Talk:Ulysses S. Grant

Cotton trade
This article is interesting giving better input on Lincoln, Grant, and the cotton trade.
 * "In an ironic twist, General Grant saw and condemned the corruption inherent in the trade, but later he became renown for an administration characterized by his associates' corruption. Lincoln oversaw a system whereby his associates gained even at the possible cost of prolonging the war, but we revere him as "Honest" Abe. Lincoln was at least sensitive to the potential scandal from the cotton trade. On some instances he refused to issue permits because of the impropriety involved. Still, the cotton trade, with its attendant profitability, probably posed too great a temptation for any set of men to avoid some sinful behavior; Lincoln was not surrounded by saints."
 * Source: Traders or Traitors: Northern Cotton Trading During the Civil War David G. Surdam (1999) Department of Economics Loyola University of Chicago

Semi-protected edit request on 9 May 2024
Change Grant's military rank to General of the Armies, in December 2022 Congress authorized his rank posthumously to General of the Armies. Which is equivalent to John J. Pershing and George Washington's rank, although Washington outranks everyone. 96.59.81.49 (talk) 00:35, 9 May 2024 (UTC)


 * I think, the law does not promote him (merely authorizes his promotion) there actually has to be a President/Pentagon process that does the promotion, so contact the White House to see when they will get around to doing all the necessary paperwork, his birthday or some other important date, perhaps. (See General of the Armies and following, and ). I wish there were more clarity.Alanscottwalker (talk) 01:19, 9 May 2024 (UTC)

Under President Grant the Federal Income Tax was abolished and gold money was restored - but the article does not properly cover these matters.
The two most important things that happened under President Grant were the abolition of the Federal Income Tax and the restoration of gold money - the restoration of gold money is covered in the article, but low down (whereas things such as the Civil Service Commission get a leading position in the article) and the abolition of the Federal Income Tax does not seem to be covered at all. The pro Big Government bias of the article is extreme - with such things as the Civil Service Commission, which did not really advance far under President Grant, being covered - but such things as the abolition of the Federal Income Tax basically ignored. 2A02:C7C:E183:AC00:60E1:9BC9:93D1:5E30 (talk) 20:31, 12 May 2024 (UTC)


 * The income tax was not so much abolished, as allowed to expire, without Congress having to pass a bill or Grant having to sign it. There was debate about it, but the heavy lifting was done by Congress, not by Grant.  I do not know if it is mentioned in any of the major Grant biographies.  If our sources do not treat it as "the most important thing that happened", we cannot treat it as such ourselves. Bruce leverett (talk) 22:55, 14 May 2024 (UTC)


 * I would not call the Civil Service Commission "Big Goverment". It's main purpose was ensure well qualified lower appointments, rather than political cronies appointed. I believe under Grant, CSC's reforms were not always binding or mandatory. Is there a source that says when the Federal Income tax was not renewed ? Cmguy777 (talk) 02:31, 12 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Got it. Here is the link from the National Archives: The Civil War taxes were not immediately repealed at the end of the war but continued in force until 1872, when the Grant administration sponsored the repeal of most of the "emergency" taxes. The federal tax on whiskey was kept. That did not stop the whiskey distillers from illegally evading the tax. Cmguy777 (talk) 02:40, 12 June 2024 (UTC)
 * But back to big government, the only big government legislation under Grant, possibly, was the creation of the Justice Department. That eventually ballooned into a big government federal Department. But when it started it was under staffed. Grant used it to prosecute the Klan. Cmguy777 (talk) 03:16, 12 June 2024 (UTC)
 * My claim that the Civil War income tax was "not so much abolished, as allowed to expire", was from this paper by Sheldon Pollack, which is cited in Income tax in the United States. Bruce leverett (talk) 00:04, 13 June 2024 (UTC)