the boss and the machine-第5章

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sordid　reaction；　indeed；　from　the　high　principles　that　sought
victory　on　the　field　of　battle　and　that　found　their　noblest
embodiment　in　the　character　of　Abraham　Lincoln。

The　dominant　and　domineering　party　chose　the　leading　soldier　of
the　North　as　its　candidate　for　President。　General　Grant；　elected
as　a　popular　idol　because　of　his　military　genius；　possessed
neither　the　experience　nor　the　skill　to　countermove　the
machinations　of　designing　politicians　and　their　business　allies。
On　the　other　hand；　he　soon　displayed　an　admiration　for　business
success　that　placed　him　at　once　in　accord　with　the　spirit　of　the
hour。　He　exalted　men　who　could　make　money　rather　than　men　who
could　command　ideas。　He　chose　Alexander　T。　Stewart；　the　New　York
merchant　prince；　one　of　the　three　richest　men　of　his　day；　for
Secretary　of　the　Treasury。　The　law；　however；　forbade　the
appointment　to　this　office　of　any　one　who　should　〃directly　or
indirectly　be　concerned　or　interested　in　carrying　on　the　business
of　trade　or　commerce；〃　and　Stewart　was　disqualified。　Adolph　E。
Borie　of　Philadelphia；　whose　qualifications　were　the　possession
of　great　wealth　and　the　friendship　of　the　President；　was　named
Secretary　of　the　Navy。　Another　personal　friend；　John　A。　Rawlins；
was　named　Secretary　of　War。　A　third　friend；　Elihu　B。　Washburne　of
Illinois；　was　made　Secretary　of　State。　Washburne　soon　resigned；
and　Hamilton　Fish　of　New　York　was　appointed　in　his　place。　Fish；
together　with　General　Jacob　D。　Cox　of　Ohio；　Secretary　of　the
Interior；　and　Judge　E。　Rockwood　Hoar　of　Massachusetts；
Attorney…General；　formed　a　strong　triumvirate　of　ability　and
character　in　the　Cabinet。　But；　while　Grant　displayed　pleasure　in
the　companionship　of　these　eminent　men；　they　never　possessed　his
complete　confidence。　When　the　machinations　for　place　and　favor
began；　Hoar　and　Cox　were　in　the　way。　Hoar　had　offended　the　Senate
in　his　recommendations　for　federal　circuit　judges　（the　circuit
court　was　then　newly　established）；　and　when　the　President　named
him　for　Justice　of　the　Supreme　Court；　Hoar　was　rejected。　Senator
Cameron；　one　of　the　chief　spoils　politicians　of　the　time；　told
Hoar　frankly　why：　〃What　could　you　expect　for　a　man　who　had
snubbed　seventy　Senators！〃　A　few　months　later　（June；　1870）；　the
President　bluntly　asked　for　Hoar's　resignation；　a　sacrifice　to
the　gods　of　the　Senate；　to　purchase　their　favor　for　the　Santo
Domingo　treaty。

Cox　resigned　in　the　autumn。　As　Secretary　of　the　Interior　he　had
charge　of　the　Patent　Office；　Census　Bureau；　and　Indian　Service；
all　of　them　requiring　many　appointments。　He　had　attempted　to
introduce　a　sort　of　civil　service　examination　for　applicants　and
had　vehemently　protested　against　political　assessments　levied　on
clerks　in　his　department。　He　especially　offended　Senators　Cameron
and　Chandler；　party　chieftains　who　had　the　ear　of　the　President。
General　Cox　stated　the　matter　plainly：　〃My　views　of　the　necessity
of　reform　in　the　civil　service　had　brought　me　more　or　less　into
collision　with　the　plans　of　our　active　political　managers　and　my
sense　of　duty　has　obliged　me　to　oppose　some　of　their　methods　of
action。〃　These　instances　reveal　how　the　party　chieftains　insisted
inexorably　upon　their　demands。　To　them　the　public　service　was
principally　a　means　to　satisfy　party　ends；　and　the　chief　duty　of
the　President　and　his　Cabinet　was　to　satisfy　the　claims　of　party
necessity。　General　Cox　said　that　distributing　offices　occupied
〃the　larger　part　of　the　time　of　the　President　and　all　his
Cabinet。〃　General　Garfield　wrote　（1877）：　〃One…third　of　the
working　hours　of　Senators　and　Representatives　is　hardly
sufficient　to　meet　the　demands　made　upon　them　in　reference　to
appointments　to　office。〃

