New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-05-14

II seems that Mr.. Morrison, the chairman Of
the Investigating Committee sent down 10
Louisiana to have "a picnic and discover, II
possible, enough frauds committed by Rcpub-
leans at the Presidential election to balance
at least those which had been fastened upon
fine Democrats. Is somewhat annoyed at
finding Clovcr's wild, Understanding
hook in the handle of the committees
Iunch-baslict The lunch-baskct was provided
bv Colonel Donovan, the committees assistant
srrgcant-at-aIlns. Among the members OF the
committee there WAS great doubt as to the
precise object Of their mission and how To be-
Gin. but this functidnary graSped the situa-
tion without difficulty and at once. The very
first thing to he done was to lay III two cases OF
champagne; then cigars and Il variety OF wines
and liquors; and, just 20 get the inquiry started
a dozen bottles OF cold Stag whiskey," the in
vrstiputing COngrcssman'S rdde mCctm. This
u ONLY the first of the lunch-bgskcts. Glover
hopes TO catch more of them before he gets
throuph. This one was laid in at IN expense
of Sl96. The original bill was S204, but Chair
man Morrison, before approving the account,
with that stern sense Of justice and strict regard
for economy by which his public career has
TO throw of So on account Of bad cigars,
thus saving that amount of money to the
National Treasury and reducing the cost of
the first lunch-baskct TO the comparatively
trivial sum Of $19G. VIII any one have the
assurance TO look Mr. Morrison in the
eve and say that was too much to spend on
ap,outft for such a conmittee2 Hardly. On
tbe contrary, the general disposition will be to
overlook the fact, and the items and cost of
the lunch basket, III the more important fea-
ture of the transactiOn-that Nh. Morrison, in a
spirit of economy that ought to insure his
trinmpLant reelection, saved to the Govern
mcnt SO on bad cigars.
1t would be difficult to Ovcrcstimate the
importance Of this act of Mr.. MorrsOn's. Com
slider for moment the ease with which the
Government may be imposed upon and swim
died by packing off an investigating commit
tee with bai cigars We are informed by
persons who use cigars that even the most
sir, wd ard careful purchasers are often
imposed upon by the crafty and I'M
principled grocer who palms oil upon
them for genuine Havana the cheaper
and less fragrant product of the Connecticut
Valley known rs the "Sullcld Seed" or the
windsor Particular" 1t is not easy to dis
cover the fraud until the cigar is consumed.
when it is too late of, course, to effect
an exchange or compel restitution.
BY what means Mr.. Morrison dis
covered the gross and high-handed fraud
upon the Government in the matter of those
cigars, we do not know. In an interview upon
the subject, which has been published, he is
represented as saying that he was absent at
the time this stock was laid in and
consumed, and that he "never saw any
" of that elegant lunch" nor tasted any
"of those assorted drinks" Consequently,
he could not have known from actual
trial of them that the cigars were bad. But
this is a statesman who does not audit bills
without satisfying himself of their correctness.
AS to the champagne and the "Old Stag" he
contented himself, no doubt with an examina-
ton of the bottles and cOrks, and verlfcation