New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-10

- sA4O kHSHy0oNtAN0 W0kOO No. k0AAe01AlSoA
that it demonstrated against the exception
taken by the whisky defen Sc, that Con.
fed@ate soldier vas unit to try The rights
pf Aci6san. We are unaware that the
Democratic press made any acknowledg-
ment Of federal nagnaudmity when tie
psoseestion waived any objection to Jurors
because they had been Confederate
soldistA. Everything done in behalf Of
the indicted offenders seems to have been
right in the eyes Of Democracy.
That tho same generous concession has
not been made to the federal prosecution,
is shown In the ceusure by tho Bulletin Of
. late ruling Of the federal Judge. The
court declined to permit counsel . copy Of
the jury list. 1t is, thereupon, said:
We consider this conduct illegal, arbi-
trary and unjust.
These are pretty strong terms to be ap-
piled to tribunal whose decisions have
been heretofore respected. What inter-
est has the Bulletin in this ruling? In
what consists the impartiality of treating
the accused distillers and vendors of
whisky with such delicacy. that their
names scarcely appear, and in condemn
ing the court for the ruling referred to?
The Democratic press seems to consider
this prosecution an imputaton upon our
social character. It treats the prosecution
as public injustice. The prosecution is
made for our own benefit, for the economy
of our own treasury, for the honor Of our
own name. The arm Of public justice
should be upheld and strengthened rather
than weakened by an imputation of des-
potism and injustice, which may pass into
the minds Of the public. Of witnesses, and
even of jurymen.
We are spprehensive that there is q
different moral standard for offenses al
legged against Republicans and against
DEMOCRATS, against the indicted elsewhere
and the indicted here.
The offense OF robbing the revenue be-
fore it is paid into the treasury, and its
theft or misapplication after it comes into
the. treasury, is the same. 1t is public
robbery. The crime of one convicted of
having bribed revenue official, of hay
ing withheld from the treasury tax which
honest men pay into the treasury, Of un-
the honest manufacturer by
means Of this fraud, is at least as great as
70 misapply the public fun DIS intrusted to
the hands of defaulter. Republicans
make no degree in this crime They have
permitted no plea of party allegiance to
be fled in defeat or arrest of judgment.
The most serious revelations and the most
signal punishments inflicted for these
revenue frauds have proceeded from the
President, and have been exc
cuted by Republican officers.
We shall soon have an opportunity to
Test the impartiality which has not had a
word to say during the trial of the men
indicted for frauds on the revenues. We
will see whether this same rose leaf sensi-
bility will continue when the investiga-
lion of the Customhouse affairs shall COM
nence. This investigation, in common
with all others, meets the approval Of the |
Republican party. They W ish all the dis |
honest Republicans in Office SO branded
md marked, that the next Republican
administration will have a list expurgated,
Is the jury list is, Of all incompetent |
men.
The fury of reform has caused DEM !
,cratic Representative to leave the i'm
,ortant measures in which Louisiana is |
to take their chances. The |
evees are to have "a report" from the |
committee. This is great concession, we
admit, but there is an obvious difference |
between bill and an appropriation. Still
Ne await the Investigation, prepared to
1--WE the public all information of argu-
nent and testim ony precisely, as we alone
# all the New Orleans press have given
he proceedings of the revenue fraud |
rails. We consider that frauds upon the
evenue are of equal enormity,, and should
,e condemned with an equal censure. In
'ur mind, a criminal is of no political
,arty, and q robbery of the revenue
qually infamous, whether published out
ide or in, and whether perpetrated by
alse Republican or by Democrat.
A SIGNIFICANT ORDER.