By　the　side　of　the　partizan　motives　stalked　the　desire　for　gain。
There　were　those　to　whom　parties　meant　but　the　opportunity　for
sudden　wealth。　The　President's　admiration　for　commercial　success
and　his　inability　to　read　the　motives　of　sycophants　multiplied
their　opportunities；　and　in　the　eight　years　of　his　administration
there　was　consummated　the　baneful　union　of　business　and　politics。

During　the　second　Grant　campaign　（1872）；　when　Horace　Greeley　was
making　his　astounding　run　for　President；　the　New　York　Sun　hinted
at　gross　and　wholesale　briberies　of　Congressmen　by　Oakes　Ames　and
his　associates　who　had　built　the　Union　Pacific　Railroad；　an
enterprise　which　the　United　States　had　generously　aided　with
loans　and　gifts。

Three　committees　of　Congress；　two　in　the　House　and　one　in　the
Senate　（the　Poland　Committee；　the　Wilson　Committee；　and　the
Senate　Committee）；　subsequently　investigated　the　charges。　Their
investigations　disclosed　the　fact　that　Ames；　then　a　member　of　the
House　of　Representatives；　the　principal　stockholder　in　the　Union
Pacific；　and　the　soul　of　the　enterprise；　had　organized；　under　an
existing　Pennsylvania　charter；　a　construction　company　called　the
Credit　Mobilier；　whose　shares　were　issued　to　Ames　and　his
associates。　To　the　Credit　Mobilier　were　issued　the　bonds　and
stock　of　the　Union　Pacific；　which　had　been　paid　for　〃at　not　more
than　thirty　cents　on　the　dollar　in　road…making。〃*　As　the　United
States；　in　addition　to　princely　gifts　of　land；　had　in　effect
guaranteed　the　cost　of　construction　by　authorizing　the　issue　of
Government　bonds；　dollar　for　dollar　and　side　by　side　with　the
bonds　of　the　road；　the　motive　of　the　magnificent　shuffle；　which
gave　the　road　into　the　hands　of　a　construction　company；　was
clear。　Now　it　was　alleged　that　stock　of　the　Credit　Mobilier；
paying　dividends　of　three　hundred　and　forty　per　cent；　had　been
distributed　by　Ames　among　many　of　his　fellow…Congressmen；　in
order　to　forestall　a　threatened　investigation。　It　was　disclosed
that　some　of　the　members　had　refused　point　blank　to　have　anything
to　do　with　the　stock；　others　had　refused　after　deliberation；
others　had　purchased　some　of　it　outright；　others；　alas！；　had
〃purchased〃　it；　to　be　paid　for　out　of　its　own　dividends。

*　Testimony　before　the　Wilson　Committee。


The　majority　of　the　members　involved　in　the　nasty　affair　were
absolved　by　the　Poland　Committee　from　〃any　corrupt　motive　or
purpose。〃　But　Oakes　Ames　of　Massachusetts　and　James　Brooks　of　New
York　were　recommended　for　expulsion　from　the　House　and　Patterson
of　New　Hampshire　from　the　Senate。　The　House；　however；　was　content
with　censuring　Ames　and　Brooks；　and　the　Senate　permitted
Patterson's　term　to　expire；　since　only　five　days　of　it　remained。
Whatever　may　have　been　the　opinion　of　Congress；　and　whatever　a
careful　reading　of　the　testimony　discloses　to　an　impartial　mind
at　this　remote　day；　upon　the　voters　of　that　time　the　revelations
came　as　a　shock。　Some　of　the　most　trusted　Congressmen　were　drawn
into　the　miasma　of　suspicion；　among　them　Garfield；　Dawes；
Scofield；　Wilson；　the　newly　elected　Vice…President；　Colfax；　the
outgoing　Vice…President。　Colfax　had　been　a　popular　idol；　with　the
Presidency　in　his　vision；　now　bowed　and　disgraced；　he　left　the
national　capital　never　to　return　with　a　public　commission。

In　1874　came　the　disclosures　of　the　Whiskey　Ring。　They　involved
United　States　Internal　Revenue　officers　and　distillers　in　the
revenue　district　of　St。　Louis　and　a　number　of　officials　at
Washington。　Benjamin　H。　Bristow；　on　becoming　Secretary　of　the
Treasury　in　June　of　that　year；　immediately　scented　corruption。　He
discovered　that　during　1871…74　only　about　one…third　of　the
whiskey　shipped　from　St。　Louis　had　paid　the　tax　and　that　the
Government　had　been　defrauded　of　nearly　3；000；000。　〃If　a
distiller　was　honest；〃　says　James　Ford　Rhodes；　the　eminent
historian；　〃he　was　entrapped　into　some　technical　violation　of　the
law　by　the　officials；　who　by　virtue　of　their　authority　seized　his
distillery；　giving　him　the　choice　of　bankruptcy　or　a　partnership
in　their　operations；　and　generally　he　succumbed。〃

