The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-08-26

State Debt, proceeded to the
Office as the Fiscal Agent of the
State, early in the spring of 1871,
and about s O'Clock a. M, in
formed said agent, Mr.. Jno.
Gaines, that certain funding
bill was already signed by the
proper officers, and had become a
law, though, as a 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 in
volved, said public frlnctionary
drew without authority of law
and to the injury and deprivation
of other good citizens having
just claims on file, in behalf Of
himself and a few favorites, more
than 100000 of bonds as pro-
vided for in said funding bill.
The man who did this, now pub
icly proclaims that he has never
been a party to any fraud!
Again, the same public func-
tionary, while acting as Commits
sioner of Public Printing, gave q
contract to a paper, one-third Of
which he owns, involving an ex-
penditure of public money,
amounting to not less than $780,
600 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 payment for
work done under legal contracts,
because the parties interested IN
the contracts do not belong to
his cabal and clique, and refuse
to be his political vassals.
The same public functionary
agreed, for the consideration of a
bribe of $4,000 and two and one
half per cent. Of the profits Of
the scheme, to affix his official
signature to the NicolsOn pave
ment cOntract-a measure which
he asserted to be infamous-but
now he has the audacity to claim
honesty of purpose because he re-
fused to accept $4,000 as a
sufficient consideration for said
signature.
was never dismissed from the
army during the war for un-
oMcer-like conduct, nor have l
ever been indicted for stealing
cotton since the war.
How does his Excellency like
tho contrasts?
I must decline explaining or
defending my private life at the
instance of his Excellency. The
public have made no inquiSitiOns
on that subject, and if they
should feel sufficient interest in
me to do so, it is not probable
they will seek truthful informa-
ton from the young stranger
who occupies the Gubernatorial
chair Of Louisiana. My first ac-
quaintance with this young man
was in 1867, when he brought a
letter Of introduction to me, and
requested me to act as his attor-
ney in an Indictment then pend
ing in the Federal Court against
him for the ENLIGHTENMENT Of pub
lie moneys while acting as cotton
agent in Texas. Up to January,
1871, I had intimate and frequent
social intercourse with him, and
was frequently consulted upon
matters legal and political. I'm
der the circumstances it is proba-
BILE that am as we'll acquainted
with his private life as he can
possibly be with mine. 1 have
never felt disposed Or at liberty,
when discussing and criticising
his Excellency on the stump or
in the press, to use the informa-
ton thus obtained relative to his
private character.
His intrusion into my privacy
somewhat embarrasses me as to
the course to be pursued by me.
Were he a gentleman, he would
not have dragged my private re-
cord into this controversy, but
having done so, he should prompt
ly have placed himself in a posi-
ton in which he could have been
reached and held responsible for
the outrage perpetrated, even if
it had involved the resignation of
his office. But the official sur
roundings Of his Excellency, like
the divinity which hedges in a
king, makes it difficult to reach
him as promptly as his insolence
,,oor;fe x,ot u11acfinn when hi G