New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-18
GIVE THEM " FITZ."

Inc UemOcratlc house mas Ooeu
arrested in their claim of exceptional
purity by the awful developments of one
of the legislative menials. It has been
compelled to take up this footman and
doorkeeper who has divulged in the
kitchen what he has heard while standing
behind the chairs Of the confidential
circle. The letter Of the door
keeper was the subject of grave dis
cussion. There was declared purpose
to remove him, and series of judicial
charges were produced and considered.
Both Democratic and Republican men,
bers declared that these charges, howso-
ever serious. had been examined and no
conviction has been found, every consider
alton of justice then demanded trial by
investigation and forbade the removal Of
an officer upon mere accusation. In this,
Congress emphatically condemned the
Democratic practice in Mis- sissippi, at
tempted in Louisiana, Of declaring an
Office vacant upon the mere exhibition of
articles of accusation against him.
This evasion of the annoyance would
not answer its object, and after an ex-
tended comment upon the '.foolishness"
of Fitz, it was decided to refer the sub
ject to the Committee on Rules, with an
instruction enquire into the propriety of
consolidating the offices of doorkeeper
and sergeant-at-arms."
This will squash the scandal. It will
neither impugn the words of Fitz, nor
will it allow him to evesdrop his employ
ers. It will be warning to others. This
episode is entitled to attention. It is, in
one sense, q lucky-we will not dignity
it as providential incident There has
been much effort by both the Democratic
press and politicians in Congress to pro-
duce the belief that this doorkeeper has
made ridiculous boast of his influence.
There is parade in the debates of the
legal documents in which he ia charged
with the henlous offenses of larceny,
perjury and arson. The inference would
be that if the disclosures made about
Democratic members were anything more
than the ebulitions of vanity, they rested
but on the testimony Of a man once in
dicted for discreditable crimes.
Let US see if the letter admitted to have
been written by the doorkeeper does not
demonstrate something more than the
folly of its production and publication.
We take an authentic copy from the
House record.
It proves that the Democratic like the
Republican members of Congress bestow
their patronage upon their friends.
Fitzhugh requests his correspondent
to tell an applicant for Office:
l tried to save a place for him, but the
members are 80 clamerOus for their consti
tuants that 80 fur it has been impossible to
do so.
He subsequently says:
am q bigger man with the members than
old Grant. l can not put my foot in the
hall but they make break for me and
sometimes dozen begin at me at once fol
places for sous t,.eal.
How well this corresponds with his
first statement. He can not get place
for friend in Texas, but may have te
smuggle him into a department after
Christmas. Did not those Democratic
members give Fitzhugh his place? How
then could he reproach or resist them fol
claiming their own? Fitz held those Of
fees but as trustee for the Democratic
members. We ask: Is there anything
ridiculous or impossible in all this? Why
should the man have made such an ex
cuse for not giving friend an Office if il
was not the fact that the members mo-
nopolized them? Do we not know that
every Republican official was promptly
bounced" to make way for the hungry
hordes which swarmed to Washington? Dc
we not know Democratic employees of the
House from Louisiana, who are now &C.
tive politicians, and correspondents of the
partisan press? There is nothing i'm
probable about the clamerous Congress-
man and his greedy constituents. It has
been the same with other, and with al
parties. The shame of the matter con
sists in the hypocrisy of a party which
claims peculiar purity, proven guilty O.
the condemned practices.
2. A Democratic Office holder will pro-
vide for his son without objection from
the Democratic reformers.
Fay (the son of Fitz] arrived on Saturday
all safe. set him to work in 5000 place
and he is the most delighted fellow y0r
ever saw.
3. A Democratic Office holder may be a.
fond of fine pair of hc1ses and a deae
head excursion as Republican.
The gort furnishes me with q fine turn
out and spanking pair of horses. have
more invitations to frolic with the mem
bers and Senators than any man in Wash
ingtOn.
Then these stern investigators and these
Solons of the Senate do indulge in frolic
and in their saturnalia permit their legis
lative menials to participate, and this
decent and demure Democratic domestic
invites his fellows all the way from Texal
to come on and participate in this dead
head revelry with q political funkey
Verify, this state of Democratic morals il
worse than we could have conceived They