The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-29

taGo tWtHS, OF - holman W est, tnf
thief and forQer who disQraces % seal
in the United States Senate as Senator
from Louisiana. We publish Che sketch
with the hope that at length we may by
continual showing up to the Morrlls
Edmunds, Booths and such other of the
Republican Senators as are possessed ol
some self-respect and gentlemanly in
Stincts. the leprous moral wretch that
pollutes the Senate chamber of this Re
! public, that by uniting with the Demo
Gratis in that body they will kick the
scoundrel out
| Here is the extract:
| There are
OTHER SUGGESTIVE STUDIES
! in this diversified gallery Of rogues
! When feasted with the roseate hues Of
/ Conkling, the eye of the Senate way
I farer drops lust in front Attention is
Immediately fixed upon an uneasy old
/ man whose saliencies are prominently
/ shakiness. He reminds the looker-on
I irr"Ssjhly OF that class Of organism
which feeds upon foulness and crawlS
in darkness. His eye doesn't seem to
/ be calculated for sunlight. IF you have
( patience and watch him long enough.
! you will notice that during The whole
/ day he does nothing. He watches In n
cat-like, furtive way the motions of the
! Senators, throws sneaking scowls at the
/ gallery; he takes no active part in de
/ bate, figuring exclusively as the friend
of the office seeker in executive sessions.
/ He gives one the impressions as he sits
+ in his seat OF a prisoner in dock to whom
sentence has Just been read, and who
/ expects mOmentarily the heavy hand of
/ the law upon him. This eXpectant
/ figure, shaking at the thought of q
/ Justice which may never reach him, is
J. RODMAN WEST,
/ the creature who represents Louisiana
as Senator q man whose peculiar at
/ tainments have naturally recommended
him to that astonishing party, which
seems to thrive on its crimes, exposed
or concealed. j. Rodman, to look at. is
not lovely or attractive. He is chap, as
70 facial indications, Of uncertain age.
/ He is young in virtue, b1t old in evil
doing Crime has not left any marks
peculiar to itself in his face. He must
have been born vicious, and to fulfill his
destiny fate gave him q non tommittal
face, though an unmistakable trick Of
the eve and stiffness Of manner 90 far
to neltralize the benignancY Of fate.
From the details Of his career he must
nave IN ltutttl tIlf lD4S fltI'l SflI lows.
the triumphs and yicisSitudes, Of fifty
seasons Of discomfort. He is the en-
bodiment Of the Shakspearian picture
Of Cassius, lean. lowering and hungry.
His head is Of the sort that IL e phrenO-
logical folks have assigned 30 the de
praved group The hair was once brown
and perhaps thick it is now limited to
u thin curtain covering the posteriOr
developments, leaving long, arid.
shining waste, from tho eyes to
the extreme verge of the crown.
bare and qlistenjng as the body
of a heated tea kettle / notice that he
rarely speaks in the Senate, and that
when he counsels with the Senators Of
his peculiar kind the truth Of history
compels me to say that his own ecu
liar kind seems TO be peculiarly Morton.
Spencer, Logan, and that brood he
never turns a full face even upon these
conqenial spirits, but listens with a
downcast, uncertain shaking. infinitely
suggestive of that thrifty double-deal-
ing which has marked him through
career greatly more picturesque in
scoundrehSm than that of his fellow
ruffian, Spencer, or his kindred con
spirator, Morton When in the course
Of time this mans immeaSurable deprav
tiles are put on judicial record, and his
own partisanS are compelled 20 acknowl
edge them and probably forced TO join in
netting out n late Justice 10 him. there
Will probably be an expression Of pre-
tended wonder, Just as there was when
BeIknap lost heart and gave the com
mittee the first real hold upon him
But there are very few in Washington
who have watched Vests career and
examined his anteccdents, who doubt
for moment the original sin Of this
,eb. ,.Lr IL II, I.5
thief, 1rhO is kuO,rn 10 he nurderer,
who is known to be defrauder Of the
revenue salable brihable, venaI, per-
iured legislator. Yet by the force Of
party necessity, possibly party sym
pathy, he is maintained rs the repre-
sentative of a million and a half of
people. the single senatorial voice Of
the State of louisiana There are many
men in Washington who know West
and have followed his antecedents
closely.
BEFORE THE WAR
he was the fiscal officer Of the Fireman
Charitable Association in New Orleans.
One fine day he pocketed $500 Of the
funds Of that association, n diamond pin
belonging To one OF his fellow firenen,
and made way with himself to parts
unknown. He was next heard Of IN San
Francisco, where, being a parsonage Of
push and parts he forced himself into
q municipal place, which paid him $1,000
a year in gold. The records of his opera
tions there would furnish chapter not
unlike the exciting escapade9 Of the
Newgate calender. Destiny, however,
impeded this prosperous and peaceful
path to wealth, and finding no further
civic mischief for his idle hands
to do, in fine burst Of patriotic frenzy
he caused himself TO be appointed a
colonel Of cavalry, and set himself to
work charging through California with
high hand and a spreading banner,
preparatory to foray upon the Mexi-
can frontier Though enlisted in the
ranks Of war, the thrifty colonel was
not proof against the arts Of love. He
saw and conquered the wife of one Of his
subordinates, p common soldier, who
having no rights that West was bound
to respect, on discovering his dishonor
and threatening Vests life, was ordered
before drum-head court-martial
AND PROMPTLY SHOT.
However, on glory bent, he had a
frugal mind, and the records Of the
department tell tale Of false vouchers
and contracting frauds, which, at the
expense If the soldiers, made Westa rich
man The end Of the war found
him shorn Of his wealth, his position
and his prospects. His military asso-
ciates discovered his villanies, and he
was by rapid stages reduced from place
,@x..o, XEhnp ha aI6Ga CYP fhe. IA r