The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-07-29
Congressional Extravaganza and Corruption

| From the National Intelligencer.]
When the record of the acts of the present Con-
gress comes to be shown it will be found to have
passed any conception of plain honest in waste
u extraVagance in fostering startling frauds and pro-
noting corrupt schemes Of special legislation for the
benefit OF few favored individuals at the public ex-
pense While making loud pretensions of economy in
small things it has been unstinted in lavishing extra
ordinary appropriations upon simple partisan projects
and In giving subsidies and endowments with princey
generosity to various schemes of private and ndivd
ual speculation AS yet, since the beginning OF the
fortleth Congress- not one sing gle measure has been
perfected for the public benefit All of its acts have
been exclusively devoted to partisan special legsa
ton While protesting great for the interest
Of the working classes Of the people, it has imposed
upon the labor of the country enormously increased
burdens for the benefit: of the capitalists and bond
holders While refusing the poor pittance of twenty
per cent increase of pay to the department employees,
it has nearly doubled the pay of its members and
the salaries of its particular servants While for
the sake OF seeming to be economical it cuts down
the regular and indispensable appropriations so as to-
render unavoidable hereafter tremendous deficiency
bill in every department of the Government, it is
squanderng hundreds Of millions in aid of private
specuations in the way of subsidies, and land grants
and special privileges, whereby few favortes
abed to realise almost fabulous fortunes at the expense
OF the Government and the tax-burdened people.
1t used to be that the manipulation of such schemes
OF private profit was confined to the lobby, and that
they were warily brought forward and long inter-
walls. Now it appears that these speculations upon
special Congressional legislation unblushingy pre-
sented by hundreds and it is said that the quondam
business of the lobby has been transferred to the
floors of the two Houses.
The number of railroad and steamship enterprises
of this character, demanding enormous subsidies in
Government bonds and land grants, at moment when
the life of the nation itself is in imminent peril, and
when tie people absolutely staggering under the
fearful load of debt is Incredible Among these there
enumerated over twenty railroad bills, all proVid-
ing for extraordinary subsidies in bonds and land and
FIVE six steamship bills comforting unprecedented
privileges and extravagant bonuses One of the latter
has already passed the House of Representatives. CIV
ing to hypothetical New York company, that has not
dollar of capital paid up nor single stick ahoat, an
enormous bonus together with the exclusive monopoly
of the transportation of all our foreign mails This
immense project of private speculation, so unjust to
all existing steamship lines, and so wildly extrav-
agant in imposing additional burdens of public debt
upon the of the people, is, we believe still
pending in the Senate awaiting favorable opportun-
ity to be passed through that body. This scheme OF
public plunder has been approached IN extrava
gance and excusiveness since the exposition and wip
ing out by a Democratic administration and Demo-
cratic Congress Of the great Cous subsidy for similar
purposes.
1t is due to the people that their attention should be
called to these transactions in Congress- and that their
outrageous character should be merciessly exposed.
-~e>-------
PERSONAL APPEARANCE OF Gov. SEYMoUR.-Sey-
mour's appearance as he took the chair in Tammany
Hall is thus described "Seymour is dressed in the
old style shad-bey coat which is butoned across his
chest leaving open diamond shaped portion OF ire
proachabe white linen and very neatly arranged
black neck-tie of moderate dimensions The head is
we'll shaped, and set gracefully back firm pair of
shoulders and the lower part of the face, below the
eyes, is almost perfect oval The eyes of bril-
liant brown COLOR and shine like diamonds beneath
firmly balanced forehead, which is bald, the badness
extending back as far the back part of the skull.
The mouth is pleasant and mobile, and when Seymour
smiles at you, the feeling produced is genial one.
This is cultured man, man OF free taste and high
purposes man of elegant dction and also of power
full analysis The skin of the face is salow and thin
seam of white whskers encrcles the throat under the
chin Why is it that all men of mind or mark in the
worlds struggles have this peculiar saow skin It
has always been an accompaniment if not an indlca-
ton of genius. The Caesars, Napoleon, Frederick,
Tuly, Turenne, Disraeli, Henry Clay, Webster and
many other of similar celebrity, have had or have sal
low SKINS The dress of Seymour is in perfect accor-
dance with good taste, for Horato Seymour IS gen.
tleman first last and all the time. When he makes
gesture it is dgnifed, and yet graceful His voice,
Slightly impaired yesterday by bad cod is correct in
its ntonations, full and, when approaching climax,
resonant The hands, when lifted in air, white
like woman's, and the fingers senderly shaped,
When speaking all eyes and ears are turned his way,
and his influence on large body of men is magnetic
and thorough. His long and steadfast adherence to
Democratic principles his persistence in the right,
through good and i'll report has made the name Of Ho
ratio Seymour dear one to oil Democrats. 10 the
humblest man in the party he is courteous, polite and
kind in his manner. His knowledge Of parliamentary
law is full. His manner OF recognising delegate on
the floor is all that could be desired and man in the
house ever looks at him for five minutes without feel
ing that he is worthy Of being the chairman Of the
convention"