the boss and the machine-第7章

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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　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　thei