Ulysses S. Grant left office on March 4, 1877, bringing to an end what was at time the most corrupt presidency in our history. Grant won the Civil War, and for that was given a pass by his contemporaries and even historians to a degree. But he knew his administration was a cesspool. In his final address to Congress, he said, “it was my fortune, or misfortune, to be called to the office of Chief Executive without any previous political training… It is not to be wondered at if a person thus situated should sometimes err in judgment… Failures have been errors of judgment, not of intent.” Fun fact about Grant: he was born Hiram Ulysses Grant, but on entering West Point decided US Grant made for better initials than HUG.
Warren G. Harding died on August 2, 1923, bringing to an end what was at time the most corrupt presidency in our history. His successor, Calvin Coolidge declared on January 27, 1924, that a special bipartisan counsel would be appointed to investigate the corruption of the administration in which he served as Vice President. He said at the time, “if there is any guilt it will be punished; if there is any civil liability it will be enforced; if there is any fraud it will be revealed; and if there are any contracts which are illegal, they will be canceled.” If you know Coolidge, you know that was a lot more words than he normally used. In fact, this quote is often attributed as simply, “let the guilty be punished,” which is way more concise and fits better with Silent Cal’s renowned brevity.
Richard Nixon resigned from office in disgrace on August 8, 1974, bringing to an end what was at time the most corrupt presidency in our history. The next day, his successor, Gerald Ford, stated, “our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule.” That’s about the right amount of words for Ford. Even so, it’s usually quoted as simply, “our long national nightmare is over.” Fun fact about Ford: he was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr, but was renamed when his mom remarried Gerald R. Ford, Sr.
You see where this is going? That’s right, every hundred years a future president changes his name. Also, every half century we get a do-over on corruption in government, and every half century we fail. Santayana knows why. And Santa knows if you’ve bad or good.
Grant’s public failure as President did not stop the next 20 years of leaders from trying to out-do him. Special shout out to James Garfield, who might have put the country back on course were it not for an assassin who wanted a piece of the pie. And just to say it, Garfield was followed by his Vice President, Chester Arthur, who had been one of the most corrupt men of his era but found the fortitude in office to begin the civil service reform that would bring to an end that part of the corruption. We call the period after Grant the Gilded Age. “Gilded Age” was meant as an insult. Mark Twain coined it as a way of saying that we were pretending it was a golden age, but “the golden gleam of the gilded surface hides a cheapness of the metal underneath.” Our current President loves the era so much that he is literally gilding every surface he sees. Most of us can’t name the Gilded Age Presidents because they didn’t do anything. Our country was being led by wealthy industrialists, not by elected leaders.
Unlike the rot of the Gilded Age, after both Harding and Nixon, we had the good fortune of being led by morally upright leaders. Both Coolidge and Ford knew they were following disastrous Presidents. They both ascended from the Vice Presidency following the unexpected loss of their predecessor, and they were both humble men from “working-class” backgrounds who each followed a deeply personal moral code set in place from their childhoods. In both cases, the corruption ended with the swearing in of a new leader. Though with each of these instances, more trust has eroded in our government.
That brings us to now. We likely have another 2 years left in what is currently the most corrupt presidency in our history. Regardless of how it feels, this will end. We will be given another opportunity to begin again. I’m placing this here now as a reminder to the five people who will read it that the selection of our next leader will determine whether we go deeper into the fire or quickly rise from the ashes.
As we leave this era behind us, please know that history teaches that corrupt Presidents do not get punished except by historians. Albert Fall went to prison for a year, and Harding got a monument. Seven members of the Nixon administration went prison, and Nixon got a library. Don’t hope for retribution, pray for salvation.
Weirdly, though I disagree with all of his politics, I believe our current Vice President fits the Coolidge/Ford mold and may surprise us all if he found himself in the same position. I also fear he is so deep in the pockets of modern industrialists that he could lead us into another dark age. And while I want to trust his stories of working-class roots and a strong moral compass, the fact is that moral people don’t have to tell you they’re moral. Christians don’t have to tell you they’re Christians. “By their fruits you will know them.”
Once the midterms have ended, the candidates for President will begin to make themselves known. It will be more important than ever that all parties select leaders of strong character. This will be a time for serious people who can do the serious work of healing our wounded nation. And if they can do it silently, Cal will approve. Let the guilty be punished, the gilding removed and let our long national recurring nightmare finally come to an end.
