The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-05-06
COMMITTEE OF. SEVENTY AND THE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The visit of the Committee of Seventy.
Monday night. to the Chamber Of Commerce
was timely and eminently proper, under the
circumstances, and the action taken VIII
meet with general appreciation.
That 50 respectable a body as the Chamber
of Commerce. composed as it is of some OF our
most prominent merchants and citizens, and
organized exclusively for the promotion OF
the commercial and material interests Of thi,
city, should lend itself to political schemes
or the advancement Of individual interests,
naturally excited the surprise and indIgna-
ton of the community.
As a body, it was not believed for an in
slant that the political sentiments VI It's
members could be msrepresented, but when
the political antecedents and present party
utilization Of its President, Mr.. JOS. H..
O Llesby, were taken into consideration, 1t
gave rise to Just and natural suspicion
that its pame might be used for improper
and reprehensible purposes. The report
having gained circulation that eX-Gov.
IIebert, the representative and delegate OF
the Chamber of Commerce OF this city III
Washington in behalf Of the Fort ST. Philip
Canal, pretended also to speak for tie
Chamber upon the Louisiana question, and
), say that the Kellogg government gave
satisfaction to the people of Louisiana, most
of whom we're opposed to ne" election.
Hence the promptness of the committee
in elicitng positive denial from the Cham
Der of Commerce OF any such delegated
authority to Gov. Hebert.
The fact that Mr.. Oglesby is the present
fiscal agent of the State and interested IN
the gigantic State House job, by which the
State is to be despoiled of $4,000, is suf-
ticient to identify him so closely with the in
terests and welfare of the Kellogg dynasty
as to induce him to use all of his energies
to continue it in power. In fact, he has
been heard to say that he had accomplished
more than any man in the State to prevent
a new election.
If these accusations be true-and they
have not been denied, save in so far as Mr..
Oylesbv's connection with the projected city
canal is Commemorative submit that he is too
deeply interested in State Government,
the legality of which is denied by nine
tenths of the body over which he presides.
With such an incompaiiblity Of interest,
therefore, we are at a loss to understand how
strict impartiality and non-interterence can
govern his conduct.
1t would seem to us that the Chamber of
Commerce would readily see the dangerous
attitude it is made to occupy by the polit-
zeal promnency of its President. Mr..
Oglesby is known to the word as the Presi
dent of the Chamber of Commerce, and at
the same time he is known as a strong
partisan friend Of Kellogg, interested i'll the
present regime and laboring for its contin-
nance. The natural inference, therefore,
would be, especially abroad, that the Cham
Der of Commerce, either endorsed the poll
ties of Mr.. Oslesby or made no very great
objections to them
We do not wish to be understood to say
that the Chamber of Commerce should adopt
any political test for its members Republic
cans, we believe, can be and are largely in
terested in the commercial welfare of New
Orleans, and there should not be, nor do we
believe that there is, the slightest objection
to cooperating with them thoroughly for the
promotion of those commercial interests.
But we do object, and the Chamber of Com
merce will likewise, to any Of its officers
using their off ;ial position to promote their
own political or personal interests, when
those interests conflict with those of very
large majority of the Chamber.
The singular conduct of Mr. Oslesby, on
receiving the communication of the Com
mttee of Seventy, indicated great uneasi-
ness and a consciousness OF vulnerablllty
truly remarkable That he considered him
self the Chamber of Commerce was indicated
by his inquiry why the petition had not
been presented to him in his private Office ;
and the excited manner in which he discussed
the question demonstrated to all that
tender spot had been touched and but for
the determination on the part Of some of the
members to have the matter ventilated the
petition would have been consigned to the
tomb of the Capulets.
The Committee e Seventy, however, sue
ceeded fully in obtaining the hearing they
desired and the necessary resolution.
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