New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-16
MR. CARTER,S CARD.

llftlls etc.
In his card, Mr.. Carter deals literally
in inuendo, but makes as We understand
it, only three distinct charges against the
Governor.
The following is his first charge:
A high public functionary. holding by
special act the Office of one of the Liquida
tors of the State Debt, proceeded to the
Office as the Fiscal Agent Of the State early
in the spring of 1871, and about A. M. in.
that certain funding bill was already
signed by the proper officers, and had be-
come law. though, as matter of fact,
said bill was not signed Until five hours
thereafter by the Speaker of the House
and, by such false representation of the
facts involved, said public functionary drew,
without authority of law, and to the injury
and deprivation of other good citizens hay
ing just claims on file, in behalf of himself
and few favorites, more than $4,000 OF
bonds as provided for in said funding bill.
The man who did this now publicly pro-
claims that he has never been a party to
any fraud!
By which we learn that the Speaker of
the House considers his signature neces-
sary to give validity to law, and thereby
virtually arrogates to himself the veto
power. Further, we may remind Mr..
Carter that the whole transaction was ex-
amined by both the District and Supreme
Courts, and the action of the Governor
and the commissioners sustained. A
wrong involving the possession OF three
hundred thousand dollars can not be per-
petrated in a community of law and JUS
tice. And Mr.. Carter, in his rather OBJ
scure charges against the Governor,
assails the judicial tribunals of the State.
If men are to be the last arbiters in
cases in which they are pecuniarily inter-
ested, and will insist upon their biased
views, even after impartial men have de-
cided against them, there is very little
use for legal tribunals. The ''good citi
zens" who were too late to get any of
these bonds were no better, nor any more
entitled to precedence than the ''other
good citizens" who did apply to the COM
missioners in time. 1t is question in
which the State has no interest. nor yet
the public. 1t was merely case of
private enterprise, in which one party
succeeded in obtaining legal advantage
over the other. The second charge is q
chronic subject of complaint with the
honorable Speaker:
Again, the same public functionary, while
acting as commissioner of public printing,
gave a contract to a paper, one-third of
which he owns, involving an expenditure
of public money, amounting to not less
than $350,00 annually. The man who does
this, at the same time assumes the position
of a Cerberus at the door of the public
treasury. and is so Just as to refuse pay
ment for work done under legal contracts,
because the parties interested in the con-
tracts do not belong to his cabal and clique,
and refuse to be his political vassals.
The commissioners of public printing,
in 1868, unanimously agreed to give the
public printing to the only Republican
daily in the State; and when the contract
expired, majority of the board followed
he wise precedent and did the same thing
When the first contract was given, Gov
9rnor .Warmoth did not own an interest
n the REPUBLICAN, and the fact that he
became the owner of two
hundred and ninety-five shares out of
eleven hundred was not deemed sufficient
o take away the printing from the only
laily paper in the State that deserved it,
md the only Republican paper that could
10 the work. This would be an act of
injustice to the other stockholders, one of
which Mr.. Carter himself wished to be-
ome; but he offered rather hard terms,
which the stockholders would not consent
o. Besides, Mr.. Carter has himself given
printing contract to the Cameron Times,
f which he is half owner; and this con-
ract was given before the first number of
he Times was published. And it has not |
cen issued since the laws were published, |
0 far as anybody in this city (even the
onorable gentleman himself) knows any
hing about it. When the State contracted |
18th the REPUBLICAN, it negotiated with |
live newspaper, older than the State
overnment, and, to a great extent, its
rchitect; but when it gave the printing
the laws and proceedings of both
ouses to the Cameron Times, it was en-
aged in the hopeless task of breathing
fe into concern that had no existence,
nd never succeeded in giving more than
feint kick or two. The work we have
one for the State was necessary for the
ublic service, and it has been well done,
i'd inadequately paid for.
And now for the third charge:
The same public functionary agreed for
lie consideration of bride of $4,000, and
yo and One-half per cent of the profits of
lie scheme, to affix his official signature to
le NicolsOn pavement CONTRACT measure
hich he asserted 10 be infamous-but now
has the audaeity to claim honesty of pur-
,se because he refused to accept $4,000 as
sufficient consideration for said signature.
This charge is predicated upon a card
in the Times by Mr. Walsh, and
spends solely upon his testimony for
.oof Narrowed down to a sentence. it
this: Certain parties offered to bride the
overnor of the State to sign bill he
fought Ubiquitous. They offered him
$4,000, which he declined to accept. 1t
not very material to the controversy
know whether the Governor wanted
ore or not. 1t is admitted that he did
ot accept the offer And, if we know
lything of human nature, we are safe in
ying that he never offered to sign