The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-05
THE HOSPITAL FUND.


s E,ttoy. DtmosaA 1t wHs notexpected
by tic r,fbIic, nor woriid it@have been
consistent with the dignity Of the House
of Representatives OF Louisiana, whose
annual session has just Terminated ,Gfor
any OF It's committees or the members
Ernereof, TO engage I'm a newspaper CON
troyersy with either public or private
persons touching the correctness or pro-
priety Of the statements, findings and
recommendation Of reports officially
made to the House by such commits
tees. The only place whore committee
men Of the House, the authors OF
such q report, can or should defend
and s,lbstantiate their official state
ments Is upon the floor of the House,
and there alone. Their action in com
rnittee IS that Of members Of the House,
public representatives, and ID not that
of individuals acting in u personal or
private capacity. Well knowing this
rule and probably unable to find an ad-
vocate Upon the floor, where he would
have been answered, the chief editor OF
the Tto,es-Mr. Isaac Stoutemyers- has,
in the newspaper he controls, under
taken to criticise and sneer at the state
ments and findings Of the report made
last week by the Committee on
Public and Charitable Institutions
with regard to the condition Of
tho finances OF the Charity Hospital
Of the city Of New Orleans, and particu-
Ilarly with regard TO the fee or compen-
sation of $6500 exaGted by himself FROM
the administrators of that institution
for his supposed influence with his
brother law, ex-Auditor Clinton, in
favor Of the delivery OF his warrants up
on the State Treasurer for the Charity
Hospital appropriation Of $4,000, made
by the Legislature Of 1876. Mr.. Stoute-
myer, at the same time, essayed de-
tense of his conduct in practicing such
an extortion upon so benevolent an in
stitution. -. lIr..
Mr.. Stoutemyer is not to be blamed
for attempting to justify his conduct in
this matter, il justification there were
for him, but we may call in question his.
Judgment in undertaking the defense of
an indefensible act. Impossible tasks
should never be attempted, and we think
Mr.. Stoutemyer's one of that charac-
ter. But as it is due to him, as well as
to our readers, that we should examine
the grounds he has urged in his behalf,
and accord to him the benefit OF them IL
we find them good and sufficient. VIC
proceed to the performance Of this day.
Those grounds are set forth IN an edi-
torial article In the Times OF Sunday
last, headed Latter Day Talleyrands. :"
Mr.. Stoutemyer pretends this was
m ordinary and legitimate transaction,
In which no one was concerned but
himself and the creditors Of the hospital.
He contends that the question at issue
IN no way concerns the State or the
States officers. directly or indirectly.
He asserts, in the face of his own testi-I
mony, delivered before the committee
and In the presence Of three Of its mem
Ders, that che was employed by the
Of the hospital, that his fee
semanated from them," and that che
has never claimed to have rendered any
services to the hospital whatsoever.
BE claims, in the face of his own testi-
nony and that Of Messrs. Bonzano and |
Wheelock, that "the arrangement for
his employment was made with the
,reditors and that they cordially &C
luiesced in it," He accuses the COM
nittee Of the House with .'meddling |
With his private affams'' and undertakes
% administer to them u rebuke |
herefor. We quote his own
words as published in the Times,
md regret to say that they appear to he
lirect and positive contradictions OF the 7
published statements Of Messrs Bou-
lho and Wheelock, and Of his own tes-
ifneny as published in the official Jour-
lal Of February 26. Mr.. Bouzano states
n his testimony, in answer to the ques-
ion "who employed Mr. Stoutemyer %
hat he did. Mr.. Stoutemyer, in answer
0 the qestion 'were you employed as
onnsel to dissolve that injunction?"
aid "Iwas employed to obtain the war.
ants" was applied to repeatedly by
fr. Bonzano to obtain them he stated
hat the creditors Of the hospital were
ressing their claims did not see the
reditors; I conferred only with Mr..
my contract was with him.
cid Mr.. Bonzano responsible for my
as attorney; the arrange
lents Of the creditors with the admin
,trators Of the hospital I had nothing
D do with ...... ,.,,ss... .,1or
In further proof OF the uncorrectness
I Mr.. Stoutemyer's statements as made
j Sundays Times, we quote from Mr..
Vheelock's letter Of February a. l.
Worried out by delay, and fearing
1tal loss, offered to compromise the
ebt with the Board of Administrators
y taking $11 900 in cash for their entire
ldebtedness to Wheelock, Finlay IL Co.
'eyond this I know nothing of this
fair have been no party to the mode
r mannersofs procuring warrants from
ne State am utterly ignorant, beyond
hat have seen in the papers. of what {
as been done by Mr.. Bonzano, and {
Tiers on their own authority, and UNI Z
nown and unauthorized by me. 1 have il
lnctiOned no arrangement or agree 6
lent other than what have stated" &
Mr.! Bonzano testifies he employed !