Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-02-09
The Reformer Pickett.

An exceedingly picturesque person is
Pickett, the latest witness before Mr.
David Dudley Fields committee. To
have discovered Pickett is glory enough
for any one committee or any single ses.
sion Of Congress. The personal purity
of Pickett, his zeal in the cause of re-
form, his charitable disposition, his
guilelessness and simplicity, must have
delighted beyond measure the committee
before whom he testified. Pickett full
name John Thomas Pickett, title Colonel
seems from his testimony to be law
yer. In a conversation with Mr. Hewitt,
Chairman of the Democratic National
Committee, with reference to the invest
ment of a matter of million dollars in
the purchase by that committee of the
Louisiana Returning Board, Mr.. Pickett
stated "that while he had been an attor-
ney-at-law for a great many years, and
for ten or twelve years in Washington,
he had never used dollar corruptly and
never expected to-" Obviously the word
"while" is used here in the senes of
although" or Notwithstanding, and
we take leave to say that the remark in
dicated not only a profound sense of his
own invulnerable virtue, but very thor
ough appreciation of the temptations to
which an attorney is exposed, and espe-
cially exposed, in Washington. Whether
Mr.. Hewitt lifted his eyebrows in incre
dulity, or opened wide his eyes in ad-
miring wonder, does not appear in evil
dence, but the witness says that after he
had given an illustration of his virtue by
the proposition to buy up the Louisiana
Returning Board, Mr.. Hewitt casually
remarked that this was the third propo-
sition of the kind that had been made.
Impressive as Pickett was before the
committee he does not appear to have
impressed Mr.. Hewitt at all.
Mr.. John Morrissey, the eminent Demo
cratic statesman and champion of Re-
form, discussed the proposition with Mr..
Pickett with characteristic frankness.
In view of the magnitude of the inter-
ests at stake, he laid aside his scruples,
and, Notwithstanding the day was Sun.
day-which, as everybody knows, Mr..
Morrissey religiously observes by ab
staining from manual labor-he listened
to Pickett with the liveliest interest, and
freely gave his views of the political sit
uation. Mr.. Morrissey said "he would
buy these fellows as readily as he would
buy pigs, or words to that effect" says
Pickett; and then the latter adds with
such evident sincerity as must have
touched the hearts of the committee: 81
coincided with him in the interests of
forty millions of people," But, some
how, Mr.. Morrissey does not seem from
the testimony to have put his hand in
his vest pocket and taken out the million
or half million, more or less, which
Pickett said was the amount necessary,
and handed it over. 1t is possible that
since MIR. Morrissey declared "all bets
off" on the election, he is not carrying a
million or two in his vest pocket habit.
ually. 1t was good deal, though, for
him to give his appreciation of the
scheme, and to say with so much frank
ness that he was willing to buy up Re-
turning Boards like pigs. That remark
must have given Pickett great satisfac,
tion, for it insured to the plan the moral
effect of the cooperation and sympathy
of one of the most eminent Reformers IN
the party.
But 1t was in the conversation with
Mr.. Hewitt that the greatness of Pickett's
character shone out, as we may say, re-
splendent For $55Q,O00 he said he
could put the cause of Reform right on
its feet, make Tilden President, and
40, 100000 of people prosperous and
happy. OF this sum, $500, 900 would be
used for the purchase of the board, and
bcggarly $50, 900 he proposed to keep
for his own services. Upon that pitiful
sum he said he should be cOntented TO
live the remainder of his days, or f live
in sackcloth and ashes if necessary"
The work was dirt cheap. And then to
think that Pickett had to go round to
Mr.. Morrissey and Mr.. Hewitt, and other
Democratic leaders who pretend to be in
favor of Reform, with proposition like
this, to put Reform right on its legs for
$3.50, 900, and find among them all no
takers! 1t is one of the saddest things
in recent political history. There is
something mysterious in this failure to
fall in with Pickett's overtures. Had
not Pickett himself told US distinctly and
repeatedly in his testimony that his
character is above reproach, and that he
wouldn't do wrong for any amount of
money, or If he did that he would give
all he got for it to the widows and
orphans of the South, we should half
suspect that the Reform leaders doubted
his honesty. But that can hardly be.
There must be some other good reason
for their rejection of his proposals. II
is to be hoped that this win come out in
the course of the Investigation. Mean
time, Pickett, in the character of the
author Of Rejected Addresses, stands be-
fore the country with nothing saved out
Of il except what he calls the approval
of his conscience. II isn't a very large
capital, to be sure, but in these times il
ought TO be enough to retire on.--H y.