The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-07-05

he can hnd just as good SD0afdfnS ~
any mans wants require for thirty
dollars per month or less. For this
amount any man, even a Senator, can
obtain all he wants to eat. Houses
can be rented for fifty or sixty dollars
a moDtl, that will accommodate any
moderate sized family just as comfort
ably as one costing FIVE times that
amount. Now, if a Senator really re-
quires more to eat, if he needs softer
beds, finer grained furniture, more
luxuriant upholstering, and longer
train of servants than his constituents
there may be some reason for assum-
ing that it costs him more to live.
Mr.. Carpenter says that such things
are necessary in order to retain in
fluence. 1t has been the general i'm
preston that Senator Carpenters vast
influence was gained and retained by
virtue of the great intellect that all
will admit he possesses and not be-
cause of the style he assumes. If his
position is correct one it is time the
people began to take alarm. 1t is
brains and not money that should in
fuence the legislation Of our country.
Senator Carpenter living in garnet
should, and, for that matter, would,
have greater influence in this country
than any brainless millionaire living
in mansion.
But he says our legislators should
be paid equally with men Of the same
amount of ability in other pursuits,
and cites the cases of Senator Howe
and his brother, one at 81 500 in the
Senate, the other at $4,000 i'll the
service of a railroad company. But
there is one difference that he does
not mention. Senator Howe's duties
as Senator occupy about half of his
time. Colonel Howe's duties require
all his time. Besides is there no value
to he placed on the honor Of the name
of the United States Senator? / am
afraid not if few more such bills as
the back-pay grab are enacted by this
body.
But have already devoted too much
space to this subject, and must pass it
by for the present at least.
Rich Developments are expected
from the great libel suit of Shepherd
Us. Dana. The plaintiff is Alexander
r. Shepherd, president of the Board
of Public Works Of the District of
Columbia. The defendant is Charles
A. Dana, editor of the New York Sun.
Dana was arrested on Thursday at
New York upon warrant issued by
United States Commissioner johnson,
of this District.
On the 10th of the present month an
article appeared i'll the Sun dated at
Washington, June 9, headed ''Credit
Mobilier No. 2; The Washington
Ring and the Metropolitan Paving
Company; The influence of Congress
men purchased with Stock Robbing
of People and cheating dead mans
Estate; The Huntington Suit" in
which Mr.. Shepherd was charged with
being a stakeholder in the Metropol-
itan Paving Company and exercising
control Of its affairs Notwithstanding
he had sworn bfore I. Congressional
investigating committee that he had
no interest in it and nothing whatever
to do with its affairs, thus theoretically
charging him with perjury.
The case excites a great deal of in
terest here, and various opinions are
expressed as to the probable result of
the trial. 1t is to be hoped that one
result will be bringing into some sort
of shape, Or else dispelling forever,
the dark rumors that have been float
ing around in this city for year or
more concerning frauds committed by
the Board of Public Works. If the
old saying ''where there is so much
smoke there must be some fire. be
true there must be something wrong
in the management of the affairs of
this Board. There are certainly some
very strange things connected there
with. 1t is little remarkable that
every newspaper in the city, without
|any exception, supports the Board,