New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-04
xPnOvIDENr SIGNATURE.

NPROVIDENT SIGNATURE.
Many a man has lost his fortune and
reputation by lending his signature to "a
friend or afi1ing it to the wrong piece Of
paper. We have book now before US
the report of the Senate Committee on
Privileges and Elections in the Louisiana
case-which contains several hundred
examples in point. Our shopkeepers
were waited upon year or SO ago by
young gentlemen with books under theft
arms, for signatures to protest against
what it was popular at that time TO call
1 the Kellogg usurpation. All the smaller
fry signed the protest, of course, being
persuaded thereto partly by the tiattering
thought that their names were considered
of any importance by anybody, and partly
by the consideration OF advantage to their
shops in having them advertised in big
book. But divers and sundry bank ard
insurance presidents signed the document
officially, without consulting their boards
Of directors. thus binding the prop.
erty OF others in . political matter
about which there was an angry dispute.
At the meeting Of the Chamber Of Com.
haerce on Monday night, two bank pyesi.
dents. who signed this protest. were ar.
raigned for having lent their cticialsigns.
lures to a memorial in the interest Of The
Towboat Association, and against the
slight improvements which have hereto
fore been prosecuted by Major Howell at
the mouth of the river. Mr.. Kennedy
protested that he had signed the docu.
ment in his individual capacity and not
as president of the State National Bank.
But he should have known that Il
was because Of the position he &C.
cupied as the head @! a big bank
that the sowboat men came TO him. !
Were he to lose his situation. lis sigma.
ture would not be worth asking for. He
was, for the time being, a large corpora
ton whose moral influence was wanted in
support of measure that many of |
MIR. Kennedy's clients disapprove OF.
and are earnestly opposing. He thus
not only lent his own influence. but
that Of the bank 10 promote
the schemes of an interest that has been
the means of defeating an appropriation
for improving the mouth of the river
MIR. Kennedy defends by saying that he
merely signed as private citizen. not
To this we say it makes 40
Inference what mental reservation be
made, the Towboat Company published
he signature as that of the president Of
he State National Bank, an institution
hat is known far and wide, whereas Mr..
Kennedy, IN his private capacity. does
lot enjoy that distinction. Mr.. Oglesby
lso signed the towboat memorial, but
onfesses he did not know what its pur-
'ort was. Had he known what he was
sked to sign he would have refused. |
Now, we do not attach much :mpor-
ance to these signatures. one way or
mother. The majority Q! men have a
abit Of lending their names to anybody
Ia: asks il. for any objec. tina. does not
lyolye q demand for money, and those
no make the application invariably cor
rue g com plia.ce as the consent Of the
ian in his highest capacity. II his ebay
cter be higher. than his Office. then they
Ike him On that. But in the case o. .
[essrs. Oglesby and Kennedy. re sus.
ect it was the bank presidents. no: the
ldividuals which the towboa: men were 3
ter And they hooked then. il. easily.
! the very first trial. a