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