The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1877-10-19
LOOK AT HIM.


nous record In the last twelve months thar
any other political blackleg in the Union
The telegraph announces that Judge Spot
fords credentials were yesterday referred te
the Committee on Privileges and Elections by
o majority of three, the Republican Senator's
including Stanley Matthews, voting solidly fol
reference. Thus Mr. Matthews appears be.
fore the country In the character Of double
traitor. He visited this State with Clerical.
Error Stoughton, John Sherman and others In
the interest Of the Republican conspiracy,
while the Returning Board was proceed.
ing with It's fraudulent count. No
man, not even Sherman, did more than
Matthews to encourage the Returning
Board and inspire 1t with audacity to
re verse the Louisiana election. He was the
author of the famous paper issued by the Re-
publican visitors, maintaining the right Of the
board to perpetrate fraud Ii 1t did SO under
the forms Of lar, and when the foul thing was
done he was Its loud-mouthed. brazen- faced
and shameless defender. In short he was one
of those chiefly instrumental In having the
Louisiana election reversed, Packard returned
elected Governor Of the State and the Repub-
lican Electors eleceed.
According to the principle that there should
be honor among thieves. Stanley Matthews
should have Stood through thick and thin,
by Packard, for he had been party to the
organization and consunmation Of the damn
able and gigantic fraud on which Packard
based his pretensions But he did not
stand by him. When 1t became evident
that to stand by Packard would be to
endanger the fraudulent pretentions of
Hayes he did not hesitate to throw Pack
ard and his gang Of bogus Legislators, Off
cials and policemen overheard, and consent
to the establishment of the Nichols govern
ment. He was the friend, chief adviser and
confidential counselor of Mr.. Hayes, and Mr..
Hayes recognized the Nichols govern
ment and the Nichols Legislature which
elected Judge Spofford to the United States
Senate; and that recognition was given before
Judge Spofford was elected. There was every
reason to suppose, therefore, that Mr.. Mat
thews, understanding the indefeasible right Of
Louisiana to representation in the Federal
Senate, would vote to seat the Senator from
this State elected by the Legislature recog
nized by the President acting on his counsel
and advice.
Ingenious casuists may find excuses for
swindler who betrays his pal; the ends Of
Justice are often subserved by such betrayals.
No more striking illustration of this fact
could be given than the fact that by Matthews
betrayal Of Packard revolution in Louisiana,
and perhaps throughout the Union, was
averted, and the cause OF law and order made
But what excuse can Mr..
Matthews and his friends make for his second
act of bad faith and treason2 That the Re-
publican majority in the Senate Is being
rapidly reduced Is true, and doubtless
in voting for the reference of
Judge Spofford's credentials was influenced
by purpose to sustain, even against the con-
the waning strength Of his party.
But honest men will ask Is this the
meaning Of the now famous administration
shibboleth he serves his party best who
serves his country bestp Unfortunately it
ls easier to write and speak fine sentiments
than to act them; every penny-a-liner can
now find high sounding sentences on every
hand ready for use on any given occasion |; but
10 act noble things requires as much courage,
and devotion to the public
good as 1t did In any other era Of mankind,
and, of these high qualities, this repudiated
Ohio Senator, this blackleg politician who
gotinto the Senate by an accident and whom
lhe people OF his State discarded on the first
In thunder tones, possesses
lone. He began life as Democrat. When
hat party lost It's ascendency in his |
State he turned Republican. Failing to
rather honors or emoluments from that
he joined the Liberal move-
nent and went into the Liberal Convention Of |
s72. Failing to attain his ends there, he
deserted his new allies and became Grant |
Radical He came to Louisiana in Hayes |
interest and was party TO the Returning |
5oard fraud, by which Packard was declared
lected Governor. Finding 1t to his interest, he
leserted and betrayed Packard, and became
party to the Hayes scheme of recognizing
he Nichols government, organizing and
Louisiana Legislature on the !
asis of the real election returns. The Ohio
republicans having repudiated Mr.. Hayes,
stanley Matthews and all "the policies, Mat
hews, true to the record of his life, has now
eserted the conciliatory movement and
oined the EXTREMIST element of the Radical
'arty.
Indeed this man seems never to have had
my honest convictions of his own. He has
'etrayed every party and every cause with
which he has been united, and deserted every
'rinciple in which he has ever concurred.
"A great man." justly observes Junius,
in the success, and even in the magnitude of
lis crimes finds rescue from contempt"
Jnder this rule Mr.. Matthews cannot be
lassed as great man. He has displayed
II the qualities of an unprincipled man and
ot-house politician; he has failed in all his
and the crimes he has undertaken to
erpetrate have been of the lowest and most
chasing sort His election to the Senate has
My elevated him to make his failure more
onspicuous. for he was at the first cleo
ion after that accident repudiated by the
eople; he sought by the lowest jugglery;
y the instigation Of forgery and by specious