McDonald；　the　supervisor　of　the　St。　Louis　revenue　district；　was
the　leader　of　the　Whiskey　Ring。　He　lavished　gifts　upon　President
Grant；　who；　with　an　amazing　indifference　and　innocence；　accepted
such　favors　from　all　kinds　of　sources。　Orville　E。　Babcock；　the
President's　private　secretary；　who　possessed　the　complete
confidence　of　the　guileless　general；　was　soon　enmeshed　in　the　net
of　investigation。　Grant　at　first　declared；　〃If　Babcock　is　guilty；
there　is　no　man　who　wants　him　so　much　proven　guilty　as　I　do；　for
it　is　the　greatest　piece　of　traitorism　to　me　that　a　man　could
possibly　practice。〃　When　Babcock　was　indicted；　however；　for
complicity　to　defraud　the　Government；　the　President　did　not
hesitate　to　say　on　oath　that　he　had　never　seen　anything　in
Babcock's　behavior　which　indicated　that　he　was　in　any　way
interested　in　the　Whiskey　Ring　and　that　he　had　always　had　〃great
confidence　in　his　integrity　and　efficiency。〃　In　other　ways　the
President　displayed　his　eagerness　to　defend　his　private
secretary。　The　jury　acquitted　Babcock；　but　the　public　did　not。　He
was　compelled　to　resign　under　pressure　of　public　condemnation；
and　was　afterwards　indicted　for　conspiracy　to　rob　a　safe　of
documents　of　an　incriminating　character。　But　Grant　seems　never　to
have　lost　faith　in　him。　Three　of　the　men　sent　to　prison　for　their
complicity　in　the　whiskey　fraud　were　pardoned　after　six　months。
McDonald；　the　chieftain　of　the　gang；　served　but　one　year　of　his
term。

The　exposure　of　the　Whiskey　Ring　was　followed　by　an　even　more
startling　humiliation。　The　House　Committee　on　Expenditures　in　the
War　Department　recommended　that　General　William　W。　Belknap；
Secretary　of　War；　be　impeached　for　〃high　crimes　and　misdemeanors
while　in　office；〃　and　the　House　unanimously　adopted　the
recommendation。　The　evidence　upon　which　the　committee　based　its
drastic　recommendation　disclosed　the　most　sordid　division　of
spoils　between　the　Secretary　and　his　wife　and　two　rascals　who
held　in　succession　the　valuable　post　of　trader　at　Fort　Sill　in
the　Indian　Territory。

The　committee's　report　was　read　about　three　o'clock　in　the
afternoon　of　March　2；　1876。　In　the　forenoon　of　the　same　day
Belknap　had　sent　his　resignation　to　the　President；　who　had
accepted　it　immediately。　The　President　and　Belknap　were　personal
friends。　But　the　certainty　of　Belknap's　perfidy　was　not　removed
by　the　attitude　of　the　President；　nor　by　the　vote　of　the　Senate
on　the　article　of　impeachment37　guilty；　25　not　guilty…for　the
evidence　was　too　convincing。　The　public　knew　by　this　time　Grant's
childlike　failing　in　sticking　to　his　friends；　and　93　of　the　25
Senators　who　voted　not　guilty　had　publicly　declared　they　did　so；
not　because　they　believed　him　innocent；　but　because　they　believed
they　had　no　jurisdiction　over　an　official　who　had　resigned。

There　were　many　minor　indications　of　the　harvest　which　gross
materialism　was　reaping　in　the　political　field。　State　and　city
governments　were　surrendered　to　political　brigands。　In　1871　the
Governor　of　Nebraska　was　removed　for　embezzlement。　Kansas　was
startled　by　revelations　of　brazen　bribery　in　her　senatorial
elections　（1872…1873）。　General　Schenck；　representing　the　United
States　at　the　Court　of　St。　James；　humiliated　his　country　by
dabbling　in　a　fraudulent　mining　scheme。

In　a　speech　before　the　Senate；　then　trying　General　Belknap；
Senator　George　F。　Hoar；　on　May　6；　1876；　summed　up　the　greater
abominations：

〃My　own　pub