the boss and the machine-第6部分

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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　public　life　has　been　a　very　brief　and　insignificant　one；
extending　little　beyond　the　duration　of　a　single　term　of
senatorial　office。　But　in　that　brief　period　I　have　seen　five
judges　of　a　high　court　of　the　United　States　driven　from　office　by
threats　of　impeachment　for　corruption　or　maladministration。　I
have　heard　the　taunt　from　friendliest　lips；　that　when　the　United
States　presented　herself　in　the　East　to　take　part　with　the
civilized　world　in　generous　competition　in　the　arts　of　life；　the
only　products　of　her　institutions　in　which　she　surpassed　all
others　beyond　question　was　her　corruption。　I　have　seen　in　the
State　in　the　Union　foremost　in　power　and　wealth　four　judges　of
her　courts　impeached　for　corruption；　and　the　political
administration　of　her　chief　city　become　a　disgrace　and　a　byword
throughout　the　world。　I　have　seen　the　chairman　of　the　Committee
on　Military　Affairs　in　the　House　rise　in　his　place　and　demand　the
expulsion　of　four　of　his　associates　for　making　sale　of　their
official　privilege　of　selecting　the　youths　to　be　educated　at　our
great　military　schools。　When　the　greatest　railroad　of　the　world；
binding　together　the　continent　and　uniting　the　two　great　seas
which　wash　our　shores；　was　finished；　I　have　seen　our　national
triumph　and　exaltation　turned　to　bitterness　and　shame　by　the
unanimous　reports　of　three　committees　of　Congresstwo　in　the
House　and　one　herethat　every　step　of　that　mighty　enterprise　had
been　taken　in　fraud。　I　have　heard　in　highest　places　the　shameless
doctrine　avowed　by　men　grown　old　in　public　office　that　the　true
way　by　which　power　should　be　gained　in　the　Republic　is　to　bribe
the　people　with　the　offices　created　for　their　service；　and　the
true　end　for　which　it　should　be　used　when　gained　is　the　promotion
of　selfish　ambition　and　the　gratification　of　personal　revenge。　I
have　heard　that　suspicions　haunt　the　footsteps　of　the　trusted
companions　of　the　President。〃

These　startling　facts　did　not　shatter　the　prestige　of　the
Republicans；　the　〃Saviors　of　the　Union；〃　nor　humble　their
leaders。　One　of　them；　Senator　Foraker；　says*：　〃The　campaign
（1876）　on　the　part　of　the　Democrats　gave　emphasis　to　the　reform
idea　and　exploited　Tilden　as　the　great　reform　governor　of　New
York　and　the　best　fitted　man　in　the　country　to　bring　about
reforms　in　the　Government　of　the　United　States。　No　reforms　were
needed：　but　a　fact　like　that　never　interfered　with　a　reform
campaign。〃　The　orthodoxy　of　the　politician　remained　unshaken。
Foraker's　reasons　were　the　creed　of　thousands：　〃The　Republican
party　had　prosecuted　the　war　successfully；　had　reconstructed　the
States；　had　rehabilitated　our　finances；　and　brought　on　specie
redemption。〃　The　memoirs　of　politicians　and　statesmen　of　this
period；　such　as　Cullom；　Foraker；　Platt；　even　Hoar；　are　imbued
with　an　inflexible　faith　in　the　party　and　colored　by　the
conviction　that　it　is　a　function　of　Government　to　aid　business。
Platt；　for　instance；　alluding　to　Blaine's　attitude　as　Speaker；　in
the　seventies；　said：　〃What　I　liked　about　him　was　his　frank　and
persistent　contention　that　the　citizen　who　best　loved　his　party
and　was　loyal　to　it；　was　loyal　to　and　best　loved　his　country。〃
And　many　years　afterwards；　when　a　new　type　of　leader　appeared
representing　a　new　era　of　conviction；　Platt　was　deeply　concerned。
His　famous　letter　to　Roosevelt；　when　the　Rough　Rider　was　being
mentioned　for　Governor　of　New　York　（1899）；　shows　the　reluctance
of　the　old　man　to　see　the　signs　of　the　times：　〃The　thing　that
really　did　bother　me　was　this：　I　had　heard　from　a　great　many
sources　that　you　were　a　little　loose　on　the　relations　of　capital
and　labor；　on　trusts　and　combinations；　and　indeed　on　the　numerous
questions　which　have　recently　arisen　in　politics　affecting　the
security　of　earnings　and　the　right　of　a　man　to　run　his　own
business　in　his　own　way；　with　due　respect　of　course　to　the　Ten
Commandments　and　the　Penal　Code。〃

*　〃Notes　from　a　Busy　Life〃；　vol。　I。；　98。


The　leaders　of　both　the　great　parties　firmly　and　honestly
believed　that　it　was　the　duty　of　the　Government　to　aid　private
enterprise；　and　that　by　stimulating　business　everybody　is　helped。
This　article　of　faith；　with　the　doctrine　of　the　sanctity　of　the
party；　was　a　natural　product　of　the　conditions　outlined　in　the
beginning　of　this　chapterthe　war　and　the　remarkable　economic
expansion　following　the　war。　It　was　the　cause　of　the　alliance
between　business　and　politics。　It　made　the　machine　and　the　boss
the　sinister　and　ever　present　shadows　of　legitimate　organization
and　leadership。



CHAPTER　IV。　THE　POLITICIAN　AND　THE　CITY

The　gigantic　national　machine　that　was　erected　during　Grant's
administration　would　have　been　ineffectual　without　local　sources
of　power。　These　sources　of　power　were　found　in　the　cities；　now
thriving　on　the　new…born　commerce　and　industry；　increasing
marvelously　in　numbers　and　in　size；　and　offering　to　the　political
manipulator　opportunities　that　have　rarely　been　paralleled。*

*　Between　1860　and　1890　the　number　of　cities　of　8000　or　more
inhabitants　increased