New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-19
A ELF-CONDEMNED REFORMER,

When Speaker Carter placed himself a
the head Of the so-called reforners, anG
put the United States treasury to the ex
pense Of publishing an organ for the
calculation Of his new hobby, he did not
probably, foresee the numberless cross
ings of his own trail that would be in.
volved in the prosecution Of the enter
prise. And he lost sight of the pointed
application to his own case which the
following suggestion from his own pen
bears:
! To suggest measures in reform of mis-
chiefs originally instigated by himself. was
TO confess that, although he had been a
knave, he meant to forstall rebuke by
| beng IN the van to correct the evils.
AS reform is to be the order of the dav
by the general agreement of all parties,
those engaged in the work can not do
better than begin with the greatest mis-
chiefs, and, after having disposed of
them, proceed with others of less magni-
tude. And IN taking the altitude of the
wrongs committed against the State, it is
easy to discover that the practices of the
Speaker and his fellow reformers in the
last House Of Representatives loom up in
the Hottest proportions. More than
three-quarters of a million Of dollars for
per diem, mileage, contingent expenses,
extra mileage" extra ''per diem," ETC.,
for body Of one hundred men in sixty
days is something so far ahead of any
other known mischief" that it naturally
challenges the first attention. The report
that has been prepared on this subject,
and which will be laid before the public
at the proper time and place, will disclose
systematic and we'll contrived plan to
cheat the State out Of hundreds Of thou
sands OF dollars. Committees were per-
mitted to present claims for travelling ex-
penses, clerk hire, stationery, room rent,
fuel, etc, for which no service had ever
been performed, or needed, and for
which not a dollars worth of the material
had ever been furnished. The awful roll
will show the names Of the recipients of
these large sums Of money, and the parties
chiefly to blame for allowing the claims
The Speakers name occupies the same
position in all these transactions that it
does on the roll of the House 1t stands
first in responsibility, and, no doubt, fore
most among the benefciaries. To set
himself up as a reformer on general prin-
clples now, pledges Mr.. Carter to the effort
to apply remedy to the great and crush
ing mischief Of extravaganza in the con-
tingert expenses Of the House. And to
attack that is to attack himself, as lie is
the author and chief manipulation Of the
egregious swindle.
BY his procurement and influence many
resolutions were passed which authorized
expenditures, and by his
committees were formed for
no earthly reason than to provide his
friends with money during the summer
vacation. His own name appears as a
member Of several committees, and as
such he has drawn money from the treas
,1ry under the pretense Of extra service.
He was Speaker for only little more than
half the session, but he improved his |
time He was called upon to reward his
friends for placing him in the chair Of the
House. And how he accomplished this
the report Of the experts plainly points
out If Speaker Carter is in favor Of re-
forming the abuses of his own creation in