New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-12
THE CASE OF PINCHBACK.


over the case of Pinchback without WEAKNESS
and shame. Even Pinchback himself can
hardly find it amusing. For two years this
disreputable adventurer has been hanging
| about the entrance to the Senate, and the
leaders of the party within have been unable
to make up their minds either to admit him
or send him about his business. On the one
hand his admission seemed to be the logical
consequence of their support of Mr.. Kellogg
and the approval which they felt compelled to
show of the Presidents general policy in
Louisiana On the other, his claims were so
plainly fictitious and his personal character
and antecedents were so peculiar that nobody,
except Mr.. Morton, could be blind to the fact
that he would make any party odiOus which
| adOpted him. And 80 for two years Louisiana
has been deprived of representative in the
Senate because the politicians to whom a
Christening Providence has committed the af-
fairs of the United States could not decide
whether it was moro to their advantage to do
right or to do wrong.
The merits of the case have been clear from
the first, and Pinchback has no plea to offer
now which has not been blown TO fragments
dozen times already-unless indeed he can
argue that under the Civil Rights bill he is
entitled to equal privileges and accommoda-
tons with Sypher, who was allowed to sit in
the House of Repres entativcs and draw pay
till the end of the term, and only turned out
fifteen hours before the final adjournment. In
fact the equitable right of Pinchback to the
seat he claims is not seriously urged even by
his leading advocates. The letters captured
in Kelloggs Office last September threw a
food of light upon their plans and purposes.
| 1t is no doubt remembered that when the
Pinchback case was before the Senate
in the Winter of 1894 kellogg sent
his agent Blanchard, ex-State Register
of Voters, to Washington as witness
before the Committee but Attorney General
Williams decided. after investigating Mr..
Blanchard, that he was about as safe as q
lump of nitro-glycerine, and advised Senator
Morton not to call him, because his examina-
ton might turn out badly" 1t was deter
mined that Mr. Pinchback's claims should go
to the Committee "on just enough of a case !"
and Kellogg's lawyers, Billings, Chandler,
Williams, and the rest, crammed Mr.. Morton
accordingly with law points drawn from the
rulings and decisions of Durcll, Ludellng, and
other shining ornaments of the Louisiana
bench. 1t was with such ammunition that the
battle over Pinchback was fought, until the
President, having made up his mind to have
brother-in-law Casey in the Senate, ordered
the fight to be stopped, and it was stopped.
Precisely how Mr.. Morton stands with re-
spect to the Casey scheme we do not profess
to know; but there seems to be an under
standing among Republican Senators that they
| are not required to vote for Pinchback ut
present, and so wo suppose no will be re-
jected. That of cour:o will be matter for
thankfulness, and it will be time enough to
grieve about Casey when he makes his APP
pearance. He could not do as much mischief
| in the Senate as he is Going in New Orleans.