grant voluntary chose us his
advisers and political associates in
Office.
As secretary Of the Navy was Geo.
E. Robson; as secretary Of War,
W, w. Belknap; as attorney General.
Geo. H. Williams, otherwise known
as Landaulet Williams. Each on.
Of them . thief, who after having
resigned and fed from Washington
to escape Impeachment, Grant with
. full knowledge Of their guilt, wrote
them letters Of regret which would
have been disgrace, under the
circumstances, to state prison
convict.
Then We find him the associate
and chum Of Nosby. the Gcurilla
chief and cold blooded murderer Of
Federal soldiers, and Of Longstreet,
and Of VIM. Pitt Kellogg and OF Geo.
+. Spencer, four as base and infa-
nous men as disgrace the annals Of
any country on the face Of the globe.
Passing from these, We find him
with John A. Joyce, Gen. John Nc
Donald, Billy Mckee, Orville E.
E. Babcock, VIM. @. Avery, Levi P.
Luckey and others OF the whisky
ring, most Of whom we're tried for
plundering the government OF its
internal revenue, sent to the pene-
tentiaries on conviction and par.
doned out by President Grant, who
had shared with them in the plum
der Of the public treasury. Had We
associated the name OF Grant with
any worse men than the ones named,
We would ask forgivDess. Howard
county mover had but one business
man 50 tar as We know, whose name
might be mentioned in connection
with Grant. without being disgraced
by the association.
We pass by the infamics Of BLACK
Friday" the financial ruin it brought
to thousands, the frenzied suicides
those terrible times produced, and
the part played by Grant and his
family in those questionable and
criminal transactions, mildly charac-
terized as robberies.
From these We come down to his
asso citation with the house OF Grant,
Fish & Ward, chosen companions
again. Jas. D. Fish. one Of this firm
has just been tried for embezzle-
ment and found guilty upon suffic-
lent number Of counts in the indict.
ment to use up an ordinary life in
prison, and Ferdinand Ward, another
member OF the firm is sure to follow
when his trial occurs. Grant re-
Gently made his deposition to be
used in these< cases. He testified
that he put $4,000 iuto the husi-
ness; that as profits he drew out
$1,000 . month. The business con-
tinucd two years, which would give
him 1000 profits on an investment
Of 100000. Now it seems to us that
an honest jury would find such
profits on such an investment to
come nearer to larceny than legiti-
mate business. And that seems to be
the verdict in the case against Fish.
As In the whisky cases, Fish g. Ward
were doing the stealing. Grant lend
ing his name as in the former, and
sharing the plumber. The Timzs
and Republican will remember how
readily Grant gave Bristow, secre-
tary OF the Treasury the grand
dounce for his search after those
profiting with Grant in the whisky
frauds, that so disgraccd the country
and his administration. We are not
pre- pared to canonize as civilian,
the man who was the head and front
Of all these populations. Grants
avarjce, like that Of Judas and OF
Benedict Arnold has led him into
any scheme that had money in it.
These statements based upon facts
Ut history, the Times and Republican
would have us ignore, because Grant
Is about 30 die. The Irish World, a
leading republican Blaine paper Of
n. T., says he should have died TO
saved his reputation before he be-
came president.
Men who desire to write pane
gyrics upon the character Of such
civilians can do so, We will not, nor
will We hesitate to speak OF them as
their record appears. Both the
Times and Republican, unsparingly
denouuce men who disagree with
them In politics as the basest Of
criminals without q RhadOw ar eyi.