The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1876-10-12
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Com pOsition OF the House and Char.
scter OF the Men Brought to the
Front.
In the present Congress there are So ex.
Confederate army officers and "a officials OF
the ex-rebel government.
There are 8S Democrats from the section
formerly slaveholding, and SO from the other
states. In all there are IS committees, in
GLIDING the special Committee on the Centen-
NAL. Thirty-three of these are regarded as
leading, but only score are of real impor-
lance. OF the 4S chairmanships the former
slave States, Us in number,) with less than
two ffths of the population, have "a. These
include all the important ones, after Ways and
Means, Appropriations, and Banking and Cur
rency. Nearly every Northern chairman of a
committee is handicapped by strong Southern
Democrat as the second man on the committee
The section indicated has 80 of the second
places, making in all "a out of So Democrats
from the former slave States who are put in
leading positions. To ara!yze little closer,
the ten ex-retel States have Is chairmanships
and II Of the second positions. For the frst
time In the history of the Union not single
Craftsmanship has been assigned to the repre-
entatives from New England, embracing FIVE
out of the thirteen original States. Examin-
ing the distribution still further, It will be
found that In addition to the New England
States the Northwest and the States ives. Of
the Mississippi are left "out in the cold"
Of the employees of the House 81 Union
soldiers, many Of them disabled in the service
NOR Snbo Oh f..
tanned. Al Confederate soldiers were ap.
pointed. The names of many of the employees
such as extra messengers, folders and extra
committee clerks, cannot be ascertaIred, fol-
the reason that they are paid upon vouchers,
instead of q regular roll. A great number Of
these are ex-Confedsrates. The character oil
many of these employees may be illustrated
by brief summary of few instances.
The clerk, Mr.. Adams, admitted that he
had labored to oppose the legislation of the
House relative to the reduction of his OWE
salary.
The veteran journal clerk, John NJ. Bar
clay, who had held the position for thirty
years, was forced to resign. One c. II
Smith, Of New Hampshire, was appointed tc
succeed Barclay, and proved to be not only
incapable, but dishonest. He was caugh,
using his position to secure business as
claim agent, In anticipation of the passage oil
the bill equalizing soldiers bounties, and be
was no doubt counting upon aiding the pa s.
sage of the bill by using the influence of bis
office. He was Investigated, threatened with
dismissal, and resigned in disgrace.
Clerk Adams appointed bis uncle, Greer
Adams, chief clerk. Green Adams was
formerly auditor of the Treasury fer the Post
Office Department. While In that position
the chief clerk, Sharretts, sold waste paper to
the value of S5,392.76, and paid to Green
Adams out of the amount S2,5l7.52.
Morrison appointed as clerk of the Commit
tee of Ways and Means J. P. Hambleton
This man was cotton-claim agent and
lobbyist, and, besides, was an unusually bitter
and vituperative rebel. He named son
John Wilkes Booth, for the assassin of Abra-
ham Lincoln. This charge having been
made, he denied it intemperately. The
charge having been proved, Morrison was un-
able to stand the pressure, and Hambieton re-
signed.
Wherever the Democrats have gained con-
troll in the lately rebellous States, whether
by fraud aud intimidation or otherwise, those
OF their own party who remained true to the
Union during the W ar are sent to the rear, and
conspicuous service in behalf of the "lost
cause" is the sole test In the bestowal OF
offices. A striking illustration of the truth
of this assertion is the case of John Hancock
native of Texas, and a Representative in
the present Congress from that State. A
Union mau at the beginning of the war, he
strongly opposed secession, and, refusing to
take tho oath of allegiance to the Confederate
State Government, he was expelled from his
seat In the State Legislature. For his stead
fast loyalty to the Union he was subsequently,
driven from his State and remained in the
North during the war, when he returned and
again united his fortunes with the Democratic
party. AT the recent election for United
States Senator in Texas he was prominent
candidate. His distinguished ability and
earnest devotion to the interests of bis State
were conceded, but counted for nothing. The
party caucus decided that he did not correctly
represent the views of the Democrats Of
Texas, and his only competitor, Governor
Coke, who had served in the rebel army with
the rank of general, was chosen. Still more
recently he was candidate for denomination
for Representative in Congress. His record as
Union man was again the fatal objection; he
was set aside, and NJ. d. G. Giddings, who was
colonel in the rebel army, was selected as
his successor.
The following, from the editorial columns of
the Greenville Is. CO. Enterprise, will best
desrioe the treatment received by Republicans
at the hands of these unrepentaut rebels:
1.-The Democrats everywhere have by words
branded the Republicans with infamy, and
called them thieves and scoundrels 1t i'll be-
comes Democrat who thus speaks to asso-
cfate with men whom he thus denounces.
Governor Vance once asked Ben. Hill how 1t
was that Georgia had got so far ahead of
North Carolina in putting down Radicalism.
Hin replied, the reason was very obvious.
When man of social position joins the Radi-
cal party in Georgia, we not only brand him
with infamy, but we put him in coventry, and
all social intercourse with him is broken of.
But in North Carolina you meet him and treat
him as you formerly did. In one case he feels
his fniamy aud Is deferred, and in the other
case he does not. This remark is worthy of
all consideration, and let every true Democrat
act on it."
The fierce denunciation and ostracism of such
men as Longstreet and Mosby, who rendered
faithful and gallant service to the cause of
the Confederacy, and who now see that the
only hope of restoration of fraternal feeling
and consequent peace and prosperity for the
Southern States is in frank and unreserved
acceptance of the issues of the war, has no
doubt deferred thousands of Southern men
from openly opposing the mad policy and aims
OF the Democratic party.