New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-05
The Syringe the Springer Sprung.

The intelligent Illinois Congressman vino
started the investigation of Governor Nor
toms war expenditures, has been very &C.
verely rebuked by his own party for his
stupidity; for, in his exoneration, Senator
Morton may be compelled to tell some very
unpleasant tales of Democratic treason in
war times in Indiana. The New York
Tribune saye:
We can not help seeing that the present
ator is ingeniously calculated to beget for
him the sympathy and good will OF the
country. 1t proceeds upon the charge that.
at the beginning Of the war, when rebel
eympathy controlled the Legislature of In
diana, he obtained. as Governor of that
State, q large sum of money from the United
States for expenditure in paying. equipping
and arming troops to aid in the suppression
of the rebellion. If it can be shown that
any part of this money was taken by Mr..
Morton for private use, any decent citizen
would at least prefer to have the proof be-
fore making the story public. Nobody as
serts such thing. The charge is that the
payment to Governor Morton was not
strictly warranted by Law, because his State
was not in rebellion. In short, the Demo-
Gratis propose to punish Mr.. Morton for
taking effective measures against rebellion
in Indiana. That ls all there ls IN the Dusl-
ness thus far.
If later evidence warrants any question
as to the faithful disposition of the money
thus received, it will then be time to con-
slider it. As the case stands now, it appears
to be merely another attempt to besmlrch q
presidential candidate. The Democrats will
gain no advantage from the fact that some
of their spokesmen seem to hail this attempt
Il A.. F0r< <ho hot -
Morton was exceeding troublesome to their
party in 1861. 1t is not by tho revival OF
such memories that the Democracy is to
win a victory-if it win it at all-in 1876.
The New York Times goes more into de.
tails:
In their general fire all along the line of
possible Republican nominees for the Pres
idency, the Democrats have now got as far
as Senator Morton. What was designed to
be destructive train was lighted by the
World on Saturday The explosion was
premature. The fragments thrown into
the air do not resemble the Senator from,
Indiana. They appear to be the remains
of Mr.. Springer, of Illinois, who is credited
with the authorship of this tremendous
affair. The charge is that Mr.. Morton,
900 from the United States treasury, which
he misapplied. The facts are briefly these:
During the early part Of the rebellion the
Indiana Legislature had what was called
"a copperhead majority" That majority
returned Governor MOrton's war message
unopened, and attempted to vest the con-
troll of the State militia in the hands OF
four officers chosen by the aforesaid
'.copperhead" majority. The Repub-
| lican minority left the Legislature
| without a quorum, and that trea
scnable trick was thus defeated. The
State was left, however, without money to
| carry on the government. Everybody re.
| members Governor Morton's arduous and
| patriotic services in that crisis. He bor-
rowed money 10 maintain the State credit
| and keep Indiana in the line Of battle
| Secretary Stanton advanced the Governor
$3.50, 900 fSom one Of the war appropriations
| of Congress- Every dollar of that advance
was repaid, and the accounts of the Gov
ernor were satisfactorily adjusted long ago
| The less the Democrats say about their
shameful record during the late civil wal
| the BET ter for them. Their fellow.citizens
are willing to forget the particularly dis
graceful part which they played in Indians
| during Morton's administration. Repre-
sentative Springer was acquitted the Othel
! day of having brought lunatic into thu
| proceedings Of an investigating committee
! II he is responsible for this later incredible
| political blunder his party friends will b
willing to vote that he has taken leave o
| his senses.