The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-06-04
THE STATE HOUSE JOB.
WHO is ENTITLED TO THE CREDIT OF THE
EXPOSE.

WHO Is ENTITLED TO THE CREDIT OF THE
EXPOSE.
The Republican rather disingenuOusly at
tempts to pluck from the brows Of the
youthful BULLETIN the credit attaching to
the expose of the State House swindle'
which it says was g not much OF shower, u
after all, anu that the LOuisianian is entitled
to the credit of first laying the case fail ly
before the public. Unfortunately for the
Republican, the facts will not substantiate
that statement.
On the LIST of April we published an arti-
Gle more than column in length, airing the
whole matter, with the exception Of the
nineteen years lease, which az that time had
not been determined upon. Not single
paper except the Bee, we believe, took the
trouble to notice the matter for more than
three weeks, and on Wednesday, the 22d of
April, the BULLETIN published the facts in
full, giving the recorded lease, names of
parties in interest, etc.
1t was not Until the Saturday following
that the Louisanian published an account of
the matter and its facts, the lease, etc,
were taken from the BULLETIN, uithout
credit.
The article of the Louisionian was severely
condemnatory of the scheme, and by some
unaccountabfe mistake, it was copied in
the Republican a few days after, which fact
must have escaped the memory of the editor
of the Republican, for on May the 18th, the
public read in the columns Of the organ the
following unequivocal endorsement of a
scheme than which few things more nefari-
GUS have been attempted in this State:
TIE STATE CAPITAL.
The efforts of certain Republicans to locate
the State capital in this city permanently
meets with the same disfavOr that has been
shown to every project proposed for the ad-
vancement Of this city since the Republican
party came into power.
And now they are endeavoring to defeat
another project instituted for the benefit OF
New Orleans-that of locating the seat of
government perman entity here by the rent
ing of State House for term Of
years at a less price than is now be-
ing paid by the State for the necessary
public offices of its State Otficers-the
same to become the property of the State
without further cost at the end of the
lease. This we understand to be the cOndi-
tons of the contract entered into by the
Board of State House Commissioners ard
the New Orleans Building Association, and
under that contract the Building AssOcia-
ton are now making the necessary changes
in the st. Louis Hotel, purchased for the
purpose-with the view Of making it suit
Al f,r r 10 nfxT1 f1afi
it will cost that association one hundred
thousand dollars to do the necessary work
on the building. 1t is already furnishing
work for large number Of hands, at a
cost of over two thousand dollars week
for labor alone, and property in the neigh
borhOOd has materially enhanced in value
since il has become known that the st. Louis
Hotel is to be made into permanent State
House. Without knowing the particulars
OF this arrangement to make New Orleans
the permanent capital of the State, we are
inclined to indorse it because it will benefit
our city and, as we understand it, the State.
Besides, it will prove grea: public conye-
nience to have all the public offices of the
State in one building. Under all the cir
we do not see how any citizen
of New Orleans, who has it's interests at
heart, can object to having the capital per
located here.
After such an Endorsement it is trenching
a little on the ridiculous for the RepubH-
,an to say now that "We never regarded
this as a very serious matter, as we are
aware that no more than $4,000 can be
spent for rents of public buildings without
additional authority from the Legislature.
md it will be time enough to seriously dis
,uss such proposition when it shall come
Up. The terms Of the new lease appear to
IS very favorable to the State"
The attempt to crawl out of indorsing the
scheme is about as lame as the attempt to
grest from the BULLETIN whatever credit |
nay attach to exposing the fraud, and
hereby preventing its consummation. The
BULLETIN is young, but it can point proudly |
% its record. 1t has exposed fraud and
irregularities whenever found in high or
ow places, and has been in that regard no
Of persons or of politics. We are
confident even our enemies will accord us
his much, and the Republican itself in its
ucid moments will acknowledge it.