The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-31

Times were pretty lively about
Washington during President Grant s
administration. The great, the near
great and the shabby Genteel poltl-
clans were to be daily met with. Each
had an axe to grind Ii was busy
day for adventurcrs and sharpers
Every device that human ingenuity
could invent was in vogue for money
making purposes. Men of respectable
ity when at home often turned crooks
after sojourning at the nation 8 capi-
tai for time. The war had left its
demoralizing influence upon many and
the opportunities for acquiring wealth
were numerous and varied For n
long time before General Grant took his
seat In the president q chair, there had
been n looseness in the administration
of government affairs resulting IN or"
ganized frauds that would not be toler-
ated in this day
The Credit MobiIer conspiracy, The
whisky ring and many other monu-
mental steals were being carried on IN
high.up official and private circles The
org fellows set the pace and tho smaller
crooks lettering about the city felt
ouite safe in taking hand IN what
was going on. Some of the devices
7esorted to by the lesser fellows were
quite ridiculous. / will disinter one
OI UnBsp SClcUltS lOl Hhi ppNN VI "a
hibiting the folly of some OF the plot
GERS of that day.
Shortly after President Grants in
auguration in the spring of 1873 he
sent messenger with a note request
ing me to call at once Mt the White
House. On entering has office | found
him at his desk. He pointed to a near
by chair and bade me be seated. Reach
ing into drawer of his desk he took
out two long black cigars, and hunding
me one of them he bit off the end of
the other and pui il between his teeth.
Strengthening back in his chair. the big
black cigar was pointed upward at an
angle of about ~ degrees. AS the smoke
curled lazily above his head ] saw that
there was something i'm his manner in
dicating that his usually placid temper
was rolled. Picking u d package of
letters from his desk he turned toward
me and said: tHerc. colonel, is mat
Ter that needs your careful attention,
During the last few days | have been
receiving these letters want you to
make an investigation al once, The per
Hoss engaged in this work must be pun
ished. 1t was an outrage. 1t is probable
that there Is more than one person IN
the scheme.
President Grant spoke with great
caruestness, and ! saw that he was not
a little disturbed and that his idea
was TO let no guilty man escape. The
circulars he handed me were prlnted
in letter form and had been sent
through the mails TO many postmaSIcrs
throughout the south and west. The
circulars read as follows | give them
verbatim.
Executive Mansion. Washington,
Oct. u, 1872.
Memorandum Of conversation between
the president and his secretary.
Secretary wish to refer this telc-
gram of Senator Morton s to the
president.
To the President:
a conspiracy has been formed to
overrun southern Illinois, Indiana and
Ohio and to keep the colored vote from
the polls in the southern states. Sew
eral thousand non-residents will vote in
Indiana, Men and money are needed. [
send a man to you who has been in their
council. o. P. NORTON
President-Yes, / have thought that
matter all over. and had a long talk
with the man the senator sem! What
does Mr.. Cook say about money? You
know that we have none, and that the
committee means are all necessary
for the regular business.
Secretary-Mr. Cook will furnish
you any amount you require.
President-Very WEI, ! will take
The responsibility. Have Capa.in c.
select dozen men TO 20 west and south
with funds and organize. The mere